Electric cars

[TiJazz]

@Peteo Braintree is NOWHERE near the M25. It’s a good 40 miles away up the A120. The location makes no sense.

[Jocko]

25 miles, but still well away from the M25.

[sparky Paul]

It seems to me that the Braintree site was never intended to serve the M25. You would think that they will have done their homework, perhaps they thought that an initial site like this on the M25 would be overwhelmed - and that would surely not be good PR.

One other thing I noticed recently. I know Tesco are fitting free chargers in their car parks for customers, but Aldi is also getting in on it - a store near mum & dad's now has four free to use (slow) charging bays.

[Jocko]

Funding has been made available through Scottish Government’s Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme for £21.4m for new green buses. 22 double-deckers and 24 single-decker electric buses for Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Perth, all built in Scotland by leading bus manufacturer ADL, with Perth and Aberdeen infrastructure provided by SSE.

[peteo48]

Sorry about the Braintree misinformation. I actually first saw this on the You Tube channel run by Renault Zoe owner Emma Jackman. She was driving along a motorway when she was talking about it and I assumed, because she is from Essex, she was travelling along the M25.

[Jocko]

China's biggest carmaker Geely is launching a premium electric car brand it hopes will take on Tesla. Geely said it would develop and manufacture high-end EVs under the Zeekr brand and expected to begin deliveries in the third quarter of 2021. Geely owns the Volvo and Lotus brands. Their Polestar 1 is a highly thought of EV.

[sparky Paul]

Oops!

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/land-rover-defender-completely-destroyed-after-major-fire-at-dick-lovett-jaguar-land-rover-dealership/219747

[sparky Paul]

China's biggest carmaker Geely is launching a premium electric car brand it hopes will take on Tesla. Geely said it would develop and manufacture high-end EVs under the Zeekr brand and expected to begin deliveries in the third quarter of 2021. Geely owns the Volvo and Lotus brands. Their Polestar 1 is a highly thought of EV.

I don't think the Chinese have any intention of allowing established western car makers to run off with the electric car market. They are gearing up now, designing vehicles, and building battery and vehicle megafactories from scratch, while we are still pontificating. VW seem to be putting a marker down, but they still have their work cut out IMHO.

There's been a lot of consolidation in vehicle manufacturing in the last couple of years, and I suspect there's more to come. Any car manufacturers that don't or cannot turn over to electric soon will be swallowed up.

What's happening with JLR? There were rumours that a sale to Peugeot was almost a done deal in 2019, and then it just went quiet. They are talking about being all EV by 2025, but with vehicles that are purchased by some for their 3½ tonne towing capacity, that looks a tall order.

They will need to do a lot more than "Reimagine".

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/jaguar-land-rover-reimagined-all-big-questions-answered

[Jocko]

Oops!

The Defender SE is an MHEV which means you cannot plug it in and charge it. It says it was being charged from a battery charger. Was it the drivetrain battery they were charging or the 12v vehicle battery? I would imagine that the dealers have some facility for charging the drivetrain battery that an owner wouldn't.

[Jocko]

but with vehicles that are purchased by some for their 3½ tonne towing capacity, that looks a tall order.

Tesla Cybertruck. 7,500+ lbs towing capacity. Supposed to be available here this year and US prices from $40,000 (24/3/21 - £29,150)

[sparky Paul]

but with vehicles that are purchased by some for their 3½ tonne towing capacity, that looks a tall order.

Tesla Cybertruck. 7,500+ lbs towing capacity. Supposed to be available here this year and US prices from $40,000 (24/3/21 - £29,150)

Yes, but the thing isn't anywhere near to being in production yet. There is zero chance of it being here in the UK this year, or probably next. Do you think that JLR will be able to produce a full range of similar vehices in four years time?

[JimSh]

Interesting comparisons on towing here. (I must admit I haven't watched either of the two videos through yet)
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=electric+car+vs+petrol+towing+utube&docid=608023479929667624&mid=B49F16B3E54C2B0BA5A7B49F16B3E54C2B0BA5A7&view=detail&FORM=VIRE


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=electric+car+vs+petrol+towing+utube&&view=detail&mid=32741981891A2373BBB932741981891A2373BBB9&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Delectric%2Bcar%2Bvs%2Bpetrol%2Btowing%2Butube%26%26FORM%3DVDVVXX

[richardfrost]

One of my oldest friends is Professor Phil Mawby from the University of Warwick. He is deeply involved in power electronics for vehicles and is doing projects specifically for JLR and BMW in this field. We chat about this at times but he gives few details and nothing I am allowed to share. However he is really confident about the technology.

The thing is, his technology sits between the battery (or power source) and the motors, or in the motors themselves. So where I still have my doubts is around getting the power into the vehicle and storing it.

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/wmgnews/?newsItem=8a1785d8785a72c801785f4c607c2685

[sparky Paul]

It says it was being charged from a battery charger. Was it the drivetrain battery they were charging or the 12v vehicle battery?

I don't know, but it didn't do it any good! 

[sparky Paul]

So where I still have my doubts is around getting the power into the vehicle and storing it.

Yes, that's fair comment. I've said before that we are still very much in an 'early adopter' phase of this technology, and all I would add is that, at the rate things are being developed, 2030 leaves opportunities for some major advances yet.

Thanks for the linky, some interesting articles on there.