Luton Airport car park fire

[markjay]

When I can buy, at a sensible price, a spacious EV that will do 300 motorway miles cruising at (sorry, officer...) 85 mph, and be recharged ready to do the same again five minutes later, then I probably will. My CLS 63 can do that easily....

Blyme... what size fuel thank do you have in your CLS63?

 

[clk320x]

When I can buy, at a sensible price, a spacious EV that will do 300 motorway miles cruising at (sorry, officer...) 85 mph, and be recharged ready to do the same again five minutes later, then I probably will. My CLS 63 can do that easily....

Whilst towing a caravan right?

 

[st13phil]

My EV has a WLTP range of 285 miles, in reality I get around 230 miles in winter driving on the motorway and 350 miles in the summer while driving in the city (the two extremes). Plus, you want to get to the next charger when the battery has at least 10% left, so that's 10% off your effective range right there.

That been said, I find it disingenuous when so many people comment that they'll never get an EV 'because of the range'

Regarding range, my K1600 motorcycle has a 26.5-litre tank which means that unless you ride it like Miss Daisy then you have a practical range from full tank of around 220-230miles with around 50miles left in reserve (trust me: you wouldn't want to rely on pushing it!). Even at motorway speeds that equates to 3.5-4hrs of travel before an enforced stop which - believe me - even on a comfortable tourer is pushing it.

In reality, while touring (we've just done a trip to Italy and back) I try to plan combined fuel / refreshment / comfort stops so that I don't need to make more stops than necessary and then fill the tank on arrival at the destination so that we get a good start to the next day. In that respect I would say it is very similar to how a tour in an EV would work, but with the exception that a refuelling & comfort stop can be accomplished in under 10mins for my dino-fuelled bike vs. rather longer for a charging stop for an EV, especially if the planned charge points are in use or out of commission when you arrive.

The point I'm making is that some degree of planning is required, but if that is undertaken then a 220-230mile range is eminently usable for even a long trip as long as refuelling / recharging points are readily available. Sadly, that is where EV's currently lose out due to the general patchiness of public charging infrastructure, and the option of an overnight charge is often impossible when away from home whereas there will almost certainly be a filling station close by.

 

[st13phil]

Blyme... what size fuel thank do you have in your CLS63?

80-litre (assuming it's the same as the tank on a W212 E63).

 

[markjay]

80-litre (assuming it's the same as the tank on a W212 E63).

What's the MPG for a 6.2L V8 (or is it 5.5L?) at 85mph?

 

[st13phil]

What's the MPG for a 6.2L V8 (or is it 5.5L?) at 85mph?

My experience with the 5.5L biturbo was around 28-30mpg at that speed.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

When I can buy, at a sensible price, a spacious EV that will do 300 motorway miles cruising at (sorry, officer...) 85 mph, and be recharged ready to do the same again five minutes later, then I probably will. My CLS 63 can do that easily....

You do that a lot, do you?

I only do 500 miles in a day eight times a year, at most, and my back and boredom level insists on at least an hour’s break during each such a day.

Strange priority. Why not emphasise a car that drives as well as your “current” loves? Does handling, suspension, road holding, build quality, ergonomics, elegance and overall cost of ownership really mean nothing to you?

 

[clk320x]

You do that a lot, do you?

I only do 500 miles in a day eight times a year, at most, and my back and boredom level insists on at least an hour’s break during each such a day.

Strange priority. Why not emphasise a car that drives as well as your “current” loves? Does handling, suspension, road holding, build quality, ergonomics, elegance and overall cost of ownership really mean nothing to you?

I think he just wants to show off the fact he speeds. A bit unusual.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Whilst towing a caravan right?

And without being inevitably caught by the speed cameras which are all over Europe now.

But no matter, so he’ll croak without ever having driven an EV. So what? It’s not as if the billion ICE cars in the world are going to be replaced overnight.

This isn’t like British steam trains being taken off the tracks in less than 30 years, like it or not.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Our VW ID3 is perfect for the daily runs around town for the other half.

We have yet to charge it anywhere except home but then why would we at 10p kWh versus 35p or in other words 40 miles for £1 against 40 miles for £3.50.

Motorway is another thing altogether, with the charges at some places this could be £6.5 and more for 40 miles so totally pointless for us unless you are aiming to be very green.

Ours has it's uses around town and to places with restrictions but we still have other cars for the longer journeys.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Our VW ID3 is perfect for the daily runs around town for the other half.
We have yet to charge it anywhere except home but then why would we at 10p kWh versus 35p or in other words 40 miles for £1 against 40 miles for £3.50.
Motorway is another thing altogether, with the charges at some places this could be £6.5 and more for 40 miles so totally pointless for us unless you are aiming to be very green.
Ours has it's uses around town and to places with restrictions but we still have other cars for the longer journeys.

Tsk, tsk, tsk..... why do EVangelists obfuscate?

It's "why would we at 2.5p / mile (domestic) vs. 9p / mile (commercial charger) vs 16p / mile (fossil fuel)"

(Don't mention the ID3's lease costs)

 

[Connoisseur]

When I can buy, at a sensible price, a spacious EV that will do 300 motorway miles cruising at (sorry, officer...) 85 mph, and be recharged ready to do the same again five minutes later, then I probably will. My CLS 63 can do that easily....

The mpg claims by V8 owners will never be beaten by EV range claims

 

[davymead]

Exactly my point.

Mbclub runs on discussion of “reliable Indies,” because 2nd or 3rd owners past 50k baulk at paying main dealer rates.

What will happen to EV’s once they leave the main dealer networks?

Who will do all those routine “repairs,” to use markjay’s term, when the screens play up, the cameras fail, the pano roof gets stuck, rodents eat their cables, suspensions misbehave, and those wretched frameless windows whistle too much?

(Why is my “silent” Tesla 3 producing 65-70db internally on suburban roads when an ordinary, and much cheaper, BMW 330i is 15db quieter?)

Reliable Indies tend to rely on reliable customers. Clearly those customers who’s ICE vehicles keep them in work and profit.
As many friends in the trade as I’ve made over the years in both maintenance and sales both, I don’t know any involved in either selling or repairing EV’s.

 

[markjay]

Reliable Indies tend to rely on reliable customers. Clearly those customers who’s ICE vehicles keep them in work and profit.
As many friends in the trade as I’ve made over the years in both maintenance and sales both, I don’t know any involved in either selling or repairing EV’s.

Some EVs have very long warranties... and, as BlackC55 said, their no money to be made from servicing them.

It might be a while before they get old enough for Indies to work on them? At current the commercials are just not in place.

 

[Deleted member 55947]

Looks like none of the cars on the multi storey park will be salvaged, no doubt the costs will filter their way down to us

Luton Airport fire cars 'unlikely to be salvageable' Luton Airport fire cars 'unlikely to be salvageable'

 

[st13phil]

I was slightly puzzled about the collapse of the car park until I saw photos and realised that it was fundamentally a steel structure, presumably with fire-retardant cladding. Steel structures are terrible in a fire as they are prone to sudden and unpredictable collapse when exposed to the intense heat.

I bet there will be more than a few fire risks assessments for similarly constructed multi-story car parks being dusted off and looked at over the next few weeks…

 

[Darrell]

I was slightly puzzled about the collapse of the car park until I saw photos and realised that it was fundamentally a steel structure, presumably with fire-retardant cladding. Steel structures are terrible in a fire as they are prone to sudden and unpredictable collapse when exposed to the intense heat.

I bet there will be more than a few fire risks assessments for similarly constructed multi-story car parks being dusted off and looked at over the next few weeks…

I didn’t see any fire retardant cladding. It actually looked like a temporary car park.


I’ve seen the fire resistant stuff that gets sprayed on and clad onto structural steel on buildings.

I don’t know how it works but no shortcuts would’ve taken place in the construction of this particular project. Everything will be legal and above board.

 

[E55BOF]

Blyme... what size fuel thank do you have in your CLS63?

80 litres, same as the Eclass on which it is based.

What's the MPG for a 6.2L V8 (or is it 5.5L?) at 85mph?

5.5, and 24-26 mpg.

 

[E55BOF]

You do that a lot, do you?

I only do 500 miles in a day eight times a year, at most, and my back and boredom level insists on at least an hour’s break during each such a day.

Strange priority. Why not emphasise a car that drives as well as your “current” loves? Does handling, suspension, road holding, build quality, ergonomics, elegance and overall cost of ownership really mean nothing to you?

My cars meet my needs, and I like them all; cost is irrelevant. You missed out driving pleasure; I love big torquey engines - how they sound, how they respond, how they s*** on most of the other cars on the roads when pushed to it... Even the (supercharged) Cooper S, in its class. I can and do enjoy driving, whatever the car.

Different cars for different needs, of course, but if I'm happy, why change any of them?

I think he just wants to show off the fact he speeds. A bit unusual.

Don't be silly. If you've read my posts, you would know my preferred motorway cruising speed. Many drivers cruise at similar speeds; perhaps they too know that coppers aren't much bothered by speeds on the motorway up to about 85, and they too concentrate on their driving, and spot police cars (both marked and unmarked) and speed cameras in time to slow appropriately?

 

[E55BOF]

And without being inevitably caught by the speed cameras which are all over Europe now.

But no matter, so he’ll croak without ever having driven an EV. So what? It’s not as if the billion ICE cars in the world are going to be replaced overnight.

This isn’t like British steam trains being taken off the tracks in less than 30 years, like it or not.

View attachment 148178

See above for speed cameras...

I'll likely end up with an EV one day, when insurance costs on big fast cars driven by old gits are so high that I can't afford them, but it will likely be a slow EV. If it meets my needs then, so what? I'll be happy with it; as I said, I enjoy driving. In my youth I drove some awful cars, but they were all I could afford, and I enjoyed driving them. The big V8s will always have been the high points, though.