The EV fact thread

[BTB 500]

I recall you mentioning that several of the chargers are in the town centre and away from supermarket, and that although the Fire Station charger is close to Morrisons it’s not convenient, although Aldi (or was it Lidl?) had a charger but you don’t shop there.

So if you had an EV (but you don’t) and you couldn’t charge it at home (which you can) then you could choose to shop at Aldi (although the inference is that you would prefer not to) so even in Market Drayton there is another supermarket with a charger.

Lidl and Morrisons are close to each other so we use those most ... Morrisons has a fuel forecourt too, and there's a Shell station right next door. We don't fill the vehicles that often but I bring diesel for the tractor home in a 20 litre jerrycan and V Power for the mowers/power tools in a 10 litre can (much more often in summer of course). If we do need any fuel I drop Mrs BTB off at the supermarket door first so she can start shopping, then go back after filling up to park and meet her inside. The town centre car parks are all pay & display (not sure what the deal is if you're using the EV chargers there), so we never use those. If I'm going anywhere else I park at Lidl (free) and walk the short distance instead.

I'm not sure where the fire station is in real life - I've never noticed it when walking around. The two charge sockets there are only 7.2 kW and both seem to have been out of action for about 6 months. Apparently there are also access restrictions when the Fire Brigade are doing drills!

Aldi only has two charge outlets - one 11 kW and one 22 kW (both 25p per kWh). So not very fast, but better than nothing if available. Aldi is also just outside the town - too far to walk to anywhere else from (bank, solicitors, etc.). McDonalds (the only rapid charger in the area - one 60 kW and one 120 kW, both 'up to' and costing 85p per kWh) is outside the town, so would only make sense if you were eating there. Those chargers seem quite heavily used as it's just off the A41.

If we're heading towards the M54 we go to Lidl or Aldi in a small retail park on the A41 near Newport. There's a BP fuel station there which we stop at if we need fuel, but no EV chargers (even slow ones) anywhere - you'd have to divert to Telford if you needed one.

 

[BTB 500]

Yes, I thought that you probably only do 8,000 miles a year in it.

We do a little more than that - 34k miles in 3 years. We bought the car at 1 year / 5800 miles (MB demonstrator during Covid).

Hopefully the annual mileage will reduce a bit now that both my parents have passed away and their house has finally been sold. Most of my family are down South though so there will still be occasional runs there e.g. to my uncle's funeral in Leatherhead recently. Off to see my sister in Worthing on Sunday then coming back via Guildford ... that will be around 430 miles. Mrs BTB has been to southern Germany and back in it a couple of times as well - possibly going there again next year on the way to Portugal.

 

[clk320x]

Another joins the fleet… proper photos soon.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

View attachment 163689

Another joins the fleet… proper photos soon.

Very nice!l, congratulations!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

10.6730 kWh @ £0.48 kWh = £5.12

• Round trip average of 4.4 miles/kWh
• Typical consumption of 4.4 to 6.6 miles/kWh
• £0.48 kWh / 4.4 kWh = £0.109 per mile

Earlier I was looking at the previous invoices for charging sessions in the Tesla app, and all apart from the most recent in Sunday were £0.40 per kWh, which is outrageously good (no subscription required).

 

[Connoisseur]

Mercedes making noise about one of their new model ev prototypes suggests there ev ardour is waxing not waning? Mercedes-Benz CLA prototype breaks EV 24-hour distance record | Autocar

 

[BTB 500]

Mercedes making noise about one of their new model ev prototypes suggests there ev ardour is waxing not waning? Mercedes-Benz CLA prototype breaks EV 24-hour distance record | Autocar

All the manufacturers will be working on new BEVs - no doubt about that.

Some interesting stuff in that article though:

• 90 kWh battery
• Single motor
• Two speed transmission
• 250 kW charge rate (300 kW short term)
• Charging strategy for the run was to stop for a 10 minute charge every 36 minutes
• Petrol hybrid version will use a Chinese 4-cyl 2 litre engine made by 'Horse Powertrain'

 

[markjay]

All the manufacturers will be working on new BEVs - no doubt about that.

Some interesting stuff in that article though:

• 90 kWh battery
• Single motor
• Two speed transmission
• 250 kW charge rate (300 kW short term)
• Charging strategy for the run was to stop for a 10 minute charge every 36 minutes
• Petrol hybrid version will use a Chinese 4-cyl 2 litre engine made by 'Horse Powertrain'

Mercedes Benz trying to seize the initiative... Nearly 15 years after Elon Musk's Tesla Model-S debut, they are finally waking up to the idea that also-run just isn't good enough in their market sector. Has the giant finally woken up, or is it their Swan Song?

 

[Bellow]

Mercedes making noise about one of their new model ev prototypes suggests there ev ardour is waxing not waning? Mercedes-Benz CLA prototype breaks EV 24-hour distance record | Autocar

Too many contradictions to be convincing.

 

[markjay]

Too many contradictions to be convincing.

How so?

 

[Bellow]

How so?

If MB had used the claimed charging capability of ''This will enable a 249-mile top up in just 15 minutes.'' then the 2309.6 miles would have been achieved in 21hrs 39mins. Alternatively, it could have achieved 2560 miles in 24 hours. Why didn't it?
Then there's why an EV is destined to have an IC engine. Still waiting for DiesOtto. MB have form in overpromising.

 

[markjay]

If MB had used the claimed charging capability of ''This will enable a 249-mile top up in just 15 minutes.'' then the 2309.6 miles would have been achieved in 21hrs 39mins. Alternatively, it could have achieved 2560 miles in 24 hours. Why didn't it?
Then there's why an EV is destined to have an IC engine. Still waiting for DiesOtto. MB have form in overpromising.

EVs are not driven simply full-to-empty, then recharge - instead, there'll be some complex piece of software optimising to top-up charging stops.

 

[Bellow]

EVs are not driven simply full-to-empty, then recharge - instead, there'll be some complex piece of software optimising to top-up charging stops.

Stopping every 58 miles to recharge for another 58 miles. What's the intended use - driving around the garden? Thing is, the claim is that with 50% more charge time, the range increases by a factor of 4.3. Something doesn't add up but the smell of BS is strong.

 

[BTB 500]

If MB had used the claimed charging capability of ''This will enable a 249-mile top up in just 15 minutes.'' then the 2309.6 miles would have been achieved in 21hrs 39mins. Alternatively, it could have achieved 2560 miles in 24 hours. Why didn't it?

If I had to guess ... there must be a complicated interplay between speed / consumption / charging time if you're just looking to cover a maximum number of miles in a set time. According to that report the car was stationary (charging) for 6 hrs 40 mins, hence it was only moving for 17 hours 20 mins. That's an average speed of over 133 mph while driving?!

 

[markjay]

Stopping every 58 miles to recharge for another 58 miles. What's the intended use - driving around the garden? Thing is, the claim is that with 50% more charge time, the range increases by a factor of 4.3. Something doesn't add up but the smell of BS is strong.

No idea. I used ABRP when travelling through France, it gives you a few route planning options, e.g. minimise overall travel time, minimise the number of charging stops, minimise cost, minimiae distance travelled, etc. There's more than one way to skin the proverbial cat.

 

[Bellow]

If I had to guess ... there must be a complicated interplay between speed / consumption / charging time if you're just looking to cover a maximum number of miles in a set time. According to that report the car was stationary (charging) for 6 hrs 40 mins, hence it was only moving for 17 hours 20 mins. That's an average speed of over 133 mph while driving?!

Good spot! Yep, that will be the reason. The same time in motion at a more moderate 60mph only permits 1038 miles. So, what we've learned is to maximise range, drive at 133mph. Still, there's a lingering smell....

 

[optimusprime]

New name for EV = EVROC electric vehicle roman candle//

 

[markjay]

New name for EV = EVOC electric vehicle roman candle//

The acronym doesn't match?

 

[markjay]

Good spot! Yep, that will be the reason. The same time in motion at a more moderate 60mph only permits 1038 miles. So, what we've learned is to maximise range, drive at 133mph. Still, there's a lingering smell....

We're at a point, and this is not just EVs, that we do what the software says... we no longer know or understand how we programmed it to do what it does to begin with.

 

[Bellow]

We're at a point, and this is not just EVs, that we do what the software says...

So if the software say drive at 133mph, then that's feasible?
This would be a good time to acknowledge that the 'result' MB has achieved here is completely irrelevant.

we no longer know or understand how we programmed it to do what it does to begin with.

Time that changed then.
Two current difficulties I have. The pop-up ads on this forum (only this forum) and currently being unable to access any Channel 4 programmes on-line. This forum says use an ad blocker, Channel 4 says disable any ad blocker. FFS, why are these contradictions and complications. A mechanical engineer wouldn't get a free pass on shit like this.