The EV fact thread

[markjay]

No money in cornering the global EV battery market? 30+ million cars currently on the road in the UK and we are repeatedly told by futurologists that at some indeterminate point in the (near) future the majority will be 'fuelled' by a PRC made battery pack.

Maybe Trump will make it commercially viable to manufacture EV batteries in the US, by starting a trade war with China, who knows. Trump doesn't care much about EVs, an he won't lose sleep over EV prices going through the roof as result. But Trump is unpredictable, so it's anyone guess if he's actually going to put up tariffs on Chinese imports.

 

[markjay]

Random question of the week..... Not EV bashing just seeing what everyone thinks

In the space of the last 2 weeks I have seen 3 VW "I Ds" (don't know which models as they all look the same to me, although one was a buzz and the other 2 were hatchbacks) with tyres that have fallen of the steel wheels and all 3 owners were standing around scratching their heads. I've seen plenty of cars with flats or shredded low profiles but can't remember seeing a tyre fallen of a rim for donkeys years ????

Coincidence ?????

Or do EV tyres not work with steelies, or is there some issue when EV specific tyres go flat.

Or have VW forgotten how to mount tyres on steelies ????

Or are VW just £hite ?????

Thoughts ???!

My EV tyres and (alloy) wheels are absolutely bog standard and I get them sorted at my local backstreet tyre fitter. The tyres are marked 'EV' but the only difference is that they have an acoustic strip inside for additional noise reduction. They also have high load factor but not higher than you'll find on normal van tyres. I don't know what happened to the VWs you saw, but it's certainly not an 'EV' thing.

 

[Connoisseur]

Has nobody actually spotted we've been living in and international economy and market place for a while now...
Some people actually buy German cars.....made perhaps, in the USA or South Africa?

That can’t be true. Why it’s merely 4 yrs since we definitely left the EU to avoid being part of and successful in the International economy and market place. Anyway, surely Mercedes are an English brand, ‘cos no self-respecting Brit on here would ever purchase European or Chinese goods

 

[Pontoneer]

Mrs PC decided that she would like some light blue SMEG things for the kitchen ( Don't ask ) anyway these things are what i would call outrageously priced for what is in essence a Kettle / coffee percolator and toaster, anyway they arrived and i did spot that the bottom of the box was written ' Made in the PRC' ...... Hmmmm SMEG are Italian, says on the top of the box !
Took me a second or two to realise that PRC is the 'Peoples Republic of China' .....
To add another layer of intrigue when i registered the products for the guarantee the holding company is BEKO - So SMEG items are actually BEKO but made in China with an Italian look !!! Sigh...

In fairness the toaster and the coffee machine get a good hammering from me on a daily basis , and have done for over three years....

At least according to their website , my Dualit kettle , toaster and coffee machine were made in their factory in London .

One of the main selling points is that these items are , and will always be , repairable , rather than needing to be thrown away if something goes wrong .

The only issue in over 10 years ownership is that one heating element in my six slice toaster failed , out of warranty . I was able to purchase a replacement element and fit it myself , although there was the option to send the toaster back for repair had I not been inclined to fix it myself .

 

[Steveml63]

Hi,
Can anybody remember Currys being prosecuted by trading standards by putting a “Made in Japan” label
on one of their own Matsui brand TVs?
It was actually made in the UK from internationally sourced components - but they put Japan to make it seem higher quality!
It also turns out that Matsui was the surname of a famous Japanese war criminal who was hanged after the war!
Just found this article from 1988

Loading…

www.nytimes.com

 

[Pontoneer]

BEKO is Turkish brand. We bought some of their appliances (via John Lewis). Seems OK.

We had a Beko fridge freezer at one time , it failed . Around the same time they issued a recall .

We replaced the fridge freezer with a Samsung , which has been faultless , and her ladyship still has it .

Since we parted ways , I bought Bosch appliances for my kitchen , apart from my Flavell gas cooker and a Panasonic microwave . All have been fine .

 

[Pontoneer]

Maybe Trump will make it commercially viable to manufacture EV batteries in the US, by starting a trade war with China, who knows. Trump doesn't care much about EVs, an he won't lose sleep over EV prices going through the roof as result. But Trump is unpredictable, so it's anyone guess if he's actually going to put up tariffs on Chinese imports.

My guess would be that he will .

 

[Pontoneer]

My EV tyres and (alloy) wheels are absolutely bog standard and I get them sorted at my local backstreet tyre fitter. The tyres are marked 'EV' but the only difference is that they have an acoustic strip inside for additional noise reduction. They also have high load factor but not higher than you'll find on normal van tyres. I don't know what happened to the VWs you saw, but it's certainly not an 'EV' thing.

Poorly maintained roads , potholes ?

 

[ToeKnee]

In fairness the toaster and the coffee machine get a good hammering from me on a daily basis , and have done for over three years....

Wouldn't it be cheaper to just buy an hammer??

 

[Will]

We had a Beko fridge freezer at one time , it failed . Around the same time they issued a recall .

We replaced the fridge freezer with a Samsung , which has been faultless , and her ladyship still has it .

Since we parted ways , I bought Bosch appliances for my kitchen , apart from my Flavell gas cooker and a Panasonic microwave . All have been fine .

I’d bet the majority of that stuff is either made in China or uses Chinese parts in the manufacturing process?

I don’t think a lot of Bosch or Panasonic items are made where you might expect these days.

Just had a look at the bottom of my (fairly old!) Bosch kettle - then randomly had a quick look at the charger for the cordless Dyson (the label on the machine is worn and can’t be read), then my Makita impact driver.

I guess some people might still assume they’re buying German, British or Japanese products?

I’ve got a Panasonic microwave on the boat and I’m certain that’s made in China too

 

[ChipChop]

Maybe Trump will make it commercially viable to manufacture EV batteries in the US, by starting a trade war with China, who knows. Trump doesn't care much about EVs, an he won't lose sleep over EV prices going through the roof as result. But Trump is unpredictable, so it's anyone guess if he's actually going to put up tariffs on Chinese imports.

China started the 'war' by flooding the US and the West with their cut price products. Trump should address that issue.

Domestically manufactured EV battery packs and solar panels make sense. Not that our current Secretary of state for energy security and net zero nonsense could ever fathom that. He is happy to install chinese solar panels on 4000 acres of land in Norfolk with not a care in the world. The PRC must love him.

 

[190]

Domestically manufactured EV battery packs and solar panels make sense. Not that our current Secretary of state for energy security and net zero nonsense could ever fathom that. He is happy to install chinese solar panels on 4000 acres of land in Norfolk with not a care in the world. The PRC must love him.

I'm sure the The PRC do love him given that Miliband is creating 170,000 new jobs in China.

Labour net zero drive will create 170,000 jobs ... in China, analysis shows

 

[markjay]

China started the 'war' by flooding the US and the West with their cut price products. Trump should address that issue.

Domestically manufactured EV battery packs and solar panels make sense. Not that our current Secretary of state for energy security and net zero nonsense could ever fathom that. He is happy to install chinese solar panels on 4000 acres of land in Norfolk with not a care in the world. The PRC must love him.

I don't disagree.

You have to balance these three, however:

- Protect local manufacturers (raise tariffs on imports)

- Encourage your own country's industries to export to large foreign markets (by closing bilateral tariff-free trade deals with them)

- Keep consumer prices down in your own country (cancel tariffs on imports)

And balancing the three is a very delicate act.

The problem with Trump (and his ilk), however, is that being a hammer he treats every problem like a nail. Finesse isn’t his strong suit.

 

[Will]

China started the 'war' by flooding the US and the West with their cut price products. Trump should address that issue.

Domestically manufactured EV battery packs and solar panels make sense. Not that our current Secretary of state for energy security and net zero nonsense could ever fathom that. He is happy to install chinese solar panels on 4000 acres of land in Norfolk with not a care in the world. The PRC must love him.

It would be interesting to understand how manufacturing EV battery packs and solar panels domestically would make sense.

How do you propose to do this?

Where would you source the raw materials needed?

Would the cost of manufacturing be viable?

Again, why is this only an issue for battery packs and solar panels as opposed to the vast majority of tech and electronics that are commonplace in the UK and the rest of the world?

 

[ChipChop]

I'm sure the The PRC do love him given that Miliband is creating 170,000 new jobs in China.

Labour net zero drive will create 170,000 jobs ... in China, analysis shows

Astonishing how almost every net zero policy currently being enacted in the West enriches China. Safe to assume that Chinas Western acolytes, such as the current secretary of state for energy security and net zero, do not have UK citizens best interests at heart.

 

[ChipChop]

It would be interesting to understand how manufacturing EV battery packs and solar panels domestically would make sense.

How do you propose to do this?

Where would you source the raw materials needed?

Would the cost of manufacturing be viable?

Again, why is this only an issue for battery packs and solar panels as opposed to the vast majority of tech and electronics that are commonplace in the UK and the rest of the world?

How does the current China-centric EV/ solar status quo make sense?

 

[BTB 500]

I don’t think a lot of Bosch or Panasonic items are made where you might expect these days.

Bosch is a massive group of course. They have manufacturing sites in the UK (IIRC that's where their garden tools are made), and I think in North America as well. I'm sure stuff will be made in other countries too though, including China.

 

[190]

Bosch is a massive group of course. They have manufacturing sites in the UK (IIRC that's where their garden tools are made), and I think in North America as well. I'm sure stuff will be made in other countries too though, including China.

I have lots of German Brand appliances but only two were actually made in Germany:

a Sebo vacuum cleaner

and a Mercedes car.

 

[ALFAitalia]

And even Merc have lots of car factories outside Germany....some in the far East. So even your car could be built in places other than Germany depending on the model you own.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I have lots of German Brand appliances but only two were actually made in Germany:

a Sebo vacuum cleaner

and a Mercedes car.

Made or assembled? Mercedes assemble sub-assemblies and parts into cars for some models in Germany, but those constituent parts will have been made all over the world including China.