The EV fact thread

[markjay]

From what I understand they have no way to check that’s even happened anyway.

True, and I've read that some people manage to avoid traffic fines for years by driving a foreign car... But my point is that there's a legal way to drive non-UK cars in the UK.

 

[markjay]

It wasn’t seized because it was a ‘cyber truck’ more likely because it didn’t have valid insurance as he was a UK resident driving on a foreign policy.

Yianni drives one daily through London on Albanian plates which is insured correctly for him to drive, he was stopped by the police and had no bother.

The individually imported ones will also soon likely pass an IVA with a few adaptations such as rubber strips over the edges and be on UK plates.

It only made the news because it’s a Tesla. How many vehicles get seized for no insurance daily in the UK… Good click bait.

‘Old rusty merc falling to bits and a massive safety concern - seized for no MOT and scrapped’ probably wouldn’t get much attention, but far more common.

More details here:

Cops seize 'banned' Tesla Cybertruck that's not legal in the UK

The car, manufactured by Elon Musk 's firm, was released in the US in 2023. However, it is banned on British roads and cannot be purchased in the UK due to concerns over pedestrian safety.

mol.im

"In a social media post, Greater Manchester Police said:

'Officers from GMP Transport Unit stopped this Tesla Cybertruck in Whitefield last night.

The driver was a permanent UK resident but the vehicle was registered and insured abroad which is prohibited in the UK.

The Tesla Cybertruck is not road legal in the UK and does not hold a certificate of conformity.
Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with a Cybertruck.

The vehicle was subsequently seized under S165 of the Road Traffic Act and the driver reported.'

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the owner of the vehicle will have to prove ownership and correct insurance in order for the car to be released."

Which makes no sense... Section 165 gives the police powers to impound uninsured cars. The whole chapter-and-verse about road safety and about not being road legal is irrelevant and pointless - because the police also confirmed the they will allow the not-road-legal and not-safe-for-pedestrians Cybertruck back on the road as soon as the driver insures it...........

 

[markjay]

No idea who Yianni is?

 

[clk320x]

More details here:

Cops seize 'banned' Tesla Cybertruck that's not legal in the UK

The car, manufactured by Elon Musk 's firm, was released in the US in 2023. However, it is banned on British roads and cannot be purchased in the UK due to concerns over pedestrian safety.

mol.im

"In a social media post, Greater Manchester Police said:

'Officers from GMP Transport Unit stopped this Tesla Cybertruck in Whitefield last night.

The driver was a permanent UK resident but the vehicle was registered and insured abroad which is prohibited in the UK.

The Tesla Cybertruck is not road legal in the UK and does not hold a certificate of conformity.
Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with a Cybertruck.

The vehicle was subsequently seized under S165 of the Road Traffic Act and the driver reported.'

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the owner of the vehicle will have to prove ownership and correct insurance in order for the car to be released."

Which makes no sense... Section 165 gives the police powers to impound uninsured cars. The whole chapter-and-verse about road safety and about not being road legal is irrelevant and pointless - because the police also confirmed the they will allow the not-road-legal and not-safe-for-pedestrians Cybertruck back on the road as soon as the driver insures it...........

Yes so the issue is insurance not the car.

 

[rf065]

Yes so the issue is insurance not the car.

No, the issue is it has no type approval in the UK so is illegal to drive on UK roads, regardless of insurance.
It ought to be illegal anyway on the grounds of having 35" wheels, but that's just my view!

 

[markjay]

No, the issue is it has no type approval in the UK so is illegal to drive on UK roads, regardless of insurance.
It ought to be illegal anyway on the grounds of having 35" wheels, but that's just my view!

Apparently foreign registered cars do not require UK type approval in order to be driven legally on UK roads - but only for up to 6 months at a time.

This actually makes sense, because otherwise all European cars that do not have a speedometer displaying the speed in mph, would be turned back at Dover.........

And, as BD said, there are Cybertrucks driven legally in the UK on foreign plates.

The police message regarding the car not being legal in the UK is a Red Herring - the only legal issue was that the car was uninsured. Once it's insured, the police will release it and it will go back on the road.......

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Yeah but ...

If you needed to use that buffer for 'normal' reasons (traffic/road closure/etc.) and had to stop for an unplanned charge as well then you might well be late.

Please tell me that your tongue was firmly in your cheek when you wrote that!

Of course it was just a sample scenario anyway. The destination might have been a bit further away, it might have been a car with less range (secondhand Leaf, maybe), etc.

The same principles apply whether the journey is 80 or 800 miles, and whether the car’s range is 40 or 400 miles. Just like an ICE car if your journey is longer than the range of your vehicle then you just have to stop and refuel or recharge somewhere suitable along the way.

Most ICE drivers know roughly how far they can drive with the fuel they have in the tank, and most know whether their car has a big tank or small tank. They also think more carefully when the journey is longer and the destination is important, and in such circumstances might think about when best to refuel, often before setting off.

The same is true for EV drivers. Most even used to be - or still are - ICE drivers

 

[rf065]

Please tell me that your tongue was firmly in your cheek when you wrote that!


The same principles apply whether the journey is 80 or 800 miles, and whether the car’s range is 40 or 400 miles. Just like an ICE car if your journey is longer than the range of your vehicle then you just have to stop and refuel or recharge somewhere suitable along the way.

Most ICE drivers know roughly how far they can drive with the fuel they have in the tank, and most know whether their car has a big tank or small tank. They also think more carefully when the journey is longer and the destination is important, and in such circumstances might think about when best to refuel, often before setting off.

The same is true for EV drivers. Most even used to be - or still are - ICE drivers

So I drove 1200 miles in 17 hours (including ferry from Dunkirk to Dover) from South of France to Central Scotland, not by choice, but ferry from Santander went on strike and we had to make alternative arrangements.
I know this is extreme, but, what electric car could have got even close to that?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

So I drove 1200 miles in 17 hours (including ferry from Dunkirk to Dover) from South of France to Central Scotland, not by choice, but ferry from Santander went on strike and we had to make alternative arrangements.
I know this is extreme, but, what electric car could have got even close to that?

Most people don’t choose a car to deal with completely unanticipated extreme scenarios in mind, but given that you ask the question, my chariot of choice would be a Tesla Model S.

I would have been close, but behind, not because of the choice of car, but because I would either be driving more slowly or taking more rest breaks than you, and so charging wouldn’t slow me down.

It would have cost me absolutely nothing. Nothing, nada, zilch, and not because of a company fuel card. I know this is extreme, but, what petrol or diesel car could have got even close to that?

 

[markjay]

So I drove 1200 miles in 17 hours (including ferry from Dunkirk to Dover) from South of France to Central Scotland, not by choice, but ferry from Santander went on strike and we had to make alternative arrangements.
I know this is extreme, but, what electric car could have got even close to that?

Only someone who has never been on a long journey in an EV will say that...

Just plotting a route on my ABRB, will be right back.

 

[markjay]

Here goes (I did Nice to Glasgow):

 

[ChipChop]

Thanks. Still none the wiser to be honest re the above 'influencer'. The Albanian reg makes sense though as that country is not in the EU who like the UK have also not allowed type approval of these HGV cybertrucks due to safety concerns (non compliant with EU pedestrian and cyclist safety protection standards).

Also a point re the police releasing vehicles back to their owners does not imply they have deemed said vehicle road legal. The police do not carry out IVA tests. They are just giving the customer back their property. Straight onto the back of a low loader rated to carry HGV's would be the best option to avoid another pull.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

On Wednesday morning I had a team meeting and everyone in the meeting (except me) drives an EV company car, server lap of which have Jaguar iPaces with heater and windscreen issues I mentioned in a recent post in this thread.

When the conversations turned to cars during a break I asked how they found their EVs when they go on holiday as it’s longer journeys which ICE drivers are concerned about. One said it is a really big step backwards from what he’s been used to.

No, he wasn’t referring to the EV being a step backwards from his previous ICE, he was referring to not having a full charge to start every day when he’s away on holiday. Having to recharge out about reminds him of the inconvenience of ICE.

Strangely they all agreed that this is the worst thing about taking an EV on holiday. I must admit, I didn’t see than coming - because I haven’t taken an EV on holiday - but now they’ve mentioned it I can absolutely see how that would be missed.

 

[markjay]

Basically, you lose 2 hours charging, compared to driving non-stop (apart from a rest while on the ferry) and without refueling.

On a practical level, it would have taken us mere-moral exactly the same time to complete this journey in an EV or in an ICE cars.

And, no, I could not have done it in 17 hours in my EV, but then I could not have done this journey in 17 hours in any car, ICE or EV.

 

[markjay]

Also a point re the police releasing vehicles back to their owners does not imply they have deemed said vehicle road legal. The police do not carry out IVA tests. They are just giving the customer back their property.

True - it does not imply they have deemed said vehicle road legal - but it does imply that this was not the reason why the car was stopped and impounded in the first place.

Hence why any suggestion in the tabloids that the car was impounded because it's illegal to drive a Cybertruck in the UK, is pure clickbait.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

And, no, I could not have done it in 17 hours in my EV, but then I could not have done this journey in 17 hours in any car, ICE or EV.

Nor me.

And if I chose cars based upon having to do this journey unexpectedly - and I absolutely had to do the journey as quickly as possible - then it would be Maybach 57 S

I don’t though.

 

[DaveE320CDI]

Do you prefer the plethora of never-ending Diesel mpg threads..........? Usually complete with photos of the dash computer...

Horses for courses cant compare EV for towing or distance mileage! in town EV OK but when you need a form of transport to be able to go anywhere any time then at the moment EV is not the answer

 

[markjay]

Horses for courses cant compare EV for towing or distance mileage! in town EV OK but when you need a form of transport to be able to go anywhere any time then at the moment EV is not the answer

What make and model is your EV, if I may ask? It may be that your particular EV model does not meet your needs.

 

[ChipChop]

True - it does not imply they have deemed said vehicle road legal - but it does imply that this was not the reason why the car was stopped and impounded in the first place.

Hence why any suggestion in the tabloids that the car was impounded because it's illegal to drive a Cybertruck in the UK, is pure clickbait.

They are a problematic new vehicle full stop for use in countries where they are deemed to have not met safety standards.

The BBC are rubbish i agree but they do not yet count as a tabloid.

 

[markjay]

...The BBC are rubbish i agree but they do not yet count as a tabloid.

Are you sure about that.....