The EV fact thread

[SmartAmg]

Sure, just confirming the earlier comment that it's not just high-rise housing that has an issue. To be strictly accurate that survey estimated 65% of households either had off street parking or the potential for it. So the percentage actually with it would be lower. There are supposedly environmental issues associated with paving over front gardens to create off-road parking, hence the proposal last year to tax people on the amount of paved space they have. I'm pretty sure that would never actually happen, but there's clearly some opposition to the idea.

Every house with a driveway ‘charged per metre’ in new tax plans

Households which have a driveway could be charged per metre in new tax plans.

www.express.co.uk

Seen that driveway charge per metre, before. Agree. That will never happen. Total cobblers.

 

[Will]

Seen that driveway charge per metre, before. Agree. That will never happen. Total cobblers.

Agree unlikely, but you never know - window tax anyone?

If it is implemented, an even more compelling reason to look at EVs - if you have off street parking you’re highly likely to be able to charge at home - offset some of the cost pressure of the tax with economical off-peak charging

 

[Bellow]

It's down to the council, really. One of our daughters lives in a similar street, the council installed pop-out bollards for charging. This is what it looks like:



The argument that you 'can't install chargers' is, generally, bollocks....

There are other issues preventing or delaying the roll out of chargers - planning permissions from councils with no interest in EVs, commercial viability, etc - but the physical aspect of the installation isn't one of them.

In (almost) any place where you can legally park a car, it's possible to install some sort of charger.

You're offering that in a discussion about home charging. Home charging enjoyed at as low as 7p kW.hr but bollard charging at a price much higher and subject to change with little the end user can do to combat that. Not very appealing and perhaps if you accepted that you'd better understand the slow take-up of EVs.

 

[Bellow]

Often people need a bit of persuasion to make changes. Many humans don’t like change - from drawing pensions at post offices, paying in cheques in banks, paying for and displaying paper tax discs, to receiving paper statements in the post for utilities and banking, etc. This is likely as much of a factor as any of the technical data.

People still smoke even though they know it’s a bad habit? Human nature at its finest.

Unfortunately we all need a bit of persuasion at times to make changes, and often once people have done so they don’t look back. It’s not just about being an early adopter - it’s sometimes challenging thoughts and behaviours, and adapting the way in which we do things at times.

You maverick, me Luddite.
Or maybe what is on offer is unappealing.

 

[Bellow]

I have an EV since 2021. I live in a block of flats in central London, with no off-street parking. There is no issue whatsoever to charge the car. So why are we having dozens of posts about this, made by people who don't live in apartment blocks, and don't have an EV?

Should I try heroin to find out it's bad for me?
Once again, the person not the electrification is the problem. Zero comprehension of people looking at EVs and realising they are not a good fit in their lives. Stupidity would be buying into it to confirm whey they deduced in advance.

 

[Bellow]

I would say that driving an ICE car in summer is a criminal waste of energy

Relative to that statement, where does pre-heating an EV from the grid on a cold, windless, overcast day when neither solar or wind is delivering and the electricity is generated from fossil fuel burning? It is going entirely in the wrong direction re the objective of reducing CO2 emissions.

 

[BTB 500]

Rules for paving over have been around long before EV charging was a consideration

AFAIK it was late 2008 ... two years before the Leaf went on sale in the UK?

This is literally a non-issue related to EVs and seems as though you’re trying to convince others that there’s ’yet another’ drawback to owning or using an EV?

Nope, I forget who raised the subject of off-road parking but it wasn't me. I was just replying to comments posted by others.

All vehicles need somewhere to park

But only EVs need a cable run to them for charging.

 

[markjay]

Relative to that statement, where does pre-heating an EV from the grid on a cold, windless, overcast day when neither solar or wind is delivering and the electricity is generated from fossil fuel burning? It is going entirely in the wrong direction re the objective of reducing CO2 emissions.

The key point here is that with EVs the CO2 emissions for non-propultion purposes only occur when heating is needed, while with ICE cars the CO2 emissions for non-propulsion purposes occur [/i]all the time[/i].

As for overall CO2 emissions, I am not sure that making more cars - however environmentally friendly - and driving more miles - is sustainable.

In this regard, instead of saying that EVs are better for the environment than ICE cars, we should be saying that EVs are less harmful to the environment than ICE cars.

In the same way that smoking a pack of cigarettes a day instead of smoking two packs isn't healthier, it's just less harmful.

 

[Will]

AFAIK it was late 2008 ... two years before the Leaf went on sale in the UK?




Nope, I forget who raised the subject of off-road parking but it wasn't me. I was just replying to comments posted by others.




But only EVs need a cable run to them for charging.

Yes - introduced in 2008, and how many EVs were in use at that time? Versus several million ICE vehicles being used/parked on driveways. The regs are absolutely nothing to do with EVs, it’s to prevent flooding and applies to other paved areas such as patios too.

Ironically you’ve ignored the fact that run off from ICE vehicles is a concern due to pollutants entering watercourses etc - this is surely more of a concern than a charging cable.

Pretty simple guidance to follow - if you’re building a new driveway you use permeable materials or divert the water run off to a soakaway - a complete non-issue and has nothing to do with EVs.

 

[BTB 500]

I guess it’s a trade off in terms of size and weight (and cost!) - in effect if I was wearing your watch I’d be carrying around 5 times as much battery capacity as I need unnecessary

As I said we're all different. A watch that lasts a week is great for me, particularly when we're away camping. You don't need that - not a problem.

Actually I imagine size/weight/cost would vary significantly between brands/models of smart watch anyway, regardless of battery life. FWIW I currently have a Garmin Venu Sq which cost £110 a couple of years ago. I preferred the Vivoactive I had before, but I managed to break that while chipping tree branches

 

[Will]

You maverick, me Luddite.
Or maybe what is on offer is unappealing.

Not sure I’d consider myself a maverick - but most people I know or see using EVs are just normal people going about their daily lives.

 

[Will]

As I said we're all different. A watch that lasts a week is great for me, particularly when we're away camping. You don't need that - not a problem.

Actually I imagine size/weight/cost would vary significantly between brands/models of smart watch anyway, regardless of battery life. FWIW I currently have a Garmin Venu Sq which cost £110 a couple of years ago. I preferred the Vivoactive I had before, but I managed to break that while chipping tree branches

That’s great you have chosen a watch that you’re happy with - as is usually the case with most things there’s plenty of choice. Out of interest, regards camping - do you not need to charge anything whilst you’re away - phones etc? I think most people charge their phone every day so doesn’t seem like a problem - I guess you just get used to it.

I have an Apple watch, and wouldn’t argue that it’s any better or worse than whatever else is out there in terms of spec/price/quality etc - it works perfectly for my needs. There’s reviews for those sorts of things. No doubt on Amazon there will be offerings with many of the features for a fraction of the price.

I guess we could all drive cheaper cars than Mercedes if we wanted too

Funny enough my sister was telling me that her Garmin watch stopped working recently - I think they have a trade in/recycling program. Maybe worth looking into if your old one needs replacement

 

[190]

I wonder if we could get our politicians interested in this instead of screwing with our power and automotive industries.

Basically farmers spread some crushed rock on their field and it captures an extra 4 tonnes of Co2 per acre. It's so simple even Beaker would be able to understand it. And he'd find it hard to screw up.

Crushed Rocks Could Be the Next Climate Solution

 

[BTB 500]

Yes - introduced in 2008, and how many EVs were in use at that time? Versus several million ICE vehicles being used/parked on driveways. The regs are absolutely nothing to do with EVs, it’s to prevent flooding and applies to other paved areas such as patios too.

Ironically you’ve ignored the fact that run off from ICE vehicles is a concern due to pollutants entering watercourses etc - this is surely more of a concern than a charging cable.

Pretty simple guidance to follow - if you’re building a new driveway you use permeable materials or divert the water run off to a soakaway - a complete non-issue and has nothing to do with EVs.

Some crossed wires here, maybe.

Obviously the 2008 regs. were aimed at reducing flash flooding etc. and were nothing to do with EVs. I only mentioned this in the context of people who currently park an ICE on-road (or maybe don't have a car at all) wanting to add a driveway in order to home-charge an EV. Obviously including drainage would increase the cost of this, and I guess there must have been reasons (cost, durability, ) for impermeable surfaces being widely used before? Including a dropped kerb, the total cost of adding off-road parking isn't trivial and could be a deterrent to some. I last did it in 2004, when I got the SL

 

[ALFAitalia]

Relative to that statement, where does pre-heating an EV from the grid on a cold, windless, overcast day when neither solar or wind is delivering and the electricity is generated from fossil fuel burning? It is going entirely in the wrong direction re the objective of reducing CO2 emissions.

LOL....even if all EVs were run on fossil fuel derived leccy they would still be WAY more efficient and responsible for WAY less carbon per car than any ICE car.

 

[BTB 500]

That’s great you have chosen a watch that you’re happy with - as is usually the case with most things there’s plenty of choice. Out of interest, regards camping - do you not need to charge anything whilst you’re away - phones etc? I think most people charge their phone every day so doesn’t seem like a problem - I guess you just get used to it.

I have an Apple watch, and wouldn’t argue that it’s any better or worse than whatever else is out there in terms of spec/price/quality etc - it works perfectly for my needs. There’s reviews for those sorts of things. No doubt on Amazon there will be offerings with many of the features for a fraction of the price.

I guess we could all drive cheaper cars than Mercedes if we wanted too

Funny enough my sister was telling me that her Garmin watch stopped working recently - I think they have a trade in/recycling program. Maybe worth looking into if your old one needs replacement

I had a TomTom watch originally, and then two Garmins. I prefer the looks of a traditional watch TBH, but they're very practical.

We always relied on USB power banks when camping, but our current caravan has solar power which is a help. The less you need to charge while away the better though. Like most teenagers my son would be on his phone 24x7 given the chance - last year I actually built him his own personal charging station (using a spare 25W PV panel, a charge controller and an 8 Ah SLA battery) to try and stop him flattening the caravan battery

Interesting about the Garmin scheme - will check that out. I managed to smash the screen on my last one (while wearing it!), which put it beyond economical repair.

 

[Bellow]

LOL....even if all EVs were run on fossil fuel derived leccy they would still be WAY more efficient and responsible for WAY less carbon per car than any ICE car.

Dubious claim. The CO2 footprint of EV manufacture is so much higher than for ICE that has to be amortised before it is superior to ICE and, there is still headroom in ICE to improve efficiency and, change to carbon neutral fuels. Ocean going vessels have engines of around 50% efficiency and power stations are only marginally better, gas turbine ones worse.

 

[Bellow]

I only mentioned this in the context of people who currently park an ICE on-road (or maybe don't have a car at all) wanting to add a driveway in order to home-charge an EV. Obviously including drainage would increase the cost of this, and I guess there must have been reasons (cost, durability, ) for impermeable surfaces being widely used before? Including a dropped kerb, the total cost of adding off-road parking isn't trivial and could be a deterrent to some. I last did it in 2004, when I got the SL

Good luck to the renter persuading their landlord to fund that.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Its higher.....but not much higher now and getting lower. And once its built it produced a fraction of the CO no matter how you make the leccy....whereas , no matter how efficient it is an ICE will be kicking out carbon in much bigger qualities for the rest of its life and getting worse as it ages. Take the , far more important, whole life carbon output (build use, recycle) then an EV produces WAY less carbon than any ICE car.....which is after all the whole point!!

 

[Bellow]

Its higher.....but not much higher now and getting lower. And once its built it produced a fraction of the CO no matter how you make the leccy....whereas , no matter how efficient it is an ICE will be kicking out carbon in much bigger qualities for the rest of its life and getting worse as it ages. Take the , far more important, whole life carbon output (build use, recycle) then an EV produces WAY less carbon than any ICE car.....which is after all the whole point!!

View attachment 166842

LOL. The graph assumes that the EV runs on electricity exclusively generated from renewables. As if.
Lets switch of all fossil fueled generation and see what happens...