Electric cars

[MadchesterCity]

Because despite their zero emissions at point of use they are still contributing to the general wear and tear of the highways.

Also environmental damage including impact on water supply caused by mining lithium, nickel, copper, cobalt, manganese, neodymium and dysprosium for batteries. That's before you even consider how the electricity is being generated, coal-powered?

Electric cars are being sold as the answer, I don't believe they are, they're just another hook into finite resources

 

[bluemonkey71]

So with energy bills about to rocket are people like Octopus still keeping their cheap 5p a kw overnight rate or whatever it currently is going?

 

[Chris B]

So with energy bills about to rocket are people like Octopus still keeping their cheap 5p a kw overnight rate or whatever it currently is going?

The increase in bills is largely driven by higher wholesale gas prices (including for the gas that is used by electric power stations). Power should stay cheap overnight because overnight power is far more likely to be generated by nuclear and wind than peak time which is largely generated by combined cycle gas turbines.

This dynamic exists because the demand profile for electricity is very ‘peaky’. Much more power is needed on a winter evening at six than at three in the morning. To meet that extra demand during peak hours flexible generators like CCGT turn on. At night there is often a surplus of power as nuclear plants must run continuously and wind farms produce power whenever it is windy. It’s not unusual for wholesale electric to be negative during the night (i.e. people get paid for using it).

 

[bluethrunthru]

just not the answer - how can saving the planet involve driving your petrol car to the charge point ?

 

[Semper aggressus]

They’d be ok if they had the range of a diesel and there were as many charging points as petrol pumps, and if it only took at most 5 minutes to fully charge from zero.

Until then, unless you only do short journeys near a charging area they’re not really that practical yet.

 

[Well Wisher]

Seems hydrogen is the best idea. Just need to wait until enough billionaires are ready to invest in it, then tell the politicians they own to make it happen, then all you drivers can carry on as usual with cars that work. It'll even put those lousy wind turbines to good use creating the hydrogen. So I've heard..

 

[Fred_Quimby]

They’d be ok if they had the range of a diesel and there were as many charging points as petrol pumps, and if it only took at most 5 minutes to fully charge from zero.

Until then, unless you only do short journeys near a charging area they’re not really that practical yet.

I don’t understand this ‘not the range’ takes to long to charge up’ attitude. Mine does 250-300 mile range. Even going a long way I stop every 4 hours for a break (40 min charge will add more than enough to get where I am going. Staying overnight? Not a problem just charge it up overnight or when out for a meal. I have a home charger but if not your car sits around most of every day when it can be charging up. Even here in out of the way Boston we have got quite a few charging points (some of them free!!). Agreed, it can be a bit awkward sometimes if the ‘pumps’ are full but it is getting better every day.

 

[PragueBlue]

I was going to get one ready for when we get back to the UK but just nothing suitable that was available by then so we've had to go for a hybrid.

 

[Semper aggressus]

I don’t understand this ‘not the range’ takes to long to charge up’ attitude. Mine does 250-300 mile range. Even going a long way I stop every 4 hours for a break (40 min charge will add more than enough to get where I am going. Staying overnight? Not a problem just charge it up overnight or when out for a meal. I have a home charger but if not your car sits around most of every day when it can be charging up. Even here in out of the way Boston we have got quite a few charging points (some of them free!!). Agreed, it can be a bit awkward sometimes if the ‘pumps’ are full but it is getting better every day.

I just think it’s still too inconvenient as it stands, especially as we like to have a few holidays where we drive to places like Cornwall, Glencoe and the New Forest from Cheshire, that’s got to be close to maximum range if not more. We do stop for a break or two but that‘s usually a country pub or a Starbucks, not sure they have charging points?

Once it‘s as convenient as having a diesel though I’ll be all over it, I quite like the Mercedes EQs, I’m just not prepared to wait 40 mins to charge up or have to drive around looking for a charging station.

 

[Fred_Quimby]

You will find that most Starbucks have charging points.