Gary Martin - Editor's Comment Oct 2019
Reading Gary's review of the all-electric Jaguar I-pace in combination with the Wheelhome Dashaway "caravan", I can only conclude that, for the average caravanner, this was a joke!
On the Millbrook Proving Ground, what distance was achieved before the tow vehicle needed a recharge? How would it fare in terms of the need to recharge at distances between M-way service points, or would it be wiser to stay on ordinary A-roads where deviation to local fuel stations is possible, and where they might have EV charging points.
Regarding the Wheelhome Dashaway itself, does he think this caravan is an honest contender for the general caravan market? "Minimalism" would have to apply in every sense when using such a caravan. Imagine being holed up for a day or two in this box (we have recently come home from some horrendous and persistently prolonged bad weather in Cornwall), and you cannot be 'out-and-about' every day and for every hour between breakfast and bedtime.
EV's have come a long way since their first inception. Technical improvements are ongoing but, as time goes by, steps in improvement will be smaller in gain and progressively longer in time.
Existing tow vehicles will be around for a long time after car makers are allowed to manufacture only EV's, and I can imagine used, low mileage, well maintained diesel-engined cars commanding high prices in the used car markets.
Comments
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Logical when you think about it. Classic cars increase in value because of their relative rarity. Owners of conventional caravans - those which EV's will never be able to tow - will want to protect their hobby at all costs. So there will be two forces at work. Tow car owners who lavish care on their vehicles and hold on to them, and owners of tow cars which have come to the end of their days and their owners seeking to replace them. So, when such cars come onto the market, and in dwindling numbers, there will be a ready demand for them.
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That is a big assumption to make I think! The problem is that what we don't know is that when EV's become the majority of vehicles on the road is how the Government of the day will react in terms of taxing old technology which may make owning that old technology very expensive?
The Club seems to have come in for a bit of stick for including the iPace in the testing for Tow Car of the Year. I think it should be looked at as first of many such tests and I am sure as manufacturers become more confident that their cars can a) tow heavier caravans and b) that they have a decent range you will see more such cars.
David
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