Pro's and con's for buying an electric vehicle
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The ecotricity system (linked on my post) provides access to the "electric highway" on the motorways where a range of charge times is available. These will certainly have to be increased if EV use grows.
Fast charge access is the most important, at home or away.
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I must admit to having been thinking about getting a "milk float" in addition to the Land Rover, just for all the multitude of short runs that I do.
No way any electric vehicle in the next 20 years will have the capability to go where the Land Rover goes (or to tow two tonnes of caravan at legal maxima) with any sort of confidence that it will keep going for the whole journey. No charging points up mountains, and one can't walk out should the worst happen and come back with two gallons of electrons!
But a wee electric runabout could be fun, and it would not be going far enough to worry about other people providing charging points. So a second or third hand one with older technology would be the choice, as long as I am reassured that scrappage is not going to be a hidden huge cost. One can probably get snow chains to fit, and a paraffin heater would keep it warm.
As to how long a diesel or petrol engine lasts, I don't know. There are some going strong after 70years, so could whoever asked that question wait another three decades for a more accurate answer. I have a friend who has an 1905 Renault - if anything breaks he just makes a new bit, so it will probably keep running for ever.
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Yes.
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Call it drop money or fuel allowance, it's the same thing, nothing changed.
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The Smart Electric battery has an eight year guarantee.
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It's worth pointing out that the very first cars that reach the UK later this year will take six hours to get an 80% charge from a household socket, or 3.5 hours from a wallbox for the same. However in 2018, electric Smarts will get inbuilt 22kW fast chargers, which take 45 minutes for an 80% charge - it's a rather irritating oversight to not offer the fast charger straight away, so you're certainly better off waiting to buy that version.
Malcolm, I found this bit of interesting information, written in 2017. It would be worth checking with the dealer that the one they are supplying you will have that 22kW charger fitted. At least then you will be to charge up at the dealer, or any other fast charger, in 45 minutes or less.
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I ask if some of the informed contributers to this thread would answer a few questions I have about these (and similar) batteries due to their non-standard nature:-
- When they fail outside guarantee in a number of years time, will it be possible to get a replacement?
- And, at what sort of cost?
- How will it be possible to dispose of the failed batteries/cells if it is not an exchange deal?
- When the entire vehicle has to be disposed of as scrap for a reason other than battery, how can it be disposed of without cost?
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It does make me wonder Steve and the more so with regard to the up to 99 mile smart car range. Presumably the 80% charge will get up to 80 miles. So I find a charging point, spend an hour hooking up, paying, charging, going for coffee with OH, unhooking. So maybe £4 or more to park and charge, £4 for two coffees, £2 for cookies and so perhaps £10 and an hour of my time.
If I want to drive to do the same in a regular Smart car then maybe 10 mins in petrol station, £10 for petrol. Obliviously no coffee or cookies
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They are cellular Nav., think of them as a flat block of dominoes and each one can be removed separately. They can be re-used too. Our car can be 95% recycled due to it's non conventional structure etc. I've forgotten what the 5% bit is just now, the previous claim was 100%. Hope this explains things a bit more.
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So in five years or so there will be the capital expenditure of a replacement battery. I wonder how that skews the "cost of ownership" figures?
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They are cellular Nav., think of them as a flat block of dominoes and each one can be removed separately. They can be re-used too.
Yes. It the same arrangement of individual cells building up into a battery of cells that has been used for over a hundred years in things like submarines and telephone exchanges.
The individual cells are however manufacturer specific for physical shape and electrical characteristics. Once a replacement for a cell is required and the original manufacturer stocks have been exhausted, where does the replacement come from?
The experience of the supply of aftermarket batteries for mobile phones has been that there is a very limited availability once the model is no longer current, and there are probably millions more mobile/smart phones than electric cars (of any given type).
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I like the idea of adding to for increased power, but I still ask "Once the manufacturer has no more stock of individual cells at a plausible price, from where do we get replacements?"
Should I obtain an electric vehicle I do not want to recyle 100% of it or even 80% - I want to keep using it!!
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The dealer told me that it would come with both a fast charge as well as slow charge plug ins.
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EasyT, the dealer told me that I can use the fast charge at the dealership for free and will get free tea, coffee or fruit juice in the service reception area. As the dealer is very close to where I work, it would make sense to pop in there for 45 minutes or so for a top up charge before starting my shift.
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Companies like BMW have made arrangements to re-use batteries
Thanks for that point, but it does not tell who might supply replacement cells once the ones in the vehicle are out of warranty (through time or distance). Are you suggesting the only available cells wil be the better ones from another vehicle that is being scrapped?
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Indeed that is your situation Malcolm. Was discussing publicly available charging points in general.
I think your dealer said that the winter fully charged range could be up to 70 miles rather than up to 99miles.
If so an 80% fast charge would give up to 80 miles in Summer and 56 miles in Winter presumably; with a 33 mile trip home that gives 23 miles for deliveries. Personally I would want a bit more reserve as well.
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Probably better to read the details up yourself on the relevant web sites.
Thanks for the answers so far. Web-sites don't answer questions, and dealer staff are worse informed than I am!
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