This changes everything!!!!!!

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James Hubbard
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This changes everything!!!!!!

Postby James Hubbard » Wed May 07, 2008 8:42 pm


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qdos
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Postby qdos » Wed May 07, 2008 8:59 pm

For those who would like to know what "This Changes Everything" is referring to basically it's a video of Shai Agassi and the proposal to move Israel away from a dependance on oil fr motor vehicle transportation and over to electric powered vehicles. This is a massive project aided by Renault Nissan.

It was reported earlier on our main pages on the website

James Hubbard
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Postby James Hubbard » Thu May 08, 2008 11:45 pm

Yes that's right. For me the video reveals an extremely radical approach to battery vehicles, of a nature that the world has never seen before. In fact as he says its the largest ever initial investment in ANY business project.

It may have been reported on the main pages of our site, but the quality of strategic thinking demonstrated in this video surpasses antything EV related I have seen before.

In terms of its impact on the BVS and the role of the BVS in a world where EVs may well become the norm - well, one could wonder why there is no 'PVS' or Petrol Vehicle Society today!

I think this raises interesting questions about what the purpose of the society should be - just to add a little (eco friendly) fuel to that debate!

James

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qdos
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Postby qdos » Thu May 08, 2008 11:50 pm

Indeed I agree James. There's far more important things such as this that the committee should be working on rather than some of the nonesense that's been causing so many internal problems of late. I whole heartedly agree with you.

James Hubbard
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Postby James Hubbard » Fri May 09, 2008 7:08 am

Agreed!
So I would urge for this story and video to be given current prominence on our site!

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MB
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Postby MB » Fri May 09, 2008 9:51 am

There are plans in place for something similar in the UK...

Whether or not they ever see the light of day or not is another matter.

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qdos
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Postby qdos » Fri May 09, 2008 10:11 am

I'm glad you've come in on this Mike I didn't want to mention anything about it myself as I know it's early days at the moment :wink:

James I've put the article on the front page of the site for you it will move down the list as time progesses though and more news items get posted.

James Hubbard
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Postby James Hubbard » Sat May 10, 2008 5:37 am

Mike you tease!

Tell us more!

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MB
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Postby MB » Sat May 10, 2008 5:06 pm

James Hubbard wrote:Mike you tease!

Tell us more!


Well, the question I'm trying to answer is 'how do we make electric vehicles viable?'.

There are a number of problems. You need an electric vehicle infrastructure for support and maintenance of the vehicle, you need a range of vehicles that are desireable and that will do what people want them to do, you need an infrastructure of recharging points and battery swap out stations and you need to make everything affordable.

The affordability issue is down to batteries. Your average Joe in the street doesn't want to spend £20,000 on a set of batteries. He wants a vehicle that has a similar cost to buy and run to a normal petrol vehicle. Right now, that just isn't happening: a Microvek Fiat Doblo costs £25,000 to buy, compared to a regular Fiat Doblo costing around £8,000. The Microvek's batteries need replacing every five years at a cost of £6,000.

The difference in price - £17,000 - is enough to buy enough diesel to travel 141,000 miles in the Fiat. Unfortunately, the batteries only have a 1,500 cycle life which means you can never hit break-even point in the electric Doblo compared to the Diesel Doblo.

Factor in the fact that the vehicle is effectively worthless at five years old (because the cost of the batteries outweighs the value of the vehicle) and you've got a five year old car on the scrapheap.

That has to change - and that's the bit I'm working on...

James Hubbard
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The Economist

Postby James Hubbard » Sat May 17, 2008 3:46 am

re: My earlier point about the future role of the BVS... http://www.economist.com/business/displ ... d=11332425

If the Economist is on the case then it really does look like electric cars are about to go mass market.

What will we then exist for?


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