Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:21 pm
Hi, Folks.
I'm not (yet... ? ) an EV owner, so I don't know if my thoughts count, but that's never really stopped me in the past... Basically, my intention is to aim for an EV as a next purchase, with the following thinking in mind.
Firstly, why an EV? Lots of contributory reasons here; cheap recharges, which I know are offset by the potential high cost of battery replacement, for example. I was brought up in London in the 50s enjoying rides on electric trolley buses - and they were smart . Also, as a Londoner, I subscribe to the idea that, even if the power eventually comes from some environmentally-destructive power source, at least we've got some of the smog out of the towns (and yes, I *did* experience the smogs of the 50s, and no, they were not nice). So basically, when all's said and done, it's got to be a step in the right direction, and a nice vehicle to drive at the same time.
Next, why not a hybrid? I know one or two Prius owners, and the general feedback that I've picked up on is that they don't really seem to work in green terms - the general feeling is that a "Blue Motion" Polo is going to be significantly more economical, for example. I'd almost rather go for a diesel and run it on bio diesel (yes, I know that's controversial as well...).
Another issue which is likely to get me going on an EV arises out of a comment Kelvin made recently - the idea that maybe there's sense in thinking about multiple vehicles. We have seen big changes in society over the last 60 years. As a son of a London taxi driver, we were one of the few houses in our street that had a vehicle in the early 50s. When we bought our first car in 1960, we were one of the first houses to have two vehicles. Looking down our street today, most houses have multiple vehicles - and we now routinely think about having different vehicles for different uses. So if 80% of my daily driving is in town, not exceeding 30mph (honest !) and not going more than 20 miles or so, an EV is clearly the best option for the majority of my driving. When I need to visit my daughter in Oxford for the day, I can use an ICE-powered job.
To me, the biggest problem is that, for my 80% usage, I guess a Reva G-Wizz would do the job just fine. Or a Wilson Electric Coupe from 1935, which has pretty similar performance. Hey guys - ICE cars are unrecognisable alongside their 1935 equivalents - yet EV development has hardly moved until recently! Still, there are some really interesting developments happening at the moment, and I'm looking forward to seeing what will arrive in the next 2 or 3 years.
OK, so I know there's lots that's controversial here, and worse still, I'm currently a dreamer, not a doer! But this is where my thinking has got to, and I do want to go to an EV soon, when I can. Oh... and when I've got my wife on board with the idea as well, of course... But maybe this might be helpful in terms of getting an insight into the mind of a not-yet EV-er?
Regards, David
PS: Oh, BTW, there's another little issue. Ok, there's the problem of power storage, but electric drive is soooo simple. And compared to that, you're looking at reciprocating lumps of iron with cooling problems and that need fuel monitored and fed in in just the right amounts, and sparks generated and delivered at just the right moment, and...and... - how did we ever get to the point where we thought this was a good idea and invested zillions in research and development of the idea...???? And left electric drive on back burner...
I'm not (yet... ? ) an EV owner, so I don't know if my thoughts count, but that's never really stopped me in the past... Basically, my intention is to aim for an EV as a next purchase, with the following thinking in mind.
Firstly, why an EV? Lots of contributory reasons here; cheap recharges, which I know are offset by the potential high cost of battery replacement, for example. I was brought up in London in the 50s enjoying rides on electric trolley buses - and they were smart . Also, as a Londoner, I subscribe to the idea that, even if the power eventually comes from some environmentally-destructive power source, at least we've got some of the smog out of the towns (and yes, I *did* experience the smogs of the 50s, and no, they were not nice). So basically, when all's said and done, it's got to be a step in the right direction, and a nice vehicle to drive at the same time.
Next, why not a hybrid? I know one or two Prius owners, and the general feedback that I've picked up on is that they don't really seem to work in green terms - the general feeling is that a "Blue Motion" Polo is going to be significantly more economical, for example. I'd almost rather go for a diesel and run it on bio diesel (yes, I know that's controversial as well...).
Another issue which is likely to get me going on an EV arises out of a comment Kelvin made recently - the idea that maybe there's sense in thinking about multiple vehicles. We have seen big changes in society over the last 60 years. As a son of a London taxi driver, we were one of the few houses in our street that had a vehicle in the early 50s. When we bought our first car in 1960, we were one of the first houses to have two vehicles. Looking down our street today, most houses have multiple vehicles - and we now routinely think about having different vehicles for different uses. So if 80% of my daily driving is in town, not exceeding 30mph (honest !) and not going more than 20 miles or so, an EV is clearly the best option for the majority of my driving. When I need to visit my daughter in Oxford for the day, I can use an ICE-powered job.
To me, the biggest problem is that, for my 80% usage, I guess a Reva G-Wizz would do the job just fine. Or a Wilson Electric Coupe from 1935, which has pretty similar performance. Hey guys - ICE cars are unrecognisable alongside their 1935 equivalents - yet EV development has hardly moved until recently! Still, there are some really interesting developments happening at the moment, and I'm looking forward to seeing what will arrive in the next 2 or 3 years.
OK, so I know there's lots that's controversial here, and worse still, I'm currently a dreamer, not a doer! But this is where my thinking has got to, and I do want to go to an EV soon, when I can. Oh... and when I've got my wife on board with the idea as well, of course... But maybe this might be helpful in terms of getting an insight into the mind of a not-yet EV-er?
Regards, David
PS: Oh, BTW, there's another little issue. Ok, there's the problem of power storage, but electric drive is soooo simple. And compared to that, you're looking at reciprocating lumps of iron with cooling problems and that need fuel monitored and fed in in just the right amounts, and sparks generated and delivered at just the right moment, and...and... - how did we ever get to the point where we thought this was a good idea and invested zillions in research and development of the idea...???? And left electric drive on back burner...