The real cost of EVs

[Nick Salmon]

I thought the assembled company might be interested in this rather good piece by Rowan Atkinson about the real cost of electric vehicles. Makes our Sevens look even more environmentally friendly...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...n-atkinson

[Steve kay]

The things we read at breakfast. That piece says nothing about children in DRC working in cobalt mines. Not did Mr Atkinson interview any fire officers about the problems of any blazes involving lithium batteries. There are reasons why any competition machines found to have lithium batteries would be sent out of the paddock immediately. The energy and material costs of making, maintaining and running our Sevens, and indeed 2CVs are minimal. And we never needed leaded petrol. Now down to the workshop where there is an Austin Seven.

[andrew34ruby]

To me the idea of electric cars was appealing. Small efficient cars that would need little maintenance and use little of the earth's resources. Somehow it all seems to have gone wrong. The Nissan Leaf has got bigger, The small Zoe seems to be hardly ever seen, and I feel surrounded by very large electric Tesla and various large electric 4x4 type cars.
So I think I'll stay with my ten year old 'modern', maybe for another ten years. Having owned it for ten years, it would be nice to have a change, but no, that doesn't seem right. Meanwhile, out in the sunshine in the Ruby today.

[Barry Townsend]

Hi Nick
An interesting read especially for me as I own 2 EV's as well as my 7.

I'm broadly in agreement with what Rowan Atkinson has to say but I feel that with EV's we are only just starting and as with all things there will be major improvements in the coming years both in terms of batteries and purchase price..
My main concern with hydrogen is that, as I understand it, the tank, receiver or whatever it is called needs to be pressurised to 5000 psi and I wonder what would happen were it ruptured in a RTA.
I've witnessed at close quarters a propane cylinder going up and it certainly cured my constipation!
As regards the battery fires, we've all seen numerous roadside fires of truck and cars over the years. I suspect that the ratio compared with EV's is worse. 
I've often said that if the petrol car was invented today it would never be allowed on the road because of the perceived safety hazard of carrying such a volatile liquid in a flimsy steel tank.
The other moan is range. One of mine can, and will, do over 320 on a single charge, surely enough for 99.9% of motorists and I've yet to have a charging delay or problem.
From the above you probably gathered that I like my EV's but I still have a deep affection for my 7. 
For the EV doubters I simply say 'if you don't like them then don't buy one' freedom of choice is an essential part of life. long may it continue.

As a last comment, if you've never driven an EV I would suggest that you do to experience the quiet and powerful drive before making judgement, most haven't.

No doubt I'll be hanged from the rafters for my comments

[Howard Wright]

Hi Barry

I’ll probably be on the gallows with you!

I like my Vivaro electric combi.  We have solar panels on the roof of our house so summer motoring costs nothing (apart from the investment cost of course).  Like you say don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. Silence, power a plenty and a very relaxed drive.

I get my adrenaline from my Seven  .


As manufacturers scramble to meet the 2030 deadline technologies will advance rapidly. I probably won’t buy a petrol or diesel car again unless it’s another Seven!

Cheers

Howard

[Reckless Rat]

I took my now nearly 22yrs old Diesel Merc to the centre yesterday for its bi-annual French MOT. Passed, no advisories as it always has despite its advancing years and 300K km on the clock. I think I'm being very environmentally friendly because had I still been working I would probably have bought another new one every 3 years so the amount of carbon I have saved by not doing so must be enormous. I also don't use it much so it only did 5K km over the past two years, most if that on the motorway cruising at 120kph and returning over 60mpg. I dont suffer from range anxiety either as it will happily do 1200km on a tank. Notwithstanding the Eco warriors would have me hung drawn and quartered but whatever. It will no doubt see me out, and I really dont want to go anywhere theres a ULEZ anyway. Bonne journée !

[David Stepney]

I don't see the point of changing cars unless it becomes absolutely necessary. If it does the job, then I keep it. I ran my 1983 Mk2 Polo already24 years old when I bought it, for 15 years and over 250,000 miles until the tinpeckers got it and it was beyond my capabilities to repair it. I have replaced it with a 2006 Panda 4x4 which I expect will see me out. Other vehicles on the fleet are a 1974 Series 3 Landrover Diesel, which I have owned since 1994 and still does a days work when required, most recently towing a horsebox and horse fro a friend, and, of course my Seven.

As far as I am concerned, all of the vehicles I own have long since paid of the carbon debt that they incurred during manufacture and, on the mileage that I now do, contribute a negligible amount to CO2 emissions, compared with, say, a new Tesla. I would imagine that, like Bruce's, our fleet are some of the greenest cars on the planet!

I could never understand the various scrappage schemes (the latest one being for care workers in London introduced by Sadiq Khan!), getting rid of perfectly good vehicles which are now much longer lived that they were in the 50's and 60's, and their original manufacturing carbon debt is spread over a a greater mileage, especially when it incurs a further carbon debt to dispose of them. As in many other fields, there appears to be a distinct lack of 'joined up' thinking on this subject, unless the present policy is driven by the car manufacturing lobby who are only interested in maximising sales of their products whatever the consequences are for the environment.

Or am I just being a cynical old Luddite?

[Mike Costigan]

... Silence, power a plenty and a very relaxed drive.

I get my adrenaline from my Seven  ...

Fortunately I no longer need a car for daily commuting, so none of those attributes appeal. Give me an interesting sound-track and an interesting and even challenging drive 

[Alan]

As a member of the car manufacturing lobby (until recently anyway) I feel badly let down by our government over this. We were directed to produce electric cars. We developed the technology to do it. We kept our side of the bargain. But, where is the charging infrastructure we were promised? Where are the viable plans to have one by 2030? There are none. Remember, it took 120 years to get the petrol engine where it is now. So far, we have been working on EVs 10 at most. All of the issues discussed will be resolved but it will take time. The problem is not with EVs as such. It’s with the compulsion. I’m an engineer. I want an electric car. But I want it when it’s been properly developed and the infrastructure is there to support it, and not 6 years from now because the government says I have to.

[Ray White]

I think electric cars are dangerous. They are so quiet you can't hear them coming. They just seem to appear out of no where. I know you should always look before crossing the road but we live in a narrow country lane and have no pavement. We have to walk in the road and can always hear a normal car approaching from behind ... but these electric things are totally silent. Someone will get run down before long.