Electric cars.

That's sounds like a rip off. A battery should be just that, a battery. It's the electronics that the battery powers that manages the engine. I know some high value components are coded to the vehicle but that was supposed to be an anti theft measure, although I suspect some car companies do it to lock you in to main dealer servicing.

My Skoda Octavia has the start stop function. I've not had to change the battery yet, but if I find it's coded to the car I'll be having a very interesting conversation with them.

 

I've heard if you have stop/ start you need a much higher capacity battery to make up for all the restarts.
But a main dealer will always rip you off if they can.

 

On the topic of EV batteries, which are lithium based at the moment, and how mentioned earlier that alternatives are in research and development, it looks like they might be further on than I realised.

Sodium ion is one such tech being developed. It seems that one company has already gone commercial with it.

Mass sodium-ion battery production rolls off GWh-class factory as it paves the way for affordable cells without lithium

 

Hi,

Thanks @Clueless 1 v2 Yes I think the cost of our battery was excessive but no way was I going to play around trying to save money ending up destroying the electronics. The main dealer had to get the battery in it not being a stock item. I don't begrudge paying to keep our Yeti in top condition. I used to own my own garage business in the dark ages before electronics and circuit boards; modern cars no longer have side valve engines with white metal bearings. We've owned a pair of Citroen 2 CV's years ago and they carried lots of stuff for us and were brilliant in deep snow with standard skinny Michelin tyres fitted. I don't think it's an easy straightforward job replacing a battery on a modern car due to all the electronics; in my day we just swapped batteries without a thought.

Yes pete our battery as I stated was special hence it racked up the cost; I doubt one of these batteries could be bought over the counter at Halfords.

Why can't a car manufacturer make a comfortable very basic car for people like us who just want to travel short mileages most of the time after all we drove all over in our 2CV's. 70mph is the limit on our roads so apart from show who needs a 200mph car.



Here's the Volvo I mentioned earlier now YouTube has graced me with its presence once again.

I don't think it's been mentioned due to emphasis on EV battery range but how many millions of hours will be wasted out in pouring rain and snow waiting for a car battery to charge; it was mentioned on YouTube unlike petrol stations these chargers are exposed to the weather? A worn out Nissan Leaf only holding 18 miles of charge will be useless if stuck in one of our motorway 7 mile long traffic jams and many of these can't be towed. No offense meant at all to those owning or wanting to own an EV but not for us thanks.

I used to be well into bikes and before marrying I had chance to buy a Brough Superior SS100 in top running condition for £34;

WORLD RECORD auction price for a Brough Superior SS100. Reaches £425,500. - MoreBikes



Here I'm on a Brough Superior SS80 in 1972; my own bike was a new BMW R75/5 750cc; I packed biking in a year later fed up of it raining in.

I've owned many bikes and cars which these days are classics worth a great deal of money; how many EV's will stand this test of time. I fully admit I'm negative regarding owning an EV neither will we install heat pumps which were the governments latest craze only a few months ago but are heat pumps mentioned now?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

That is built into the charging electronics of almost all EVs. When you charge it to an indicated 100% the battery is only at 80% of its capacity. Likewise, 0 is actually 20%. The range quoted takes that into consideration. That is how Tesla, during one of the southern US hurricane events, was able to open up more battery capacity on their cars (via Wi-Fi) to allow greater range so owners could leave the area. Sounds to me like Porsche doesn't build in these limits.

 

Well, my Jazz failed big time so it is away the craw road. I have spotted a nice diesel though!

 

Hi,

Our Yeti fuel tank can be filled and run to almost empty without worrying about battery percentages but here's an interesting video we've just watched;



Total charging time around 2 hours? 70 mph in our Yeti would have us cover 140 miles whilst this guy is sitting on his backside. No criticism because it's entirely his choice but definitely not for me; hanging around in a remote charging place in these dark freezing Yorkshire weather conditions doesn't appeal to me.

Good luck @Jocko with whatever you choose. Our Yeti has been run on BP Ultimate diesel ever since we bought it in 2016; with a full tank from our BP station it goes much further than ever we're likely to travel.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

I've had 3 diesel cars so far. The first had a glow plug failure meaning it wouldn't start in winter without a massive booster battery to enable the engine to keep cranking long enough to generate enough warmth for ignition. The second blew up, literally. When I stopped hurriedly and got out faster than I've ever moved in my life, I give it a few seconds to make sure there was no fire and popped the bonnet, hoping it had just blew a turbo hose off or something. I saw steam and smoking spewing from everywhere. The exhaust manifold, the cylinder head, and even the inlet manifold. The third blew it's turbo, twice, then ate it's cam belt.

Diesel cars are great, until they go wrong. And in my experience when they go wrong, at least they go wrong in a very exciting way.

 

Data can be manipulated to show whatever you are trying to push. If the number of electric scooters goes up 10 fold and the number of fires doubles that is actually an increase in safety not in risk. If there is a sharp rise in EV sales, and there is, then there will be a sharp rise in everything associated with EVs (these figures include Hybrids which could be considered petrol cars). And let's face it. They are trying to sell fire training so they will emphasise the risk.
The same arguments were made back when the motor car started to replace the horse. Back then more petrol cars than horses caught fire!

 

Hi,

In an EV accident I believe it's important not to touch the vehicle before it's been tested for electrical safety because it could be live?

There are arguments about anything; many EV owners like them many non EV owners would never own one.

Hybrids are a joke.

Your post is interesting @Clueless 1 v2 how old were the cars and were each main dealer fully serviced. Lots of modern cars are junk before leaving the factory; who would want a plastic manifold in their car? Fingers well and truly crossed our Yeti will last forever because we love it even though buying a brand new car every two or three years isn't a problem for us; depreciation must have bottomed out on it in fact I think it's now appreciating in value and possibly will if we keep it main dealer serviced.

I wonder how many would want to buy say an eight year old EV; how many EV's will be future classics. I fear our Yeti will succumb to electronics problems eventually but in the meantime it's a keeper.


I'd be mad to trade this in against an EV. 6 years old and still like new after a wash and polish. 2.0L diesel Yeti SE L with full leather interior it's a beauty and still only 31,000 miles on it. Full main dealer serviced.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

They were quite old, about 8 to 10 years, but fully serviced in line with manufacturers recommendations.

Old diesels were apparently solid, but newer ones are a bit more vulnerable as manufacturers focus on keeping the weight down, matching performance of petrol cars and complying with emissions goals (except Volkswagen, who famously cheated).

Did you know that the fuel pump on a modern diesel engine runs at many hundreds of PSI, and rather than just pumping fuel under pressure, they actually pulse the pressure in time with the engine. Very complimentary and expensive. The turbo is typically a higher pressure than a similar turbo on a comparable petrol car, and as diesel emissions are more sooty before they make their way through the increasingly complex exhaust system, and it is the untreated exhaust that drives the turbo, a unit that spins at thousands of RPM on a tiny bearing, they're more vulnerable to failure.

I'm not knocking diesel cars. I think when they work, they're great. I love the sound and the torque they deliver. But when they go wrong, they tend to go very wrong.

 

I've never come across anyone who likes the sound of a diesel @Clueless 1 v2
Rattle and clatter and sound like a truck.