EEVblog #1337 - I Bought An Electric Car

[SilverSolder]

Nahhh. Many years ago even overtook a car right in front of a mobile speed trap. Just stay under the absolute limit. Most cars show the speed 8% higher and then there is a measurement error margin on top of it.

The absolute limit being 70.

I have never driven on a UK motorway where the 70mph limit is treated as anything other than a rough guidance, by the majority of drivers...

[Monkeh]

 

Such is why the roads continue to become more and more dangerous..

[SilverSolder]

Such is why the roads continue to become more and more dangerous..

The UK road traffic statistics do not support that assertion:

[coppice]

I have never driven on a UK motorway where the 70mph limit is treated as anything other than a rough guidance, by the majority of drivers...

When did you last drive in the UK? I used to drive at 70MPH on motorways with lots of people passing me, but these days I set cruise to 70 and don't find that many going faster. I don't know why. Cars are more powerful these days, and drive effortlessly at higher speeds. On the other hand, maybe increased police monitoring, and being able to set cruise and sit back is making people more relaxed drivers.

[SilverSolder]

I have never driven on a UK motorway where the 70mph limit is treated as anything other than a rough guidance, by the majority of drivers...

When did you last drive in the UK? I used to drive at 70MPH on motorways with lots of people passing me, but these days I set cruise to 70 and don't find that many going faster. I don't know why. Cars are more powerful these days, and drive effortlessly at higher speeds. On the other maybe increased police monitoring, and being able to set cruise and sit back is making people more relaxed drivers.

Last year, M1 and M40.   As soon as you are outside peak hours and away from the roadworks with speed cameras, you won't get lonely in the fast lane, was my experience! 

[Monkeh]

Such is why the roads continue to become more and more dangerous..

The UK road traffic statistics do not support that assertion:

Fatalities is a very narrow selection of accidents. I haven't briefly found any graphs not about injuries, which is a shame, seeing as those will be massively declining due to improvements in vehicles.

My own experience on the road says drivers are worse and more impatient than ever. And, I'm afraid, plucking a graph off the internet does not give you the right to adjust the rules of the road to suit your own preferences.

Anyway, well off-topic, so just do me a favour and don't come down to Cornwall. We have plenty enough bad drivers, the situation is already significantly worse when tourist season comes in, please don't add to it.

[SilverSolder]

[...]  And, I'm afraid, plucking a graph off the internet [...]

The graph is the official government statistics, I should have included the reference:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics

[...] you [do not have] the right to adjust the rules of the road to suit your own preferences.  [...]

Goes without saying, really.

[...] Anyway, well off-topic, so just do me a favour and don't come down to Cornwall. We have plenty enough bad drivers, the situation is already significantly worse when tourist season comes in, please don't add to it.

But is it not true that "bad driving" encompasses much more than speeding -  what I see every day is things like changing lanes without looking (let alone indicating), driving while using a mobile phone, that kind of thing.   

I think the speed limit for drivers like that needs to be 3 mph, with a person walking in front with a red flag.

So I am no longer welcome in Cornwall...  that's a shame, where else am I going to get a proper serving of tea and scones?!?

[timelessbeing]

The absolute limit being 70.

In a 70 zone I normally wouldn't need to reach 80 to pass, and if so then only momentarily.

On the highway I find that coppers usually follow people for a bit to see if they're consistently speeding or driving dangerously. They don't pull you over right away. They have better things to do then give people tickets for passing.

[timelessbeing]

Such is why the roads continue to become more and more dangerous..

I would say that inattentive and unskilled drivers are the most dangerous on the road. The ones who are completely oblivious to their surroundings. And they are just as dangerous going half the speed limit. In all my accidents I've never been hit by a speeder.

[coppice]

Fatalities is a very narrow selection of accidents. I haven't briefly found any graphs not about injuries, which is a shame, seeing as those will be massively declining due to improvements in vehicles.

There are a couple of videos on YouTube where a 1980s Volvo 740 is crashed into a cheap modern car. In the 1980s the Volvo would crush most small cars in an accident. Modern small cars do pretty well against it. People are walking away from accidents with bumps and bruises that would have once have been somewhere between crushed legs and death. So, a drop in fatalities has a lot more to do with NCAP ratings than accident rates. On the other hand, car insurance rates aren't too bad compared to the 1980s. That might be a much better indicator of accident rates.

[timelessbeing]

Swapable batteries are preferable to taking 10 seconds to plug in at home every night? 

Swap-able standardised batteries have several advantages. But I can't see auto makers embracing them

The Mobilize EZ-1 prototype is a bite-sized, two-person EV with a swappable battery so you wouldn't have to wait for it to charge.

[jh15]

Probably takes me about a minute to plug my old s in when needed. Would take ten seconds if the reflector/'gas cap' was on the right side. Have to be careful deploying the 'hose' so garage door doesn't come down on it.
Also have to be careful of garage floor ice from tire drippings. Such a pain to fill for overnight charge for 300 miles in morning.

[Fungus]

Swapable batteries are preferable to taking 10 seconds to plug in at home every night? 

Swap-able standardised batteries have several advantages. But I can't see auto makers embracing them

The Mobilize EZ-1 prototype is a bite-sized, two-person EV with a swappable battery so you wouldn't have to wait for it to charge.

Yes but that's tiny and designed as a rental/sharing car, like those scooter rental schemes. They're designed to be driven all day and any downtime is lost revenue.

Any full size 'family' car will have the batteries distributed all over it for weight/space/design reasons. It won't be a single big block of batteries, it will be difficult to standardize.

Heck, they haven't even decided on a standard voltage yet. Tesla has said they'll be raising the voltage in their next generation of cars.

[timelessbeing]

Yes. These things take time.

[SilverSolder]

Daimler just announced that they won't be 100% electric by 2030 and that this date is "too aggressive" for full electrification - the ICE will be with us for a while longer - the upside of that is, it will be in its most efficient form ever.

[Cliff Matthews]

It would seem David made Mehdi go green with envy? Funny guy buys proto-type.

[timelessbeing]

Swapable batteries are preferable to taking 10 seconds to plug in at home every night? 

Battery Swap Stations Are Gaining Momentum In China

[f4eru]

Battery swap as Nio does is OK for pro use, like taxis, but kind of missing the mark for normal users.

[timelessbeing]

Swapable batteries are preferable to taking 10 seconds to plug in at home every night? 

A California Startup Now Offers a Full EV Battery in Just 10 Minutes

[james_s]

Battery swap is a non starter in the consumer market, it's already obsolete. Tesla supercharger can already give you 200 miles of range in 15 minutes and a significant amount in much less than that. Battery swapping may work for utilitarian fleet vehicles but it's going to bring more problems than it solves to regular car owners.

[timelessbeing]

Teslas aren't serious cars. They are toys, statements and status symbols.

[SilverSolder]

Teslas aren't serious cars. They are toys, statements and status symbols.

You could say the same about Apple products...    is it fair to say Teslas aren't "serious" cars?  Is an iPhone not a "serious" phone just because it is overpriced and wielded by many status conscious owners (or renters...)?

[timelessbeing]

I thought my point was clear, but allow me to rephrase. Teslas are not made for the general public. They are not commodity cars, and likely never will be.
When Ferrari (similar adoption rate) comes up with some new technology which adds 100hp, nobody cares!

[sandalcandal]

I thought my point was clear, but allow me to rephrase. Teslas are not made for the general public. They are not commodity cars, and likely never will be.
When Ferrari (similar adoption rate) comes up with some new technology which adds 100hp, nobody cares!

The Model 3 and the speculated "Model 2" are example counter points to "Teslas are not made for the general public"

[EEVblog]

I thought my point was clear, but allow me to rephrase. Teslas are not made for the general public. They are not commodity cars, and likely never will be.
When Ferrari (similar adoption rate) comes up with some new technology which adds 100hp, nobody cares!

The Model 3 and the speculated "Model 2" are example counter points to "Teslas are not made for the general public"

The Model 3 is a AU$68,000 car minimum.
Not quite the luxury car category, but hardly an affordable car for Joe Average.
No EV is really, unless your country has government subsidies for EV's. ICE cars are half the price of EV's, or less.