Electric cars and the grid..... it has begun.

[Wedg1e]

I see there's a new firm (Munro) about to start banging out electric origami Defenderlikes in East Kilbride... trying to take on the really big boys (well Amazon were so impressed they did a Victor Kiam and bought the company - Rivian).
I assume, not having studied any technical specs, that the 4WD will use an electric motor per wheel, freeing them of axles, halfshafts, diffs and all that inconvenient ground-scraping undercarriage.

Scottish car manufacturer unveils electric 4x4

An East Kilbride firm aims to be the first to produce a car at scale in Scotland since the 1980s.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[atomant48]

Back to electric cars & the grid for a change ...
Today I had a 15-mile test drive in a VW Caddy trade type vehicle with a diesel engine.

Nice ride a bit strange having all the usual controls electronic but easy to handle, seat adjustments were however sodding rough mechanical stuff & because I'm 80 % disabled they will need a lot of modifications .... if I eventually decide to get one & can afford the deposit and contributions to the adaptation costs, I will also need to include a hoist and a tailgate automatic or electric opener & closer another £3K plus 
Lead time a year or more!

Joseph, the customer care guy told me that all new electric cars from VW will have the facility of a charged battery able to feed back into to mains or your own home supply with a slight modification similar to solar PV generation wiring. He also said that VW are training all sales staff with the vision that the electricity boards / companies will be able to smart switch power about from one locality even if cars are parked up and connected to the smart chargers so sudden heavy loads can be sent to places where the demand is at that time of the day such as to work places such as industry when the home in question does not need 15 kw/hrs. all day .

I asked him if this vision included the vehicle user getting paid for inputting power to the grid. his reply, most likely a modified billing will be used to adjust things.

It's really opened my head about the Vauxhall Condo if that's the case, there's still a long lead time but batteries are making leaps & bounds every week these days.
Current distance doing realistic driving, with lights wipers radio & heater on is almost 145miles against warm sunny days where nothing but the drive motors, computers, screens, & side lights are on, the range is the order of 178 mile without charging.
Heck to only limiting factor for me is the hundred- & ten-mile bladder stop ..roughly every two hours, that's not a problem as it's been my norm since 1995 when I damaged my spine.

Other news from VW is there is big monster in most of their showrooms hiding under a big blue sheet. It's their all-electric VW MPV/ camper or cargo called, " The BUZZ " . It'll be interesting to read some reviews in a few months' time when it's been used & thoroughly tested through a full UK winter.

I like a lot of what you are saying.

To set the context, I drive a relatively new Volvo “diesel” and a Tesla. Interestingly i had no idea how many miles on a tank the volvo would do before i bought it… and without fail the first thing people ask me about the `Tesla is “how far does it go on a charge”?. Truth is i dont know on either car, dont care on either car, and rest assured both will comfortably go 150+ miles without topping up. That is about the limit for my coffee and bladder requirements. Once conversation moves beyond that for EVs, i am sure more people will see the advantages. I am very interested in the VW campervans you mention!

 

[My Old Landy]

I see there's a new firm (Munro) about to start banging out electric origami Defenderlikes in East Kilbride... trying to take on the really big boys (well Amazon were so impressed they did a Victor Kiam and bought the company - Rivian).
I assume, not having studied any technical specs, that the 4WD will use an electric motor per wheel, freeing them of axles, halfshafts, diffs and all that inconvenient ground-scraping undercarriage.

Scottish car manufacturer unveils electric 4x4

An East Kilbride firm aims to be the first to produce a car at scale in Scotland since the 1980s.

www.bbc.co.uk

I've put my £500 deposit down. Fully refundable apparently. No mention of a final price though

 

[addjunkie]

I've put my £500 deposit down. Fully refundable apparently. No mention of a final price though

We will await your video review with baited breath. Speaking of deposits down you can now apparently place a £2500 fully refundable deposit on the Ineos Grenadier too, they expect wait times to increase once cars are available to touch and feel! Personally think Jim’s missed a trick not going at least hybrid, and at 23 mpg put me off a tad.

Electric defenders are available too

Electric

rivolve.com

 

[Scalarocco]

<engage cynical mode>
I Enjoyed reading the BBC article about the Munroe. The lads say they spotted a gap in the market for a vehicle that has the ability to run out of power in the middle of nowhere and be consequently difficult to recover. Well, that's how I read it.

I suppose you could just keep a generator in the back, just in case...

<disengage cynical mode...oh, it's stuck on>

 

[barracuda816]

<engage cynical mode>
I Enjoyed reading the BBC article about the Munroe. The lads say they spotted a gap in the market for a vehicle that has the ability to run out of power in the middle of nowhere and be consequently difficult to recover. Well, that's how I read it.

I suppose you could just keep a generator in the back, just in case...

<disengage cynical mode...oh, it's stuck on>

I’m not sure if any of the current gen Evs have it yet but there was talk about dc to dc car to car charging. The idea being if you ran out of battery your mate/ recovery can top you off enough power to get you out of the poop. Mayby take 20mins to get 10 miles or so.

As these platform mature these edge cases will be catered for.

 

[Scalarocco]

I’m not sure if any of the current gen Evs have it yet but there was talk about dc to dc car to car charging. The idea being if you ran out of battery your mate/ recovery can top you off enough power to get you out of the poop. Mayby take 20mins to get 10 miles or so.

As these platform mature these edge cases will be catered for.

Electric tow rope! Nifty.

 

[Bullet2012]

Did you know Teslas don't have that new car smell?

They have more of an Elon Musk

 

[bricol]

It's really opened my head about the Vauxhall Condo if that's the case, there's still a long lead time but batteries are making leaps & bounds every week these days.
Current distance doing realistic driving, with lights wipers radio & heater on is almost 145miles against warm sunny days where nothing but the drive motors, computers, screens, & side lights are on, the range is the order of 178 mile without charging.
Heck to only limiting factor for me is the hundred- & ten-mile bladder stop ..roughly every two hours, that's not a problem as it's been my norm since 1995 when I damaged my spine.

I guess that works well if there's a working, unoccupied, compatible charging point within that 110 mile range - and I keep reading that's not a given. Map says there's a charging point - but it doesn't work, or the payment app fails, or the plugs wrong . . .

Hopefully will continue to improve.

 

[bricol]

I see there's a new firm (Munro) about to start banging out electric origami Defenderlikes in East Kilbride... trying to take on the really big boys (well Amazon were so impressed they did a Victor Kiam and bought the company - Rivian).
I assume, not having studied any technical specs, that the 4WD will use an electric motor per wheel, freeing them of axles, halfshafts, diffs and all that inconvenient ground-scraping undercarriage.

Scottish car manufacturer unveils electric 4x4

An East Kilbride firm aims to be the first to produce a car at scale in Scotland since the 1980s.

www.bbc.co.uk

Pictures in the BBC article I saw seemed to show the usual live axles under it.

I was looking at it and thinking that your average kit-car tends to look better these days, and has to have all sorts of nice curves to stop pedestrians etc being cut to shreds when you mow them down - and that appeared to have all the finesse of a blunt breeze block.

I'm not sure 25 built in a year is "banging 'em out" even if they want to really get going at 250 the year after . . . I can't see how they will make enough money to support their wonderful claims of service wherever whenever.

 

[DAPPH]

I guess that works well if there's a working, unoccupied, compatible charging point within that 110 mile range - and I keep reading that's not a given. Map says there's a charging point - but it doesn't work, or the payment app fails, or the plugs wrong . . .

Hopefully will continue to improve.

I have a 13 amp plug in PHEV battery charger as well for the Outlander so providing there is purchasable electricity near to us we could recharge in 2.5 hrs to move us on 20 or more miles if we didn't have enough petrol to move into petrol mode . Having RAC membership also helps as they will sell fuel if needed .& I think they have a quick drive battery boost bank set up on their vehicles nowadays that can also be charged by their vehicles engine ..

 

[fizzy]

For the last 2 weeks or so there has been very little wind or solar output and demand is very high. Wind has picked up a little now but still only provides 14% of Britain's energy needs. And solar 6%. Gas is working as hard as usual - currently 52% of our needs.
I am keeping my house nice and warm with my free wood and £25 a week on the oil fired AGA. Wood is hard work though and if I am taken ill again will have to start using the oil central heating which uses quite a bit more than the AGA.
Postie was in his diesel van again today - this cold weather really saps his new battery vehicle. Been below freezing here all day yesterday and today. But I LOVE this weather - no rain

 

[daleyd]

For the last 2 weeks or so there has been very little wind or solar output and demand is very high. Wind has picked up a little now but still only provides 14% of Britain's energy needs. And solar 6%. Gas is working as hard as usual - currently 52% of our needs.
I am keeping my house nice and warm with my free wood and £25 a week on the oil fired AGA. Wood is hard work though and if I am taken ill again will have to start using the oil central heating which uses quite a bit more than the AGA.
Postie was in his diesel van again today - this cold weather really saps his new battery vehicle. Been below freezing here all day yesterday and today. But I LOVE this weather - no rain

2.4 GW to France...

 

[Morrisman]

For the last 2 weeks or so there has been very little wind or solar output and demand is very high. Wind has picked up a little now but still only provides 14% of Britain's energy needs. And solar 6%. Gas is working as hard as usual - currently 52% of our needs.
I am keeping my house nice and warm with my free wood and £25 a week on the oil fired AGA. Wood is hard work though and if I am taken ill again will have to start using the oil central heating which uses quite a bit more than the AGA.
Postie was in his diesel van again today - this cold weather really saps his new battery vehicle. Been below freezing here all day yesterday and today. But I LOVE this weather - no rain

Yep, beautiful clear blue sky, nice and cold, going to be a full moon tonight too.

I was thinking of going to our regular 'bike night' pub on my bike tonight, but I might be pushing my luck a bit down the back lanes if it freezes hard early on. All the other guys go in their cars now winter is upon on.

 

[bricol]

Yep, beautiful clear blue sky, nice and cold, going to be a full moon tonight too.

I was thinking of going to our regular 'bike night' pub on my bike tonight, but I might be pushing my luck a bit down the back lanes if it freezes hard early on. All the other guys go in their cars now winter is upon on.

Like Caterham meets - I turned up in a Caterham with the hood up, having slid my way there over the ice and all the grit - and I was told off by for being soft and having the roof on . . . as they climbed into Discovery's etc . .. I didn't bother again.

 

[Wedg1e]

Pictures in the BBC article I saw seemed to show the usual live axles under it.

I was looking at it and thinking that your average kit-car tends to look better these days, and has to have all sorts of nice curves to stop pedestrians etc being cut to shreds when you mow them down - and that appeared to have all the finesse of a blunt breeze block.

I'm not sure 25 built in a year is "banging 'em out" even if they want to really get going at 250 the year after . . . I can't see how they will make enough money to support their wonderful claims of service wherever whenever.

Usual small-volume bullishness: nobody would ever sell anything if they promised f-all.
Taking deposits often years in advance of a finished (or semi-finished) product kept TVR in business for decades - yes there was hype but there was also a liking for the product from some quarters, and I'm sure that Munro will find the same.
I missed the axles, but then I was looking at it on my phone.

 

[DAPPH]

Yep, beautiful clear blue sky, nice and cold, going to be a full moon tonight too.

I was thinking of going to our regular 'bike night' pub on my bike tonight, but I might be pushing my luck a bit down the back lanes if it freezes hard early on. All the other guys go in their cars now winter is upon on.

The gritting lorries are out in force to night between Swansea and where I live( Just north of Cross hands at the west end of the M4) we must have encountered six or more in the 22 mile journey home . Three in the last four miles.
Stay safe guys and gals .

 

[GRW]

The gritting lorries are out in force to night between Swansea and where I live( Just north of Cross hands at the west end of the M4) we must have encountered six or more in the 22 mile journey home . Three in the last four miles.
Stay safe guys and gals .

I've got to be out pretty sharpish tomorrow morning to head from near Carmarthen to up past Brecon, Powys - I'm anticipating it being damned cold.
(Friday am it's a very early start as I've got to be in Abersoch on the Lleyn Peninsula by 9-ish - so that might be worse.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I've got to be out pretty sharpish tomorrow morning to head from near Carmarthen to up past Brecon, Powys - I'm anticipating it being damned cold.
(Friday am it's a very early start as I've got to be in Abersoch on the Lleyn Peninsula by 9-ish - so that might be worse.

It will be cold.

But Mr. Plod is out in force.

 

[GRW]

It will be cold.

But Nr Plod is out in force.

They always are around Dyfed-Powys (not investigating actual crime, but waving hairdryers, while civilians masquerading as Police skulk in Scamera Vans undertaking licensed highway banditry).
Carmarthenshire is the worst region in Wales for relentless cynical speed traps you'll find in my experience.