To think Electric cars just aren’t practical yet?

[Youngatheart00]

Car is due for replacement (4 year PCP cycle) this autumn.

I love the idea of getting an electric vehicle in theory, I’m trying to make clean choices and also worry about the future value / obsolescence of petrol cars as I’m hearing more and more about manufacturers going electric only well within the next decade.

But our home is a Victorian terrace with no parking. More often than not we are not even parked outside our own home. There isn’t charging infrastructure at most petrol stations. I see some at motorway service stations but clearly it’s not practical to go there each time you need a charge (and there is a greater cost I think?)

I’m drawing the conclusion I’m going to have to go for another petrol vehicle and revisit at the end of the next 4 year cycle, when I’m hoping the electric car infrastructure will be much better developed.

I’ve thought about a hybrid but models from my preferred manufacturers seem limited (and v expensive) and I’m concerned about power as I do like a bit of ‘oomph’ for confidence!

What do others think?

@cupsofcoffee
You plan ahead, it's not a great deal different to if you have a home charger. They are not super fast (like them ones at motorway services they are just faster than plugging in to a 3 point socket with a cable trailed through the window) and generally charge over several hours through the night to make the most of economy 7 tariffs. Therefore if you are low on charge or planning a long journey the next day you have to remember to plug in. You can't just leave it to the last minute even if you have a home charger either.

It honestly has nothing to do with "not being ready". It's the practicalities of the situation.

When there are multiple charging points in my town and in the towns I visit for work, I may change my mind but as it stands there are only two.

Planning ahead is a smart option but not always possible for last minute trips, jobs or appointments, though I agree it's fine for longer journeys or regular commutes that are always the same length etc.

[quote RIPwalter]@cupsofcoffee
You plan ahead, it's not a great deal different to if you have a home charger. They are not super fast (like them ones at motorway services they are just faster than plugging in to a 3 point socket with a cable trailed through the window) and generally charge over several hours through the night to make the most of economy 7 tariffs. Therefore if you are low on charge or planning a long journey the next day you have to remember to plug in. You can't just leave it to the last minute even if you have a home charger either.[/quote]
But my point is that for those of us in terraced houses with no off-road parking, planning ahead makes no difference if you can't park close enough to home to use your charger.

I often arrive home from work and have to park 50 metres up the street. So even if I'm saying to myself "right, I need to charge the car tonight", if Joe Bloggs next door is parked in my way, I'm stuffed.

I’ve already agreed with you that for most families it’s in all likelihood less realistic if you don’t have space for a home charger ....also said that things will improve in time as more chargers pop up.

So not quite sure why we’re still arguing about it tbh.

[quote RIPwalter]@cupsofcoffee
You plan ahead, it's not a great deal different to if you have a home charger. They are not super fast (like them ones at motorway services they are just faster than plugging in to a 3 point socket with a cable trailed through the window) and generally charge over several hours through the night to make the most of economy 7 tariffs. Therefore if you are low on charge or planning a long journey the next day you have to remember to plug in. You can't just leave it to the last minute even if you have a home charger either.[/quote]
Absolutely. We just think ahead a few days as to where we go and when to charge etc. Yeah there could be emergencies but not had one yet.

Not arguing at all - just debating the point and passing the time before I leave for work

However I don't like the comments from people saying that if you cared about the planet you'd make changes, or that the only reason some people don't have one is that they're not prepared to make sacrifices.

It's a very (imo) privileged way of living and viewing things. If I had a spare 300pm to spend on a car, had off-road parking and the money and space for my own charging point then I'd love an electric car.

But very few people have any of those things.

I agree op, they are not at all practical for a large number of people. I’m not against the idea at all, but it there needs to be a practical solution in place for people to charge their vehicles if there is to be a ban on petrol cars.

Where I live PCP Electric cars are becoming vair popular. Everyone is trading in their 3 year old Range Rovers for Teslas and charging them on their naice big drives, driving them on the 2 min school run and then talking about how they are trying to make better choices for the planet.

Personally, I think diesel is a better option than either petrol or electric. We can grow oilseed crops very easily in the UK, and its easy to convert the oil into diesel.

It's all about battery technology and that just isn't there yet. When you can get 500 miles from a 5 minute recharge at a service station then you may have a workable solution.

@Dentistlakes

I agree op, they are not at all practical for a large number of people. I’m not against the idea at all, but it there needs to be a practical solution in place for people to charge their vehicles if there is to be a ban on petrol cars.

A few years ago there was a prototype charger that could do an 80% charge (the target as the last 20% takes ages) in 3 minutes. I would assume that by the time petrol cars are banned that these chargers will have been rolled out nationwide and most people will charge there cars on forecourts in the same way they do now with petrol cars.

It's a very (imo) privileged way of living and viewing things. If I had a spare 300pm to spend on a car, had off-road parking and the money and space for my own charging point then I'd love an electric car.

Yeah, and it often comes from people who go on several foreign holidays a year, absolutely hammer Amazon Prime daily for shit they do not need, will frequently replace perfectly good furniture/cars/clothes with new 'essentials' and then bang on about how much they care for the environment because their latest PCP car is electric!

I'm not talking about people on this thread by the way, this is a thing I have seen a lot in real life recently (particularly looking at you brother and SIL!) and it really boils my piss and this thread seems to have dredged up those feelings!

Electric cars will need more nuclear power stations. Do people really think that is preferable to using diesel?

@Thelnebriati

Electric cars will need more nuclear power stations. Do people really think that is preferable to using diesel?

Yes, of course I do.

@Thelnebriati

Personally, I think diesel is a better option than either petrol or electric. We can grow oilseed crops very easily in the UK, and its easy to convert the oil into diesel.

We don't have anywhere near enough suitable land to grow the amount of oil seed rape that this would require.

There isn't enough metal in the Earths crust for everyone on Earth to have access to electricity, let alone an electric car. How many people actually need to own a car for necessity, not just convenience? At some point we are going to have to have a major rethink about resources.

Electric cars will need more nuclear power stations. Do people really think that is preferable to using diesel?

Yes, of course I do.

Is that because the problems caused by the waste from them probably won't be until you're dead?

@Thelnebriati

There isn't enough metal in the Earths crust for everyone on Earth to have access to electricity, let alone an electric car. How many people actually need to own a car for necessity, not just convenience? At some point we are going to have to have a major rethink about resources.

agree entirely with this. The problem is nobody wants to make these difficult decisions. So the status quo broadly prevails.

Bloody hell I do not want to plan ahead when we will use our car. That is the joy of having a car. That we can all pile in and drive somewhere for a lovely evening walk, or decide at the last minute to drive to the seaside on a Saturday morning.

@Thelnebriati

There isn't enough metal in the Earths crust for everyone on Earth to have access to electricity, let alone an electric car. How many people actually need to own a car for necessity, not just convenience? At some point we are going to have to have a major rethink about resources.

My next door neighbours on either side already share a second car, we may go in thirds on the car when I increase my hours at work and we need a second car for 2 journeys 2 days a week.

@shakingstevensfan

Bloody hell I do not want to plan ahead when we will use our car. That is the joy of having a car. That we can all pile in and drive somewhere for a lovely evening walk, or decide at the last minute to drive to the seaside on a Saturday morning.

we don't plan ahead to use it. Just plan ahead to charge it. With many cars available with a 200 mile+ range it just isn't an issue for many people.

IF you are lucky enough to have off street parking and be able to afford an ev, you just get in the habit of plugging it in overnight, can do it every night if you want to, costs pennies.

There will be occasional hickups yes but at least for us, it's actually far more easier practically than having an ICE. I have not gone anywhere near a petrol station in 2 years.

@Thelnebriati

Electric cars will need more nuclear power stations. Do people really think that is preferable to using diesel?

Nuclear is not ideal, but is far far safer than fossil fuels - obviously renewables is highly preferable

ourworldindata.org/safest-sources-of-energy#:~:text=We%20see%20massive%20differences%20in,hydropower%20are%20more%20safe%20yet.

No one is acknowledging the fact that the mineral needed to make the battery for these electric cars is being mined in the developing world and the harm it is doing.
unctad.org/news/developing-countries-pay-environmental-cost-electric-car-batteries
Then you have the issue of child Labour
www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/03/child-labour-toxic-leaks-the-price-we-could-pay-for-a-greener-future

Even if I could afford a £30k electric car I don’t want to drive a car that a 7 year old has gathered the cobalt to make its battery and has to drink the contaminated water from the mining process.

We have an electric car with a 270 mile range, on road parking and no personal charging point. However, we live in a small town and there are ten charging points. If you're not looking for them you might not see how many there are. Most supermarkets have them. In our local Asda there are enough points to charge 8 cars at once.

@Proudboomer

No one is acknowledging the fact that the mineral needed to make the battery for these electric cars is being mined in the developing world and the harm it is doing. unctad.org/news/developing-countries-pay-environmental-cost-electric-car-batteries Then you have the issue of child Labour www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/03/child-labour-toxic-leaks-the-price-we-could-pay-for-a-greener-future

Even if I could afford a £30k electric car I don’t want to drive a car that a 7 year old has gathered the cobalt to make its battery and has to drink the contaminated water from the mining process.

You do realise that your phone or computer that you are using to post here uses heavy metals, probably mined by small children.

The exploitation of poor countries and children is unacceptable but that is a separate issue that we should all be fighting to stop, accept western people don't want to pay more/ have a decrease in our own living standards, so we just pretend it isn't happening.