I tried to prank my grandmother by turning on the heated seat and seeing if she would wonder what was happening.Apply electric current through bottom of seat every 30 seconds to make sure driver is awake.
Used EVs will soon become much easier to get. This is how to choose a reliable one
After a slow start, the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia has been surging over the last year as supply constraints ease and motorists look to make the switch from petrol cars.
But with the price tag of a new EV likely to remain a barrier for most Australians, getting one second-hand could be a more realistic and affordable option.
So when will more second-hand EVs become available, are they reliable, and how much can you be expected to pay?
Growing number of second-hand EVs on Australian roads
While EVs might seem like they're in their infancy in Australia, some motorists have been driving around in second-hand models for years.
Mark Hetherington made the switch from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) about eight years ago, when he picked up a second-hand EV.
"So it was reasonably priced when we got it, and that was a great way to get into things and understand how it all worked," he said.
"There weren't many around at that time, especially second hand, so we thought it was really lucky to find one for sale at the time."
Newcastle electrical engineer Ewan Regazzo had been mulling a move to EVs for some time, and bit the bullet in 2020 after experiencing problems with his "bombed out" petrol car.
"I really couldn't afford a new EV then, and at that time because of COVID it was hard to buy anything new whatsoever, so that drove me down a limited set of options and importing a second-hand vehicle was the best one in the end," he said.
EVs still only make up a very tiny proportion of the second-hand car market, but Pickles Auctions general manager of motor vehicles Brendon Green said this would soon change.
"At the moment it's less than a couple hundred used electric vehicles we're selling right now, that's likely to turn into one to 2,000 over the next couple of years," he said.
Mr Green said the "significant" growth in second-hand EVs expected in 2024 and 2025 would come largely from governments and fleet management companies — among the early adopters of EVs — once their leases reach the end of their life.
What to look for when buying a second-hand EV
It might not come as a surprise that battery health is the biggest consideration when deciding whether to buy a second-hand EV.
That's because the battery is the most expensive part of an EV and can be very costly to replace.
While checking the battery health can be difficult, depending on the make and model of a car, independent EV consultant Bryce Gaton said this would become easier over time with the growth of diagnostic apps and EV-trained mechanics.
"You can actually extract some of the data that the manufacturer doesn't generally give you, and that's something that will be evolving," he said.
"In newer cars, the batteries are tending to last very well, mainly because they have very good cooling systems and very tight battery management systems."
Battery health, tyre wear among key considerations
Some of the older EVs might require a replacement battery, which can cost up to $15,000, but Mr Gaton said they were becoming increasingly affordable and effectively doubled the life of the car.
The batteries should also be covered by a manufacturer's warranty, which Mr Green said was typically six to 10 years in length.
"So if we get the car at three years or four years, everyone can be assured that what they're getting is going to have a good effective life and they're not going to have to spend money on the battery for some time," he said.
Because EVs are naturally heavier than their ICEV counterparts, their tyres can tend to wear out faster, so it's worth checking to see if there are any signs of uneven wear or thin tread depth.
Though, Mr Gaton reckons there should be no durability concerns if the EV is looked after.
"Having driven EVs for some time, my car has done 60-odd thousand kilometres and it's still on its original set of tyres," he said.
How affordable are second-hand EVs?
While some of the first-generation electric vehicles are available for $10,000, the majority of used EVs will set you back between $30,000 and $50,000.
Mr Green said they would become increasingly affordable as more options became available and supplies improved.
"Interestingly, electric vehicle pricing climbed higher than internal combustion during COVID, they peaked about 70 per cent higher than the prices pre-COVID, [but] prices have softened in recent times," he said.
It's not only second-hand EVs that are expected to become more affordable — with a number of manufacturers introducing new models in the $40,000-45,000 price range.
What about hybrids?
Hybrid cars — which use both electric and internal combustion motors — have long been marketed as a cleaner form of internal combustion engine vehicle.
While they once dominated the EV market, they now account for only a fraction of new EV sales as fully battery electric vehicles (BEVs) gain popularity.
Hybrid cars don't have the problem of "range anxiety" — the fear of your vehicle running out of charge before reaching a charging station — and are likely to remain an attractive option for those looking at dipping their toes in the EV market.
The federal government has argued plug-in hybrid electric cars that can charge from a power point and fill up at a service station are an important part of the EV mix, particularly for Australians who live in regional areas.
If you're on the hunt for a low-emissions vehicle, second-hand hybrids might seem like a cleaner option than a petrol or diesel car.
But there's ongoing debate about their environmental credentials, and recent studies have suggested plug-in hybrids are much dirtier than previously thought.
Mr Hetherington, who lives in regional New South Wales, has no regrets about going fully electric.
"We pull up in the carport in the evening, takes about 5 seconds to plug it in," he said.
"It's full every day, does about 200 kilometres on a charge and never have to worry about going somewhere to fill up petrol, so it's been really good."
And the more complex, the more loopholes and bug and fixes. Welcome to the start of the software arm/car race..Apparently they realised that a photo of a face taped to the head rest could trick the system into thinking there was a driver that was awake.
So they have created more complex software that can’t be so easily fooled.
Yeah, it’s been a constant thing, Tesla introduced a feature to ensure your hands are on the wheel, and some one designed a gadget that connects to the steering wheel and vibrates in a way to trick the system, it’s silly.
You can design a foolproof system until someone invents a better fool.
The Model 3 Highland is not only the cheapest to buy but also the most efficient and easiest to charge, UK review finds.
The Tesla Model 3 has had the global market for affordable electric sedans all for itself for the better part of the past five years.
But competition is getting stiff, both from China and Europe. Probably the most noteworthy rivals for the Tesla Model 3 at the moment are the BYD Seal and the Volkswagen ID.7.
The test consisted of a 556-mile roundtrip from London to Wales, which gave the testers plenty of time to assess the three EVs in various scenarios, including driving on the freeway, on secondary roads, and in the city.
The road trip also provided an opportunity to compare the charging experience for the three electric sedans. As you can imagine, the Tesla Model 3 has a big advantage over its competitors: the vast and reliable Supercharger network.
Mind you, some Tesla Superchargers are now accepting non-Tesla EVs as well, with the BYD Seal and VW ID.7 actually using one station in Wales during the test—albeit for a slightly higher price per kilowatt-hour than the Model 3.
Besides being the cheapest, the Tesla was also the quickest and the easiest to charge. The guys also agreed that the Tesla Model 3 has the best interior of the test, having taken a big step up from the pre-facelifted model.
The Tesla is also the cheapest of the three electric sedans, starting just under 40,000 pounds, whereas the BYD costs 45,700 and the Volkswagen is priced at 55,600 pounds. However, the ID.7 is a larger car and it comes in a fully loaded launch edition; more affordable variants will follow.
It wasn't even a contest when it comes to charging costs and efficiency: the Model 3 Highland needed 59.2 pounds worth of charging to cover the trip—half the cost of what the ID.7 required—and it averaged 3.6 miles/kWh versus 3.1 for the BYD Seal and 2.8 for the VW ID.7.
To make the comparison as fair as possible, the guys took the electric sedans to the Milbrook Vehicle Proving Ground where they simulated freeway, rural, and city driving in winter conditions, rotating the drivers as well.
The Tesla won once again, but the real story here was that the ID.7's cold weather range was 48 percent lower than the claimed range, compared to a drop of 33 percent for the Model 3 and 23 percent for the Seal.
Check out the video for the full details and numbers; as well as the overall winner, you've probably guessed it already.
Yep, all that review is very important to us here in OZ.BYD Seal vs Tesla Model 3 vs VW ID.7
It wasn't even a contest when it comes to charging costs and efficiency....The Tesla won once again, but the real story here was that the ID.7's cold weather range
Yep, all that review is very important to us here in OZ.
Mick
Definitely a hint of sarcasm.I detect a hint of sarcasm.
Do you doubt that a 400km drive to test different EV models is that much different between countries? So much difference that there is no use for it to allow some research and comparison?
All three vehicles are either new or updated. the reviewers go through and tell us about each model.
Charging network comparison is informative, thy discuss the ease of the Tesla network and inform us about other networks. Same issues that we have in Australia.
Are you concerned about the temperature difference? Yes, it is their winter, but the low temp was not at the extreme, and we do have cold winters here in most of the country.
I really don't know why you would not watch the comparison, using the reason of country location. It is a decent comparison that is useful for anyone looking for information to help purchase an EV.
Definitely a hint of sarcasm.
If you think that driving conditions in the Uk have much bearing on driving in OZ, thats fine.
But the ID7 isn't even coming to Australia.
Mick
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Its a useful idea, but not convinced its all that practical.This will be handy - Tesla Confirms It's Working On A Wireless Inductive EV Charger
Tesla is working on an inductive EV charging platform, the company head of design Franz von Holzhausen told Jay Leno in a video review of the Cybertruck that also featured the company's VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy."Oh, we're working on inductive charging," Von Holzhausen said after Leno asked a charging-related question. "So you don't even need to plug something in at that point. You just pull in your garage, drive over the pad, and you're charging."
Wireless charging is increasingly common in modern smartphones, and there’s even speculation that Apple might ditch charging via a cable entirely in the near future. But the slight convenience of juicing up your phone by plopping it onto a pad rather than plugging it in comes with a surprisingly robust environmental cost. According to new calculations from OneZero and iFixit, wireless charging is drastically less efficient than charging with a cord, so much so that the widespread adoption of this technology could necessitate the construction of dozens of new power plants around the world. (Unless manufacturers find other ways to make up for the energy drain, of course.)
On paper, wireless charging sounds appealing. Just drop a phone down on a charger and it will start charging. There’s no wear and tear on charging ports, and chargers can even be built into furniture. Not all of the energy that comes out of a wall outlet, however, ends up in a phone’s battery. Some of it gets lost in the process as heat.
While this is true of all forms of charging to a certain extent, wireless chargers lose a lot of energy compared to cables. They get even less efficient when the coils in the phone aren’t aligned properly with the coils in the charging pad, a surprisingly common problem.
To get a sense of how much extra power is lost when using wireless charging versus wired charging in the real world, I tested a Pixel 4 using multiple wireless chargers, as well as the standard charging cable that comes with the phone. I used a high-precision power meter that sits between the charging block and the power outlet to measure power consumption.
Charging the phone from completely dead to 100% using a cable took an average of 14.26 watt-hours (Wh). Using a wireless charger took, on average, 21.01 Wh. That comes out to slightly more than 47% more energy for the convenience of not plugging in a cable. In other words, the phone had to work harder, generate more heat…
Electric-vehicle startups were flying high just a few years ago. Now many are focused on survival.
At least 18 EV and battery startups that went public in recent years were at risk of running out of cash by the end of 2024 as of their most recent filings, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. They include companies such as Nikola and Fisker, which attracted investors with bold promises to transform the industry and fight climate change with their electric trucks and SUVs.
That was before they stumbled amid rising costs and manufacturing problems. Three companies – Lordstown Motors, Proterra and Electric Last Mile Solutions – have filed for bankruptcy. Battery maker Romeo Power and charging firm Volta have been sold at a fraction of their valuations when they went public. Several of those remaining say they are working to reduce costs and have since raised capital.
The median stock among the companies that the Journal evaluated is down more than 80 per cent from its market debut, and even further from its peak. The slide has wiped out tens of billions of dollars in market value in just a couple of years.
“It was by far the most insane bubble I have ever seen,” said Gavin Baker, chief investment officer at Atreides Management.
Nearly all of the struggling companies went public through special-purpose acquisition companies. SPACs are alternatives to traditional initial public offerings that surged in popularity during the pandemic. Unlike IPOs, they let startups make unchecked projections about how quickly they could grow.
The rapid change in fortunes for EV startups highlights the risks of investing in the industry, which continues to shift in unexpected ways. Demand is growing steadily, but hasn’t exploded as many startups and investors predicted. Tesla and other market leaders are also cutting prices to win customers, pressuring newcomers that are still struggling to get production started.
For all its success, even Tesla nearly went bust five years ago, before the company made it through what Chief Executive Elon Musk called “manufacturing hell” and started mass-producing its cars.
To analyse the performance of EV and battery startups, the Journal identified 43 companies that went public between 2020 and 2022. Five have filed for bankruptcy or been acquired.
The analysis found 18 companies were on track to run out of cash by the end of next year if they didn’t cut costs or raise new capital. Seven of those had just weeks of cash on hand. When contacted by the Journal, several companies said they raised or are planning new financing, and are cutting costs as they work to boost sales. Nikola, which has raised new capital since its latest filing, declined to comment. A Fisker spokesman said the company’s third-quarter costs aren’t necessarily reflective of future quarters, as it accelerates deliveries and improves logistics infrastructure.
Sixteen had enough cash to keep running beyond 2024, though struggles to increase sales are pressuring many of their share prices. They include Rivian Automotive, which makes pickup trucks that cost roughly $US80,000 ($118,334) and promise sports-car handling, and Lucid Group, which makes luxury sedans that come with a similar price tag. Four of the companies were generating cash from operations.
Among those under pressure is Faraday Future Intelligent Electric, which promised record-setting revenue growth when it went public in 2021. The company raised nearly $US1bn to develop a futuristic electric car with features such as self-driving capabilities and facial-recognition technology. The car, which comes with a starting price tag of about $US309,000, took longer than expected to produce because of supply-chain disruptions.
Faraday burned through an average of about $US875,000 a day in the quarter ended in September. That brought its cash and short-term investments down to about $US8.6m at the end of the third quarter. A spokesman said the company has an agreement to raise capital and is focused on increasing production and reducing costs.
Companies that had a cash runway beyond next year are hitting snags, too. Li-Cycle Holdings, which hopes to recycle old batteries for materials in electric cars, recently cited rising costs for pausing construction on its first big facility in Rochester, NY. That complicated discussions with the federal government about a potential loan.
Its shares trade at about US65c, down from a $US10 listing price. Among the companies that were in danger of running out of cash by the end of next year is Canoo, which had projected in 2020 that it would generate more than $US1bn in revenue within a few years.
“The targets were all based on a firm market and full access to unlimited capital,” said CEO Tony Aquila, who took over in 2021 after the previous chief executive who made the projection resigned.
Shares of the company are down more than 95 per cent to about US25c. Aquila has changed the company’s strategy to save money. He said Canoo has an agreement to raise cash and that he is confident it can raise more from investors, including his family office.
The declines in stock prices have boomeranged on big investors including BlackRock, Fidelity Investments and conglomerate Koch Industries that pumped hundreds of millions dollars into the sector.
BlackRock declined to comment. Fidelity didn’t respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Koch Industries said the company is taking a long-term view on its investments.
They aren’t the only ones that got burned. Many individual investors also got swept up by the big promises EV startups made when they went public.
“Everyone was out there looking for the next Tesla,” said Brian Dobson, a managing director at investment bank Chardan who analyses clean-energy
There will have to be some extraordinary changes in the sales profile of canada to achieve those aims.Canada has confirmed media reports that it will move ahead with new rules that will compel all new vehicles sold in 2035 to be electric-powered. Canada revealed draft regulations a year ago that proposed regulations mandating that an increasing share of light-duty vehicle sales be electric over a nine-year timeline.
The final rules largely confirm this time horizon, which envisions at least 20% of all auto sales to be electric by 2026, and at least 60% by 2030. In 2035, Canada expects all new vehicle sales to be electric.
"This fulfills a major climate commitment from our climate plan," said Steven Guilbeault, Canada's Environment Minister, in a statement.
In the first quarter of this year, around 10% of Canadian car sales were EVs. In 2022, around 85,000 of the nearly 1.49 million cars sold in Canada were battery-powered EVs. In the 11 months to last month, though, car sales had topped the 2022 figure, and battery-electric vehicle (B-EV) sales will be more than 300,000. But sales interest is slowing due to the high cost of EVs, inflation, and the lack of practical EV versions of popular ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) powered vehicles like the Ford F-150, Canada's (and America’s) most popular vehicle.
Transportation presently accounts for 22% of Canadian greenhouse-gas emissions.
According to the new rules, 20% of all new car sales in 2026 will include battery-electric, hydrogen, and plug-in electric vehicles.
By 2030, that percentage will rise to 60%, and 100% in 2035.
“The total anticipated cost to consumers of zero-emissions vehicles and chargers will be $C24.5 billion over 25 years, but Canadians can expect to save $C33.9 billion in net energy costs,” media reports suggested.
Officials said the rules align with measures introduced in California and 10 other US states.
In April, the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed rules governing tailpipe emissions, which carmakers claim would see two-thirds of new vehicles sold in America be electric in 2032.
The UK, however, said in September it was delaying by five years a ban on new gas and diesel cars that was to take effect in 2030.
Canadian-based automakers (most of whom are offshoots of US giants like GM and Ford) warn that the targets set out by the Liberal government won't be achievable without "ambitious" government-led investments to deal with EV charging infrastructure and address affordability concerns among households.
It will be interesting to see if there is a public backlashThere will have to be some extraordinary changes in the sales profile of canada to achieve those aims.
The top selling Vehicles are even more attuned to the big Pickup trucks than the USA, with four out of the top 5 places being pickups.
No 1 the Ford F series, No 2 Ram , no 3 is the Toyota Rav 4, no the Chevvy Silverado, and no 5 is the GMC Sierra.
This is not surprising given that there is a lot of snow in winter, there are vast wilderness areas, and the road system is nowhere near the standard of those in the US.
Indeed, according to the Canadian equivalent of our ABS , by dollars spent, more than 85% of the spend was on vehicles other than passenger cars.
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Range is going to have to be improved drastically, charging stations in far greater numbers, and to top it off, Canada produces no home grown vehicles, only US owned factories .
Good luck with that.
Mick
56% of new vehicles sold in Canada are SUV’s (inc crossovers), so even if no pickups move to electric, there is still large scope for sales other than pickups to move to electric.There will have to be some extraordinary changes in the sales profile of canada to achieve those aims.
The top selling Vehicles are even more attuned to the big Pickup trucks than the USA, with four out of the top 5 places being pickups.
No 1 the Ford F series, No 2 Ram , no 3 is the Toyota Rav 4, no the Chevvy Silverado, and no 5 is the GMC Sierra.
This is not surprising given that there is a lot of snow in winter, there are vast wilderness areas, and the road system is nowhere near the standard of those in the US.
Indeed, according to the Canadian equivalent of our ABS , by dollars spent, more than 85% of the spend was on vehicles other than passenger cars.
View attachment 167551
Range is going to have to be improved drastically, charging stations in far greater numbers, and to top it off, Canada produces no home grown vehicles, only US owned factories .
Good luck with that.
Mick
I read the article from the conversation, and the quote from the article that says 80% of new vehicles sold in Canada has a link to exactly the same wesbite that i quoted. Given that the website only distinguishes between Passenger cars and Trucks (including crossovers , SUV's etc), I don't think the statement is accurate. The conversation article has lumped everything non passenger as an SUV, which is obviously wrong.56% of new vehicles sold in Canada are SUV’s (inc crossovers), so even if no pickups move to electric, there is still large scope for sales other than pickups to move to electric.
I think you are still falling into the trap of looking at the best selling models, and assuming that they represent the best selling class.
I think what causes this confusion is that pickups as a class a represented by only a few models, where as SUV’s are represented by dozens of models.
So because pickups sales are concentrated on a small number of models it makes them the best selling models, but they are far from being the best selling class.
(By the way, I don’t want to get into the argument of what exactly is an SUV and what is a crossover, most sites list Canada’s best selling SUV as the rav4 which is technically a crossover, but obviously many places count both suv and crossover as the same class, to me there is little point of dividing categories beyond SUV into midsize etc or cars into large small etc)
Breakdown of vehicles by class
The rising Canadian obsession with SUV’s
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