Electric cars?

[rcw1]

@sptrawler... rcw1 company owns a Tesla.. don't get to drive it though kin do that... rcw1 just washes it... ha ha ha ha ha ha

To rcw1 knowledge its going great guns... certainly got some tow in it... The only electric car on the books and racks up some good k's. no problems with charging or otherwise. East coast far northern and northern parts of Queensland.

 

[sptrawler]

yep reckon so... image it would take some time to get up of own volition
rcw1 knees are pucked, due to ware and tear... might do some thing about it one day ....
too attached to the originals ha ha ha

Yes replaced knees get rid of the pain, but you can't kneel on them, so getting up off the ground is an interesting manouver. Lol
Anyway, back on topic yeh.

 

[rcw1]

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

 

[farmerge]

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

rcw you still up and about, about snooze time isn't it??

 

[Value Collector]

I found it the same, couldn't get my right leg out without the door being fully open, even then hauling myself up was a chore.
A friend and his wife bought a model 3, then after going for a ride in my kona went in and ordered a model Y, so you aren't dreaming it up.

Here's an xray of my right leg, there is no way that knee gets out of a model 3, you can take that to the bank.

View attachment 172234

Did you go to the doctor or a carpenter?

 

[ijrob6]

It like BYD have a similar issue, lots of inventory and not enough buyers.

BYD slashes price on its best-selling SUV to $16K to compete with gas cars​

I think you will find that the Model 3 LR offer is for the run-out model and not the new Highlander Model 3. LR. Obviously buyers are waiting for the release of the new model due soon so there may well be excess stock of that particular older model.

 

[Value Collector]

I think you will find that the Model 3 LR offer is for the run-out model and not the new Highlander Model 3. LR. Obviously buyers are waiting for the release of the new model due soon so there may well be excess stock of that particular older model.

Here is the difference between the two models (New vs Old). @qldfrog I think you might find a lot of the things people used to rag on Tesla about build quality have been fixed, these guys even seem to geek over the sound the door makes when it closes, because its like a high end door close, I don't get that part, but it seems nice.

@mullokintyre

 

[sptrawler]

It will be great when we get rid of these diesel monster trucks off the road and get into something more sensible, let's be honest a Ford Ranger is so yesterday, today's hipsters want to be seen in a Wuling Bingo.
Sorry my apologies a Wuling Bingo Plus, I mean who would be seen dead in a dolphin or a seagull, horrible thought.

Video: GM Fights Back Against BYD With The Wuling Bingo Plus

This $12,500 EV can cruise at a maximum of 510 KM (317 miles), and is aimed at the BYD Dolphin and BYD Seagull.

insideevs.com

 

[sptrawler]

Sounds as though Rivian have designed a slightly larger cell than Tesla's 4680, now we have the 4685.

Rivian's New Battery Cell Could Be Even Better Than Tesla's

Rivian's R2 SEV debuts with striking looks, a compact form factor, and a never-before-seen battery known as the 4695.

www.motor1.com

 

[sptrawler]

This is an interesting article re over the air EV cars, it is the first I've heard of this issue, but it could end up being inbuilt obsolescence as per laptop computers.

Nissan Leaf Owners 'Abandoned' As They Lose Network Access. It's A Worrying Sign For Connected Cars

A new emphasis on in-car software and connectivity may change what it means to keep aging vehicles on the road.

insideevs.com

Internet-connected cars are great, right? They let you flip on your heater via a smartphone app so your car is nice and toasty when you get in, or activate electric vehicle charging remotely to refuel at the cheapest times of the day. It’s all fun and games until your Nissan Leaf unexpectedly loses its ability to connect to the internet through no fault of your own.

That’s precisely what’s happening to U.K.-based owners of Leafs produced until 2016, the BBC reported on Tuesday. Those early cars use an outdated 2G internet connection, which U.K. network operators are preparing to phase out.

Nissan told the outlet that the app that Leaf owners use to control their cars will cease to function on April 1, 2024, but that some of its features will still be available in vehicles’ touchscreens.

To be sure, this impacts a relatively small number of car owners. Still, it says a lot about the kinds of issues drivers may face as new cars become more packed with software and connected than ever before. The smartphone-ificiation of cars brings a lot of benefits—like over-the-air updates that keep vehicles feeling fresh. But even the most cutting-edge technology, given enough time, fades into obsolescence and risks losing support.

That has far different implications for a buyer of a $1,000 iPhone than a $50,000 SUV.


It used to be that as long as you could find the right parts and get repairs done, a vehicle could keep on trundling along, more or less. Now that software and connected features are in the mix, there’s a lot more a vehicle’s longevity depends on than its mechanical condition. It also has to do with whether a car company—or a cellular network, in some cases—is willing to stand by aging but perhaps still perfectly functional tech.
The same phenomenon that’s left those Leaf owners disgruntled has actually already happened here in the U.S. AT&T shut down the 2G cellular service Leafs relied on in 2016. Nissan offered a mix of free and paid upgrades to keep Leaf owners happy and connected.

3G cell service went extinct in the U.S. in 2022, cutting off automatic crash notification functions and some convenience features for a large number of vehicles across brands. Some companies offered upgrades to 4G service, while some cars lost connectivity permanently. If and when 4G dies out and 5G after it, the ripple effects could be much more devastating, given the auto industry’s new focus on selling software-enabled features and subscription services.

There’s also the question of the computers that today’s cars use falling behind the needs of ever-more-demanding software. We’ve all no doubt been frustrated by a few-year-old phone or laptop that can’t run its latest operating system without horrendous lag and glitches. Who says the same thing can’t happen to a computer-filled car that’s frequently receiving software updates and new capabilities?

Tesla owners have already seen what happens when new, powerful software programs exceed the limitations of a car’s hardware. They’re asked to pay up for the latest tech.

In 2021, Tesla started offering monthly subscriptions for its prototype Full Self-Driving feature, which had previously only been available for a one-time fee of several thousand dollars. But there was a catch. Subscribers whose cars weren’t equipped with Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving computer would have to shell out $1,500 (later dropped to $1,000) for an upgraded unit. Many of those Teslas were just two years old.

Owners were understandably miffed. Tesla had proclaimed in a blog post back in 2016 that “all Tesla vehicles produced in our factory—including Model 3—will have the hardware needed for full self-driving capability.” To be sure, owners who bought Full Self-Driving outright could get the computer upgrade for free. But it’s hard to imagine Tesla offering complimentary upgrades indefinitely as it works toward its long-promised self-driving car.

Hopefully, carmakers will take measures to keep their vehicles supported even as technology advances. And hopefully, cars will gain more capabilities than they lose over their lifetimes. But then again, what’s better for business than an expensive car you feel the need to replace?

 

[mullokintyre]

Another example of the government interfering in the market by subsiding one group over another.
From Drive.com.au

The Australian Government has announced a $76 million funding package it says will improve the supply of electric cars for buyers.
An investment of $50 million will be made available to car dealerships, providing them with a credit line to purchase stock of electric cars for their forecourts.
The short-term dealer finance is only paid back once a car is sold to a customer, and is estimated will help bring 20,000 electric vehicles to Australian roads over the next two years.

Wonder why the banks are not interested in this role?
But the really stupid part is this

An additional $4 million will also be provided by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to help rental company Europcar acquire 3100 brand-new battery-powered cars to its fleet, with the vehicles to be sold into the used-car market after two years.

Why on earth is the Federal Government subsiding a French car rental company?
Why not just buy the cars and give thenm to Poor people?
Will achieve the same end, and not have as much money being siphoned to offshore companies.
Mick

 

[Value Collector]

Why not just buy the cars and give thenm to Poor people?

$4 Million divided by 3,100 cars is only $1,290 / car. So I guess they are thinking thats a cheap way to get another 3,100 cars into the used car market in 2 years, while in the meantime also taking some petrol cars out of the rental fleet. Not to mention they will probably earn more than $1,290 per car in Stamp duties, GST and other taxes and import duties, so its probably revenue positive or neutral.

If they just purchased cars with the $4 Million they would only get 80 cars into the market place.

Why on earth is the Federal Government subsiding a French car rental company?

Another way to look at it is that the French company is subsidising the import if extra EV's into the Australian used car market, The cars have to be sold in 2 years, even if in the mean time they lose money. The government is getting what they want and the French company is taking the business risk, and the government is probably revenue neutral.

 

[mullokintyre]

EV maker Rivian has cancelled its new 5Billion factory
From Motor Trend

Rivian surprised and delighted industry pundits with the surprise reveal of the Rivian R3 and R3X alongside the smaller R2 SUV we were expecting. While we knew an R3 eventually would join Rivian's lineup and had reported on it in the past, its reveal at the R2 event was unexpected, and generated some additional interest in the company and its offerings. But other developments point to Rivian's longstanding and potentially existential cashflow crisis, namely that the company paused construction at its heralded Georgia production plant.
The R2 was to be built in Georgia, but Rivian is burning cash and losing a significant (yet declining) amount of money on each vehicle it sells (as of our latest information). Rivian has decided to "pause" construction at the Georgia plant indefinitely, it said in a statement: "The timing for resuming construction is expected to be later," so it may focus on the R2 launch, the company said.
Rivian expects the move to free up $2.25 billion, which it intends to use to help launch the R2 production line in the existing Rivian plant in Normal, Illinois. The move also accelerates the R2 launch, which is expected in early 2026. Rivian expects to be able to produce 215,000 units a year of all the vehicles it will make at Normal: R1T, R1S, and R2, as well as the two versions of the delivery van it produces—the EDV for Amazon and the Rivian Commercial Van (known also as the Rivian Delivery 500 and 700).

mick

 

[mullokintyre]

Not an electric car post, nore an electric vehicle post.
Its almost like back to the futre.
In the old days of steam, the locos had a coal tender from which the poor buggers shovelled coal into the boiler to keep it all running.
Its going to have to be a pretty big tender before it approaches what a diesel electric loco does today.
Despite the massive increase in battery technology over the past few years, the power out put of diesel over electric batteries is factor of 20 to 1.
from Clean Technica

That means that marine engines get about 4,500 Wh/kg of useful energy out of diesel, and jet engines get perhaps 4,300 Wh/kg. The batteries Tesla uses have about 269 Wh/kg, and while electric drivetrains are much more efficient, don’t turn all of that into forward motion, typically around 85%, or perhaps 225 Wh/kg. There’s a big difference between 4,300-4,500 Wh/kg and 40-225 Wh/kg. Diesel and Jet-A kerosene are running about 20 times as energy dense as the batteries Tesla uses, given the efficiency differences, and obviously a bigger factor for Echandia’s LTO batteries.

 

[sptrawler]

Not an electric car post, nore an electric vehicle post.
Its almost like back to the futre.
In the old days of steam, the locos had a coal tender from which the poor buggers shovelled coal into the boiler to keep it all running.
Its going to have to be a pretty big tender before it approaches what a diesel electric loco does today.
Despite the massive increase in battery technology over the past few years, the power out put of diesel over electric batteries is factor of 20 to 1.
from Clean Technica


View attachment 172498

As we keep saying, to get the most out of the least whether it be distance, hauling capacity, or load carrying capacity, energy density matters.

 

[Value Collector]

Not an electric car post, nore an electric vehicle post.
Its almost like back to the futre.
In the old days of steam, the locos had a coal tender from which the poor buggers shovelled coal into the boiler to keep it all running.
Its going to have to be a pretty big tender before it approaches what a diesel electric loco does today.
Despite the massive increase in battery technology over the past few years, the power out put of diesel over electric batteries is factor of 20 to 1.
from Clean Technica


View attachment 172498

Makes sense, it would also have the ability to regen brake down hills which the diesel electrics can’t do.

there is so many options for trains, we have learned that electric is the best model, that’s why diesel electrics were invented in the first place, but that electricity can come from battery, hydrogen fuel cells, power lines etc there are multiple options.

you could even just put over head power lines for a few kilometres over the track where ever the track comes near the grid, and recharge a train on the go.

 

[Value Collector]

As we keep saying, to get the most out of the least whether it be distance, hauling capacity, or load carrying capacity, energy density matters.

It matters for trucks and cars, but trains can haul such large loads, even adding a couple of battery wagons would not be a problem. So density isn’t much of an issue.

look at this beast, I am part owner in this railway, the trains are huge, another two or three battery wagons wouldn‘t slow it down.

 

[sptrawler]

It matters for trucks and cars, but trains can haul such large loads, even adding a couple of battery wagons would not be a problem. So density isn’t much of an issue.

Yes with trains I think it will depend a lot on the longevity of the batteries, trains work hard and for long duration, as usual time will tell.
I'm not invested in either technology ATM (battery or hydrogen) so it is only from an interest position for me.

 

[mullokintyre]

EV sales iN China have slowed somewhat according to Reuters .
Total sales were down by a significant margin, but such slowdowns of sales occured this time last year going into the Lunar New Year.
Remains to be seen if this is a contiuing trend.
Mick

 

[Smurf1976]

you could even just put over head power lines for a few kilometres over the track where ever the track comes near the grid, and recharge a train on the go.

That's something I see very real potential for where trains run through mostly remote areas but do go through or near towns along the way.

Electrify the section of track within economic distance of the towns, batteries do the rest.