Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

Electric cars?

Would you buy an electric car?

  • Already own one

    Votes: 10 5.1%

  • Yes - would definitely buy

    Votes: 43 21.9%

  • Yes - preferred over petrol car if price/power/convenience similar

    Votes: 78 39.8%

  • Maybe - preference for neither, only concerned with costs etc

    Votes: 37 18.9%

  • No - prefer petrol car even if electric car has same price, power and convenience

    Votes: 24 12.2%

  • No - would never buy one

    Votes: 14 7.1%
  • Total voters
    196
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It sounds as though the Chinese will be first to market with a hybrid dual cab ute.

www.drive.com.au

2024 GWM Cannon Alpha ute: Hybrid and turbo-diesel power for Australia

The 2024 GWM Cannon Alpha is set to arrive in Australia with a choice of a turbo-diesel engine, or a turbo-petrol hybrid with big power.
www.drive.com.au www.drive.com.au

The 2024 GWM Cannon Alpha is set to arrive in Australia with the choice of a turbo-diesel engine or a turbo-petrol version with hybrid assistance, as confirmed by documents submitted to the Department of Infrastructure.
As the latest dual-cab ute from GWM, the Cannon Alpha – which is bigger than the current GWM Ute and Ford Ranger but smaller than a Ram or Ford F-150 – will initially be offered with a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing 135kW and 480Nm, or a more powerful petrol-hybrid option.
Borrowed from the GWM Tank 300, the hybrid powertrain uses a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder putting out 180kW and 380Nm – or as much as 255kW and 648Nm when combined with the electric motor.
 
sptrawler said:
Interesting article.

Why petrol is making a temporary comeback in the battle with EVs - ABC News

amp.abc.net.au amp.abc.net.au
Click to expand...
I am just back to drop a tech interesting link:
interestingengineering.com

Next big thing in fuel? Ammonia engines offer cleaner alternative - Interesting Engineering

Ammonia can also be used as a fuel for fuel cells or combustion engines, producing only nitrogen and water as emissions.
interestingengineering.com interestingengineering.com
But could not prevent myself from laughing at the term " comeback" ROL
In which world are these journos living?
 
sptrawler said:


Gives you something to work with. ;)
Hey I'm all for it, if it is feasible and I'm sure one day it will be, I'm just not sure it will be in my lifetime, I will be pleasantly surprised if it is. :xyxthumbs
Wind is clean and powerful and cheap, but there aren't many 200,000 ton cruise ships using them, it still has to be practical not just ideological.
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Arena is just kicking off a project to electrify long distance rail freight.

I remember a few months back there was a proposal to develop large mobile battery banks on rails. Essentially 1mw batteries mounted on a rail car that could be sent to a number of different sites. There should be no problem hooking them up to a normal electric train and swapped enroute .

www.ecogeneration.com.au

Battery power to electrify freight trains

The Federal Government is backing a pioneering project to retrofit a diesel-electric freight train with batteries.
www.ecogeneration.com.au www.ecogeneration.com.au
 
basilio said:
Arena is just kicking off a project to electrify long distance rail freight.

I remember a few months back there was a proposal to develop large mobile battery banks on rails. Essentially 1mw batteries mounted on a rail car that could be sent to a number of different sites. There should be no problem hooking them up to a normal electric train and swapped enroute .

www.ecogeneration.com.au

Battery power to electrify freight trains

The Federal Government is backing a pioneering project to retrofit a diesel-electric freight train with batteries.
www.ecogeneration.com.au www.ecogeneration.com.au
Click to expand...
It will certainly be interesting to see how they go, at least they are giving it a trail, which will show how practical it is.
Diesel locos use about 2MW motor/generators and on the trans Australia upto three coupled locos.
 
qldfrog said:
I am just back to drop a tech interesting link:
interestingengineering.com

Next big thing in fuel? Ammonia engines offer cleaner alternative - Interesting Engineering

Ammonia can also be used as a fuel for fuel cells or combustion engines, producing only nitrogen and water as emissions.
interestingengineering.com interestingengineering.com
But could not prevent myself from laughing at the term " comeback" ROL
In which world are these journos living?
Click to expand...
Bloody hell, ask anyone who works int herefrigeration industry about how toxic ammonia can be not only to the soft tissue in Nose and throat, but also ruins your expensive Cat boots!
Mick
 
mullokintyre said:
Bloody hell, ask anyone who works int herefrigeration industry about how toxic ammonia can be not only to the soft tissue in Nose and throat, but also ruins your expensive Cat boots!
Mick
Click to expand...
I don't think ammonia is going to be used in Cars, but it might find its way into Ships, Trains, and maybe Planes. In trains it might be used as an fuel cell feedstock, rather than burning it.
 
JohnDe said:
I agree, to a certain extent. We live in a throw away society, though I do think some things are changing for the better.

Updateable and upgradeable are two different concepts.

My first Apple iMac purchase was a 2009 27in base model with 8GB ram, 8GB graphics card, and a terabyte HDD. I upgraded the RAM to 16GB and used it as our family computer for everything including video and photo editing. It was still being used as our second computer up until Apple stopped the updates recently.
Without updates it became a security risk, however, I gave it to my mother in-law and she is using it to research her family tree.

Phones are the same, they can't be upgraded but they can be updated. When was the last time a phone battery died? I know people that are still using 10 year old iPhones with the same battery.

EVs are the same, upgrades and updates.

The first Telstra Model S have gone through upgrades with the screen and processor. All Tesla's are updateable, and do have regular updates that fix issues, improve efficiency, add extra features, etc.

Modern ICEV are not upgradeable or updatable. Take the Ford Focus and Fiesta built about 2012 to 2016, transmission was a hybrid manual that acted as an automatic. they were failing on a regular basis, the software updates were numerous but still issues arose, parts wore prematurely. Ford Extended the warranty and kept replacing or repairing long after warranty was gone. There was a class action from owners. Ford had no upgradeable fix; they just slowly wore down owners and discontinued the transmission. Those Focus & Fiesta models are now worth a fraction of their true value and are a hit and miss when it comes to reliability.
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Interesting news -

 
Inductive charging is improving, it will be interesting to see how the the electrical distribution system copes with it.
I would guess apartment buildings and shopping centres will be interested in using them in the car parks, they will be easy to deploy and may become very common. ;)

insideevs.com

This Breakthrough Wireless EV Charger Reaches 100 kW Speeds With Near-Perfect Efficiency

Wireless charging could eliminate many problems EV owners face today, but its deployment seems capital-intensive and complex.
insideevs.com insideevs.com
 
Last edited:
From ABC News
A display car with a teenage boy inside has reversed into a Myer store at a Sydney shopping centre, injuring two people, police say.

Emergency services were called to the second level of the Liverpool Westfield on George Street about 12.30pm today, where they found two men with minor injuries.

The men, one in his 50s and one in his 30s, suffered head and chest injuries and were treated at the scene before being taken to Liverpool Hospital.

Police said they were told a teenager was sitting in the red electric SUV which was on display inside the shopping centre.

The car accelerated forward, smashing a glass panel, before reversing into the Myer store.

Images of the scene show the vehicle after the incident parked alongside a beauty counter at Myer.

Officers spoke to the 14-year-old at the scene, and he has been allowed to leave with a family member.
Click to expand...
Mick
 
mullokintyre said:
From ABC News

Mick
Click to expand...

Is this meant as an example to confirm your opinion of EVs?

I ask because I know how much you like us all to stay on topic, but I’m confused about the reason of the news of a vehicle accident, and how it relates to EVs.

I’ve seen many accidents where cars have hit pedestrians in car parks, restaurants, and shop fronts.
 
JohnDe said:
Is this meant as an example to confirm your opinion of EVs?

I ask because I know how much you like us all to stay on topic, but I’m confused about the reason of the news of a vehicle accident, and how it relates to EVs.

I’ve seen many accidents where cars have hit pedestrians in car parks, restaurants, and shop fronts.
Click to expand...
It was an electric car.
mick
 
JohnDe said:
Yes but it doesn’t really follow the topic Thoughts on the electric car? Unless you’re using it the article to share your disdain of EVs.
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I own an EV, and charge it easily most of the time because I have solar power and batteries, but I am not an evangelical tesla worshipper.

JohnDe said:
Anything else and it is off topic. Imagine if we all post an article about a car accident involving an EV, what is the meaning?
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Yea, nothing worse than going off topic.
Bit like some of these ?

Mic
 
mullokintyre said:
I own an EV, and charge it easily most of the time because I have solar power and batteries, but I am not an evangelical tesla worshipper.


Yea, nothing worse than going off topic.
Bit like some of these ?

Mic
Click to expand...

I don’t mind going off topic occasionally. I’m only asking you for your reasons, because you almost religiously remind everyone when they go off topic.

I thought that maybe there was a hidden meaning to your post about the article.
 
Got this email from EVIE just now.
1710727826077.png
So now there is a pre hold of 30 per charge.
Another way for the banks and Evie to make money.
What was wrong with the old system where they had your bank details in the account in their AP?
Charging Electric vehicles is going backwards in terms of customer service, not that it was terribly good in the first place.
mick
 
mullokintyre said:
Got this email from EVIE just now.
View attachment 172938
So now there is a pre hold of 30 per charge.
Another way for the banks and Evie to make money.
What was wrong with the old system where they had your bank details in the account in their AP?
Charging Electric vehicles is going backwards in terms of customer service, not that it was terribly good in the first place.
mick
Click to expand...

I had to use a public charger yesterday, first time in about 2 years, a Jolt charger. Re-install the app, follow the instructions 'scan the code and follow the prompts on your phone'. then stand around for a few minutes waiting for confirmation. First 7 KW free, that must be for the inconvenience of standing around taking the phone out, opening the app, scanning the code, choosing the plan, etc.

It probably gets easier and faster the more times someone uses it. For me it is always going to be clunky, because I am an infrequent user.

I'm sure there is a better way.
 
EV sales are increasing, while sales of hydrogen powered vehicles are dropping.

The market always chooses the winner, a bit like the Beta and VHS battle.

Hydrogen cars left at starting line as EV sales take off

Sales of hydrogen cars halved in Australia last year, as electric cars soared in sales and popularity.

Just six hydrogen-powered vehicles sold in Australia in 2023, compared to 15 the year before.

Energy and transport experts say the falling adoption of hydrogen cars is mirrored by developments overseas, where one major manufacturer cut its prices and an energy giant closed most of its hydrogen refuelling stations.

The ways to use hydrogen in passenger transport is “shrinking,” and advances in electric vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks, could overtake it altogether.

Some companies are seeking to buck the trend, however, and use hydrogen in innovative ways while the battle reaches a conclusion.

New concerns about the use of hydrogen in the transport industry emerged when Toyota cut the price of some Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell cars in the US by up to 60 per cent.

A $US40,000 discount was offered on the sedans, only sold in California, if they were purchased through vehicle leases.

The announcement was compounded when fuel giant Shell closed seven hydrogen refuelling stations in the US state, and revealed it was “exploring options” in relation to its final site.

In a statement, the company cited “supply complications” for the closures and said it remained committed to exploring the use of hydrogen “to decarbonise hard-to-electrify sectors such as heavy industry and heavy-duty transport”.

The changes leave California with fewer than 50 hydrogen refuelling stations.

Scott Dwyer, who serves as research director for the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures, says the news is devastating for hydrogen’s future in transport as California, along with Japan and parts of Germany, are the biggest hotspots for investment in the energy source.

“Things have really changed over the the last five to 10 years,” he said.

“It’s like you’re got this pie where hydrogen made sense and you can see it shrinking.”

Several elements have challenged hydrogen’s use in the transport industry, he says, including difficulties producing the gas from renewable sources, keeping its price low, and rolling out new infrastructure to store and supply it.

Hydrogen vehicle technology has also been challenged by faster advances in electric vehicles, Dwyer says, including a wide range of passenger cars and a growing number of battery-powered buses and heavy-duty trucks.

“There’s a lot of hydrogen demonstrations with buses all over Europe, the US and some in Australia but as you see the prices of electric buses falling and the number of electric buses being sold in China grow, that’s changing,” he said.

“Hydrogen buses will remain as pilots and demonstrations but the real commercial operations will begin with fully electric buses and the same could be said for trucks as well.”

Swinburne University future urban mobility professor Hussein Dia says hydrogen could still be key to unlocking low-emission heavy transport in Australia, particularly over longer distances, but the technology and infrastructure was taking longer to develop than some electric alternatives.

Australia now has 12 hydrogen refuelling stations operating or under construction, according to the CSIRO, but large electric trucks are increasingly being allowed to drive on the nation’s roads.

The Queensland government last week relaxed weight restrictions to allow heavy-duty electric trucks on some roads, making it the fourth state to allow the transport technology after Victoria, NSW and South Australia.

“Hydrogen might have a future in heavy vehicles but the jury is still out,” Dia said.

“You can fill a hydrogen truck fairly quickly but electric truck technology is changing, batteries are getting better, and in China they have battery-swapping for heavy vehicles.”

Volvo has also announced plans to build electric trucks at its Brisbane factory from 2027.
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