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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This could shake up the market a bit, depending on price, but PHEV utes would become popular IMO especially if the have V2L ability.
The flexibility would be very attractive for the tradie who does the weekend camping trip, or the farmer who lives 20km out of town.

www.drive.com.au

This is what BYD’s Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux-rivalling hybrid ute will look like

BYD's upcoming mid-size ute, expected to be called Shark, has been caught in the wild without any camouflage.
www.drive.com.au www.drive.com.au
 
This could shake up the market a bit, depending on price, but PHEV utes would become popular IMO especially if the have V2L ability.
The flexibility would be very attractive for the tradie who does the weekend camping trip, or the farmer who lives 20km out of town.

www.drive.com.au

This is what BYD’s Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux-rivalling hybrid ute will look like

BYD's upcoming mid-size ute, expected to be called Shark, has been caught in the wild without any camouflage.
www.drive.com.au www.drive.com.au
It does look at least a little bit better than a cybertruck.
Saw one in the flesh in Palm Springs today.
Looks as ugly in real life as it does in a picture.
 

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Some like to knock Tesla, forgetting that Tesla was the one that brought EVs to life and built a charging network that works. "While other carmakers were lobbying governments to subsidise a national charging network, Tesla simply went ahead and built one for itself."

Mainstream carmakers have unleashed a stream of new electric vehicles in the past year, some with relatively attractive prices. But it’s wise to look a little closer.

Tesla is embarrassing its EV rivals on the sales charts, accounting for almost half of all electric car deliveries in Australia.
Why? Because, as we discovered on a 2000km interstate road trip, the American brand simply does things better than the rest.

While other carmakers were lobbying governments to subsidise a national charging network, Tesla simply went ahead and built one for itself.

That bespoke network takes the hassle out of recharging on long distance trips, while continual improvements to its vehicles widen the gap to its rivals.

Range

We took the updated Tesla Model 3 Long Range from Sydney to Melbourne and back to test its range and get an idea of the challenges of road tripping in an EV.

The claim of 629km is achievable in city driving but 110km/h stints sap the range. We found we needed to recharge after about 500km of freeway driving.

Polestar and Hyundai can match the Tesla’s range but a lot of rivals fall short by 100km or more. On the road, extra range means time and convenience.

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Road trips are less hassle in a long-range EV. Picture by Toby Hagon.

Charging

The size of the Tesla charging network took a lot of stress out of our journey – there were 11 supercharger stations and 89 chargers on the route.

At Albury, for example, there are 16 charge bays.

Another advantage of the Tesla is its ability to take on charge quickly. It can charge at up to 250kW, while the recently launched Toyota bZ4X accepts only 150kW.

Tesla claims the Model 3 can add 282km of range in just 15 minutes, while the Toyota takes almost twice as long, taking 30 minutes to add 305km. Cheaper models from Chinese makers such as BYD and MG4 are slower again. The MG4 51kWh model, for example, takes a claimed 33 minutes to add 210km of range.

On long trips, that makes a difference.

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Tesla charging stations have more chargers than public stations. Picture by Toby Hagon.

Tesla also scores point for the ease of charging. You simply pull up to a charger and plug it in. If you own an EV from a rival brand, you’ll need up to half a dozen apps to pay for your charging.

Finding the right app and scanning a code to authorise payment all takes time.

Toyota has promised to make charging easy for customers, but currently only seven of its dealers – three in far north Queensland, one in Brisbane, one in Sydney and two in the ACT – are offering up to 50kW.

Thankfully Tesla is opening up its charging infrastructure to other brands, although it is charging a premium for the service.

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Tesla’s chargers are reliable, while it’s not uncommon to come across a broken charger at public stations. Picture by Toby Hagon.

Reliability

Toyota may own the reputation for reliability in cars, but Tesla owns it with chargers.

Whereas it’s common to find many universal access ultra rapid chargers out of order, Tesla’s network delivers.

Of the 89 Supercharger bays available between Sydney to Melbourne only one was out of order on our trip.

The Model 3 also displays the availability of all its chargers through the maps on the central touchscreen, making it easy to decide.

Those maps even give you advice as to projected wait times at chargers, although we had no issues with that on our trip.

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If you have to wait to charge, the on-board tech makes the time pass more quickly. Picture by Toby Hagon.

Technology

Time flies when you’re having fun, and Tesla has entertainment options while you’re charging. Aside from Netflix and YouTube, you can play arcade games using the car’s steering wheel.

Tesla also regularly updates its software over the air and those updates can add features. A car we drove recently had its matrix headlights upgraded to allow it run permanently on high beams without dazzling oncoming drivers.

Audio

Tesla has one of the best sound systems on the market, including those offered by luxury brands.

The Model 3 Long Range has 17 speakers, including two subwoofers for some serious punch.

Some buyers will be put off by the lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which are default on all rivals these days.

But the in-built apps – including Apple Music and Spotify – are easy to set up and personalise.

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Tesla generally offers more bang for your buck. Picture by Toby Hagon.

Value

Teslas aren’t cheap, but they justify the premium.

The Model 3 Long Range accelerates to 100km/h in a claimed 4.4 seconds, which is comfortably quicker than most luxury cars its price.

This Model 3 Long Range costs about $76,500 drive-away and comes well equipped with 18-inch wheels, electric front seats, a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate, heated seats front and rear and matrix LED headlights.

By comparison, Hyundai’s long-range, all-wheel-drive Ioniq 6 Dynamiq costs almost $88,000 drive-away.

Flaws

It’s not all rosy for Tesla.

As with all electric sedans, the Model 3 does without a spare wheel, something that can ruin a road trip.

And the much-hyped driver-assistance technology doesn’t always do a great job.

On four occasions we had the auto braking system activate aggressively on the freeway when it wasn’t required.

Fortunately there were no vehicles close behind, but it’s something that catches your attention.

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In an outcome that will surprise no one, EV charger maker, Tritium, has gone into receivership.
Receivers have been appointed to troubled EV fast-charger manufacturer Tritium DCFC. McGrathNicol said Shaun Fraser, Katherine Sozou, Matthew Hutton and Jamie Harris from its restructuring team had been named receivers and managers of Nasdaq-listed Tritium DCFC, which has accumulated $190m in losses in recent years.
Mr Fraser said the immediate focus was to stabilise the company’s operations and work closely with Tritium’s employees, customers and suppliers “to secure the best possible outcome for all parties.”

“A sale process for Tritium’s business and assets was underway prior to our appointment and we will be re-engaging as a matter of urgency with interested parties and the broader market to seek to find long-term capital,” Mr Fraser said.

Tritium, which designs and manufactures proprietary hardware for fast chargers for electric vehicles, last year announced it was closing its Brisbane factory as part of a cost-cutting restructure.
Click to expand...
Another nail in the coffin of that great myth about small nimble technology companies.
The shell will be taken up by a foreign entity who will build the chargers and sell them back to us.
Mick
 
From oil Oilprice.com

Europe’s new car sales fell in March for the first time this year, dragged down by a decline in electric vehicle (EV) registrations and the timing of the Easter holidays, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, ACEA, said on Thursday.

All new car sales in the European Union car market dropped by 5.2% year-on-year to 1 million units in March, while passenger vehicle sales in Europe including non-EU members such as the UK and Norway fell by 2.8%, ACEA’s data showed.

In the EU, new electric vehicle sales slumped by 11.3% to 134,397 units in March, led by a major 29% decline in EV sales in the biggest European market, Germany.

Car sales in Norway, where most new vehicle registrations are EVs, plunged from over 19,000 cars in March 2023 to 9,750 units last month.

As EV sales fell in the EU, their market share shrank from 13.9% in March 2023 to 13% in the same month of 2024.

Among the three largest BEV markets, Belgium (+23.8%) and France (+10.9%) enjoyed double-digit increases, while Germany faced a significant decrease of 28.9%, ACEA said.

The EU saw a total of 332,999 new battery-electric cars registered during the first quarter of 2024, up by 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

Despite the general market decline, hybrid-electric car registrations in the EU jumped by 12.6% in March 2024, with France and Italy driving the increase. The share of hybrid car sales rose to 29% of the new sales last month, up from 24.4% in March 2023.

The slowdown in EV sales in recent months has not been limited to Europe.

Tesla, for example, saw its deliveries slump in the first quarter for the first annual drop since the start of the pandemic in 2020, missing analyst forecasts by a mile in a sign that even price cuts haven’t been able to stave off an increasingly heated competition on the EV market.

Mick
 
Any realistic fact based analysis knows that current lithium based battery can not be enough to switch ice to ev just on mining costs and availability, but this could be a way out:
interestingengineering.com

New sodium battery that can be charged in seconds developed

Researchers have developed a high-power hybrid sodium-ion battery that can be charged in seconds, potentially replacing lithium-ion batteries.
interestingengineering.com interestingengineering.com
Sodium is abondant, cheap, available in any salt water inc sea
I did not dwell in the energy density vs synfuels or lithium but that could bring us cheap really fast charging batteries..and solve a lot of the current dilemma where narrative is so detached from reality
EV but also green power
Let's see where it goes
 
When walking back to our hotel the last night, I stopped at a charging station to admire some of the vehicles.
The first one was a Mach E.
The male POC said it was a company car, and the company only bought EV,s.
He said he really liked driving it, but like so many others have noted, the problem is in the charging algorithm.
The charger at this location he said charges 10 bucks before you even connect.
The problem is he said, it may drop out several times before he gets to 80%, and each time there was a 10 buck charge. Because his company paid for it, he did not care, but he sure as hell would not be swapping his personal ICE car for an EV or even a hybrid.
When I asked about not charging beyond 80%, he said that last 20% takes a long time, and if there are others waiting, they can get a little angsty.( that was not the expression he used, but It will be close enough).
He also mentioned that because of the distances he drove between business sites, he woul be very reluctant to let the batteries go below 20%, so in effect his personal range was only around 60% of full range.
We talked about EV,s and charging comparisons in OZ, and there seemed to be quite a few similarities.
His final comment to was that “My husband wanted to get another EV, but I said no way Babe”.
Lucky it was dark, so he could not see the look on my face.
Oh the other thing that really made him angry, was the fact that the boss of the company although mandating EV,s for his underlings, he himself had a chauffered Mercedes.
Mick
 
Came across this website yesterday. First time I have seen a home EV charging option that didn't carry some very serious figures.
Customer reviews appear very supportive as well. The offer excellent detail about how the customers used the product. I don't believe they are fakes..

depow.com

ALL

dépow design, manufactures, and sell wallboxes, portable chargers, and type 2 charging cables for EV and PHEV. Based in Shenzhen, China, we try our best to provide you reliable charging solutions for your everyday charging needs
depow.com depow.com
 
Last edited:
basilio said:
Came across this website yesterday. First time I have seen a home EV charging option that didn't carry some very serious figures.
Customer reviews appear very supportive as well. The offer excellent detail about how the customers used the product. I don't believe they are fakes..

depow.com

ALL

dépow design, manufactures, and sell wallboxes, portable chargers, and type 2 charging cables for EV and PHEV. Based in Shenzhen, China, we try our best to provide you reliable charging solutions for your everyday charging needs
depow.com depow.com
Click to expand...
I bought an EVSE charger based in Sydney, easier to deal with than a company in China.

evse.com.au

Shop - EVSE Australia

EVSE Australia supplies high quality Australian certified EV charging stations from across the world and Australia. Charge Faster & Drive Further with us.
evse.com.au evse.com.au
 
mullokintyre said:
When walking back to our hotel the last night, I stopped at a charging station to admire some of the vehicles.
The first one was a Mach E.
The male POC said it was a company car, and the company only bought EV,s.
He said he really liked driving it, but like so many others have noted, the problem is in the charging algorithm.
The charger at this location he said charges 10 bucks before you even connect.
The problem is he said, it may drop out several times before he gets to 80%, and each time there was a 10 buck charge. Because his company paid for it, he did not care, but he sure as hell would not be swapping his personal ICE car for an EV or even a hybrid.
When I asked about not charging beyond 80%, he said that last 20% takes a long time, and if there are others waiting, they can get a little angsty.( that was not the expression he used, but It will be close enough).
He also mentioned that because of the distances he drove between business sites, he woul be very reluctant to let the batteries go below 20%, so in effect his personal range was only around 60% of full range.
We talked about EV,s and charging comparisons in OZ, and there seemed to be quite a few similarities.
His final comment to was that “My husband wanted to get another EV, but I said no way Babe”.
Lucky it was dark, so he could not see the look on my face.
Oh the other thing that really made him angry, was the fact that the boss of the company although mandating EV,s for his underlings, he himself had a chauffered Mercedes.
Mick
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I know it triggers you, but the answer is to use the Tesla super charger network, it’s just better with none of the problems you mention above.

I have found some annoying features with Petrol stations in the USA, I have noticed that some Petrol stations put a pending transaction on your card of up to $100, even if you only end up putting $20 in, 6 days later the charge corrects itself, and if you decide to use cash instead you have to walk in, line up hand over a $50 note, walk back out fill up, walk back in line up, and collect your change.

But, the answer to the guy waiting around for the last 20% is just not to charge to 100%. Most people should be charging at home, and only need to charge enough to get home, or to the next charger.
 
This is another problem that sounds simple, but isn't and only one side of the issue has been presented.
The reporter should have probably got in touch with the strata body, as to why they wont grant permission, maybe the building electrical supply is marginal, or the network supplier wont allow any more load on their feeder supply.

If they grant permission to one owner, they probably have to be in a position to grant it to all and maybe the buildings electrical system isn't up to taking the extra load. Who knows.

au.news.yahoo.com

Electric vehicle dilemma faced by millions of Aussie residents: 'It's a nightmare'

A retiree, who's lived in his apartment for over 15 years, says he's fed up with the current legislation and is demanding a change. And he's not the only one.
au.news.yahoo.com au.news.yahoo.com
 
MG is expanding its EV model range.

I have driven an MG, and found that for the budget conscious or those on a low income, the MG is a good option. The build quality is decent, the added options are good. However, the compatibility with Australian roads, especially mountainous roads, is not the best.

Potential EV buyers need to look past the initial price, and instead take a few for a decent road test before committing to a purchase. And check the charging options.

MG Motors Bolsters Internal Management Team to Fuel Expansion of Electrified Range in Australia​

Capture1-de9637a5-1920w.png
In a significant move signaling its commitment to the electrification of automobiles, MG Motors has announced strategic enhancements to its internal management team in Australia. The decision comes as the company gears up to broaden its electrified range of cars, setting the stage for a transformative phase in the Australian automotive landscape.

With the global shift towards sustainability and eco-conscious mobility solutions, MG Motors is poised to take the lead in delivering innovative electric vehicles (EVs) to the Australian market. The bolstering of its internal management team underscores the company's proactive approach to aligning resources and expertise with its ambitious expansion plans.

Central to MG Motors' strategy is the appointment of seasoned professionals with a wealth of experience in electric vehicle technology, market analysis, and strategic planning. By augmenting its management team, the company aims to leverage diverse perspectives and specialized skill sets to navigate the complexities of the evolving automotive industry landscape.

One key focus area for MG Motors is to capitalize on the growing demand for electrified vehicles in Australia. With consumers increasingly prioritizing sustainability and energy efficiency, the company is poised to introduce an expanded lineup of electric and hybrid models tailored to meet diverse preferences and driving needs.

Moreover, MG Motors' investment in strengthening its internal management team underscores its long-term commitment to the Australian market. By fostering a robust organizational structure equipped to drive innovation and adapt to market dynamics, the company is primed to solidify its position as a frontrunner in the electrified vehicle segment.

The expansion of MG Motors' electrified range holds significant implications not only for the automotive industry but also for Australia's broader sustainability agenda. As the country seeks to reduce carbon emissions and transition towards cleaner transportation alternatives, the availability of affordable and accessible electric vehicles represents a pivotal step forward.

Furthermore, MG Motors' proactive approach to talent acquisition and organizational development sends a clear message of confidence and optimism amidst a rapidly changing automotive landscape. By investing in top-tier talent and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, the company is laying a solid foundation for sustained growth and market leadership.

As MG Motors embarks on this transformative journey, collaboration and partnership will be key drivers of success. By working closely with stakeholders across the automotive ecosystem, including government agencies, industry partners, and consumers, the company aims to catalyze the adoption of electric vehicles and drive positive change towards a more sustainable future.

In conclusion, MG Motors' strategic initiatives to bolster its internal management team underscore its unwavering commitment to driving innovation and leading the charge towards electrified mobility in Australia. With a clear vision, a talented team, and a portfolio of cutting-edge electric vehicles, the company is well-positioned to redefine the future of transportation and make a meaningful impact on society and the environment alike.
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JohnDe said:
MG is expanding its EV model range.

I have driven an MG, and found that for the budget conscious or those on a low income, the MG is a good option. The build quality is decent, the added options are good. However, the compatibility with Australian roads, especially mountainous roads, is not the best.

Potential EV buyers need to look past the initial price, and instead take a few for a decent road test before committing to a purchase. And check the charging options.
Click to expand...
Yes a friend of mine bought his wife one, he drives a model 3.
Long story short, he is selling the MG and buying the Mini EV, he says his wife found it too big, but I didn't push the topic.
Maybe after he gets the Mini, I will ask him how they compare.
I don't think the next generation of EV's are far away, now the early adopters have them, the manufacturers have to convince the sceptical so I'm expecting a lot of improvements.
 
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