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Electric cars?

Would you buy an electric car?

  • Already own one

    Votes: 10 5.1%

  • Yes - would definitely buy

    Votes: 43 21.7%

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

    Votes: 78 39.4%

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

    Votes: 38 19.2%

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

    Votes: 25 12.6%

  • No - would never buy one

    Votes: 14 7.1%
  • Total voters
    198
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While we are looking at cars as mode of transport perhaps this story could put the impact of the motor car into perspective.

Certainly makes one think
The Absurd Primacy of the Automobile in American Life
Considering the constant fatalities, rampant pollution, and exorbitant costs of ownership, there is no better word to characterize the car’s dominance than insane.
https://www.theatlantic.com/busines...d-primacy-of-the-car-in-american-life/476346/
 
My model three actually exists and has rolled off the production line, and is currently in transit from the USA to Australia.

———
Yes, as you have probably noticed with your mobile, it charges from 0% to 50% much quicker than the second half of 50% to 100%.

So when super charging, you can charge to 50% in about 10mins - 15 mins.

Which means, on road trips can drive for the first 5 hours without stopping, then you only have to stop for 15 mins every 3 hours or so after that.

Which when you factor in your bladder, stomach and legs that want to stretch, it is not at all inconvenient.

A 10min pee break here, 15 min grabbing lunch there, and then another pee and leg stretch after that will get you from Brisbane to Sydney.
 
Is there any issue with battery life when
"super charging" ?

I have noticed a fast decline in battery life in various things when doing a fast charge.
 
moXJO said:
Is there any issue with battery life when
"super charging" ?

I have noticed a fast decline in battery life in various things when doing a fast charge.
Click to expand...
Well the price of a 90Kw/Hr battery for a Porsche, would be eye watering.
 
moXJO said:
Is there any issue with battery life when
"super charging" ?

I have noticed a fast decline in battery life in various things when doing a fast charge.
Click to expand...

Nope, the battery will put live the car.

There are Tesla’s on the road that have been smashed by use as Uber’s and taxis with multiple fast charging each day for years and have only had about 5% battery decay.

So your regular use will be fine
 
On the battery longevity issue I think it's too early to really be sure. Accelerated testing under controlled conditions is the best we've got but it's not infallible.

Something I will point out though is that the average car in Australia is about 10 years old. That's the average age of a car, much like the average age of a human in Australia is a bit over 37, but the average lifespan is a bit over double that in the absence of any unfortunate mishaps. Most people don't die age 37 and most cars aren't scrapped after 10 years. Exceptions due to unfortunate mishaps in both cases.

20 years and 300,000km is in round figures the average lifespan of a car.
 
Also a lot will depend on the type of use the battery has i.e heavy loads and high ambient temperatures will affect the longevity.
 
sptrawler said:
Also a lot will depend on the type of use the battery has i.e heavy loads and high ambient temperatures will affect the longevity.
Click to expand...
Looking at the battery I've got at home, an LG RESU10H, it's rated to 5kW continuous power, 7kW surge but for optimum life the recommended maximum charging rate is 3.3kW.

Similar issues with most batteries.

In practice I haven't limited the charging rate but since the solar panels are only 5.11kW and it's going to be extremely rare that they reach maximum output, even rarer for that to occur with zero load in the house, the charging rate won't be above 3.3kW very often.
 

300,000km would be about 750 battery charge cycles, that’s nothing for an advanced battery with intergrated cooling like in the Tesla.
 
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