Arborbridge wrote:Howard wrote:Redmires wrote:The neighbour has a new Polestar and He gave me a lift today. Very nice. We had a discussion about all things electric and the charging process etc. I quipped that the every time he stops for a recharge he will buy a coffee (and cake) in the 30 minute wait, and if there's a family in the car it will cost around £15 - £20 for every stop. He found this quite funny.
I'm guessing a Polestar BEV won't be charged for 30 minutes very often. It's an expensive car, which can be charged very quickly at the chargers being installed by Shell and BP. And presumably your neighbour has a home charger? With a BEV with a real range of more than 250 miles (like a Polestar) we've only once used a public charger in nearly a year of motoring. It was a fast charger used for fun and took around 20 minutes to add around 100 miles.
I guess there are families who regularly go for trips of more than 350 miles. Presumably they welcome a coffee and loo break on the journey?
It's probably sensible to keep ones diesel or petrol car if one can't charge at home and one frequently drives on trips of more than 350 miles.
With the development of batteries moving fast, it's likely that a real range of 400 miles will be available soon. Our BEV will cover around 300 miles driven gently and its battery was probably designed five years ago.
Bad news for coffee shops?
regards
Howard
Your last sentence is a real worry for anyone considering buying a BEV now. Indeed, I have several friends who are refusing to buy simply
because the technology is changing so fast. What price on the second hand market for an eight year old BEV? People are trying to say they will hold their price well, but not if they get left behind by a swathe of new developments. Who wants a
phone with old technology? - you can't give them away.
No wonder folk are still buying ICE cars for as long as they can.
Arb.
Arb, you are right.
As a BEV driver and enthusiast, I’d suggest that one could classify current BEVs as Short Range and Medium Range cars.
It isn’t sensible to compare them with Long Range ICE cars. So a Short Range would be less than 200 miles on a good day and an Medium Range would be 300 miles or less on a good day.
I’ve driven a new Tesla Model 3 “Long Range” and it wouldn’t do 300 miles on a motorway in wet and windy weather. So, to me, it’s a Medium Range car.
Most ICE cars would be Long Range cars. I can’t remember driving an ICE car with a range less than 350 miles. Our petrol Golf would cover 400 miles driven on motorways.
Any current BEV with a battery of 50kWh or less would surely be a Short Range car. Maybe ideal as a second car or a town car?
If you agree with this broad classification, and think that batteries will develop fairly fast over the next two years then new BEVs with a real range of 400 miles might be launched. They will surely justify a premium and be the choice for drivers who want a BEV and regularly drive long distances.
Richlist is probably right in his forecast for the longevity of ICE cars. Drivers living outside big cities (with penalties for ICE cars) and without access to a home charger would be unlikely to buy BEVs.
Major car manufacturers are generally trying to cater for both ICE (including hybrids) and BEV drivers at the moment, so they must see a future for both types, at least in the short term.
Redmire’s neighbour with an expensive BEV could be a company car driver and subsidised by the taxpayer to the tune of many £’000. The cost of a coffee or two will be irrelevant to him! Will all the current company BEVs come onto the market in a couple of years and push down prices? Who knows?
I should declare that we lease our BEV and, given the relatively low cost, the leasing company obviously believe that it will sell for a good price in three years.
regards
Howard