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Would you ever consider getting an electric car?

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Original post by Rabbit2
If you take a peek at:
https://blog.schneider-electric.com/energy...energy.../how-big-are-power-line-losses/ They claim that transmission losses are 8 to 15%. The thermal cycle efficiency (Carnot cycle) efficiency they claim is about 35% for a typical power plant. This is the conversion loss between the pile of coal and the wires. If you 'convolve' the two together, I make it that you'd have something like 20% to 28% overall efficiency from coal to wires (at the consumer). So actually, it's worse than 50% (from coal to consumer). No??? Cheers.


You don't actually know what the Carnot cycle is, do you? :wink:

Anyway yes, with transmission losses of 15% that gives a total efficiency of just shy of 30% when starting off at 35%. To be fair 35% is at the low end, as combined cycle plants can push the figure closer to 60%, which with 8% transmission loss would give an efficiency of 55% from fuel to socket. In any case, all those losses would occur prior to the socket, so can't be factored into the current required from socket to car. However, my main point was that you don't need to carry as much energy in an electric car as you do in a conventional car as the conversion of stored energy within the car is more efficient.
They're too expensive at the moment, and they haven't had time to become more widely established and then trickle down into the used market. That's before the practical issues with batteries and charging. I'd consider them in the future but not right now.
Vehicles have ruined the environment of this planet so much.:sad:

I wouldn't want to contribute to that. Plan on getting an electric car as soon as possible, after I've learnt to drive.
Original post by RoyalSheepy
I'd get the Tesla as well, mainly for the cool stuff it can do like the self opening doors and autopilot, (and that acceleration :colone:)

I agree though, I'd still want a normal car... But my guess is that fuel prices and tax will be raised in the future, to make it harder for people to afford running normal cars.


😥😭
Original post by RF_PineMarten
They're too expensive at the moment, and they haven't had time to become more widely established and then trickle down into the used market. That's before the practical issues with batteries and charging. I'd consider them in the future but not right now.


I agree
Original post by RoyalSheepy
Would you ever consider getting one today, and why?


Been using a Tesla since 2013, now on my 2nd one. Why? Simple, the tax breaks you get when operating one within a company environment is fantastic.

Would I buy another one? Well for performance they are great cars for the money but beyond that i won't buy another one other than for the tax breaks.

Does one save money from fuel? Have you seen how much an equivalent spec BMW 5 series cost vs the price of a Tesla Model S? The difference is certainly more than enough to refuel that BMW for its lifetime.

Oh and don't get me started with the prices of replacement parts if ever you break anything in a Tesla Model S. Recently broke 2 items on mine, the touch screen and the selector lever to get the car moving (It is a direct part off a Mercedes S-Class), the latter was an easy fix and the labour cost more than the part. Now that touch screen set me back a whooping £2700 to replace at a dealer. In hindsight I should have paid IKEA to deliver that cabinet oh well bugger me for trying to save £40
Original post by 04MR17
Vehicles have ruined the environment of this planet so much.:sad:

I wouldn't want to contribute to that. Plan on getting an electric car as soon as possible, after I've learnt to drive.


Don't kid yourself that an electric vehicle doesn't harm the environment!
Reply 47
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Original post by CurlyBen
Don't kid yourself that an electric vehicle doesn't harm the environment!


Perhaps. But according to that FT article, size for size they harm it less. :wink:

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Original post by CurlyBen
Don't kid yourself that an electric vehicle doesn't harm the environment!
That's not what I said.
Original post by Doonesbury
Perhaps. But according to that FT article, size for size they harm it less. :wink:



I haven't looked into the comparative effects, but an accurate comparison would have to look at the whole lifecycle including manufacture and disposal. Often comparisons just look at day to day emissions.
Isn't there a VW electric coming soon with a range of 369 miles? That I'd get, it's a very good range and VW aren't going to be unreliable shitboxes like Teslas.
Reply 51
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Original post by CurlyBen
I haven't looked into the comparative effects, but an accurate comparison would have to look at the whole lifecycle including manufacture and disposal. Often comparisons just look at day to day emissions.


It does. I linked it above. Here's a chart...

Screenshot_20180226-192552-compressed.png.jpeg
Original post by Doonesbury
It does. I linked it above. Here's a chart...


It's only a partial comparison though. For example, production of batteries causes some pretty horrendous environmental damage with sulphur dioxide emissions (see the Sudbury Ontario battery plant). There's also the issue of what the average lifespan of a battery powered vehicle will be - there's not enough data on that yet to be definitive.

I'm not trying to argue that battery powered vehicles aren't environmentally better, but it's not uncommon for comparisons to be somewhat flawed (I can't read the FT article).
Original post by 04MR17
That's not what I said.


You didn't say it, but it was so heavily implied that you may as well have said it...
Original post by TheMcSame
You didn't say it, but it was so heavily implied that you may as well have said it...
Just because you've drawn meaning from one of my posts doesn't allow you to assume I intended it to be read that way.
Original post by 04MR17
Just because you've drawn meaning from one of my posts doesn't allow you to assume I intended it to be read that way.


Stop kidding yourself, you got called out on your ignorance and now you're looking for a way out...

Vehicles have ruined the environment of this planet so much.:sad: I wouldn't want to contribute to that.


I mean seriously, how can you take that to mean anything other than "I want an electric car so I wont contribute to ruining the environment"? There is no other way it can be taken, whatever you intended to type, and what you typed must be galaxies apart...
Reply 56
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Original post by CurlyBen
(I can't read the FT article).


It's free to register.
Original post by TheMcSame
Stop kidding yourself, you got called out on your ignorance and now you're looking for a way out...

I mean seriously, how can you take that to mean anything other than "I want an electric car so I wont contribute to ruining the environment"? There is no other way it can be taken, whatever you intended to type, and what you typed must be galaxies apart...
I said I wouldn't want to contribute to all the non-electric cars that have ruined the atmosphere of this planet for the past century or so. I didn't say that electric cars weren't bad for the environment. These are not the same thing.
Original post by 04MR17
I said I wouldn't want to contribute to all the non-electric cars that have ruined the atmosphere of this planet for the past century or so. I didn't say that electric cars weren't bad for the environment. These are not the same thing.


Is damaging the environment with an electric car really that much better than damaging the environment with an internal combustion car?
Original post by somemightsay888
Isn't there a VW electric coming soon with a range of 369 miles? That I'd get, it's a very good range and VW aren't going to be unreliable shitboxes like Teslas.


That sounds too good... Probably another VW fib if they claimed that.

Tesla's aren't that bad, but it's their glitchy software which lets them down. But the quality of the car is amazing... but the price however, isn't.

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