Going Electric... Richard's EV thread.

[KenONeill]

The camera monitors white lines.

Because the ones on junction exits are often driven over a lot and worn out the car could get a little confused and hesitate, not sure to follow the line on the left (going up the slip road) or the right (along the road you are on).

Sonar is a back up, but obviously on an exit there is no kerb, barrier, bushes etc... to help the car out.

 

I had it once, out of passing over 100 junction exits.

The car slowed a little and hesitated, with the passenger wheels almost on the worn out markings for the slip road.

Thus giving the driver chance to help it as you are supposed to watching what's going on.

 

The Auto pilot has definitely been improved as of yesterday when I updated to the new 7.1 software in a number of ways.

It's smoother.

Plus it used to only find lines painted on the road as the boundaries of the lane, now it can see kerbs too.  So on a road with one white line and a kerb it's driving bang in the middle rather than close to the white line as it didn't know where the other side of the lane was.

 

A nice extra feature is it now shows various vehicle types on the screen too, although that's not really a functional thing.

 

It's interesting to find out exactly how these features work in practice.

[Tomote]

Just been helping a person attending a meeting on site use one of our chargers we have, with her demo Tesla Model S 85D.

 

Thankfully she was pretty and it's a very nice looking car.

 

For our type of charging posts it was the last cable that I tried out of what felt like loads that fitted. Then she gave me the brilliant news that as she was in a rush when she collected it, she forgot to ask how to open the bloody charging socket (which I quite like was hidden away behind the rear light). Then took us about 15 minutes to work out that you have to use the massive centre console to open it.

 

Also as a side note her demo is in the Grey, looks really really bland.

 

Still made me slightly jealous and was tempted to ask if I could take it for a spin :-)

[Xavier]

Just been helping a person attending a meeting on site use one of our chargers we have, with her demo Tesla Model S 85D.

 

Thankfully she was pretty and it's a very nice looking car.

 

For our type of charging posts it was the last cable that I tried out of what felt like loads that fitted. Then she gave me the brilliant news that as she was in a rush when she collected it, she forgot to ask how to open the bloody charging socket (which I quite like was hidden away behind the rear light). Then took us about 15 minutes to work out that you have to use the massive centre console to open it.

 

Also as a side note her demo is in the Grey, looks really really bland.

 

Still made me slightly jealous and was tempted to ask if I could take it for a spin :-)

Ooh, if you're in Guildford, then she probably had a demo car from the Heathrow / West Drayton branch? I'm very interested as I'm still considering getting one but would like a lengthier test drive, ideally a 24h or 48h to confirm my lifestyle can match the car's

 

BTW, pressing and holding the boot side of the remote keyfob will release the charging port You might need to ask her to come back if she's pretty just so you can show her that :P

 

If I get a lengthy test drive, I'd probably go past Guildford so you're welcome to come along for a quick session.

 

Interesting you sadi the grey looked bland, on paper (and on screen), that was the colour I'd go for. Need to see one in the flesh

Edited 26 January, 2016 by Xavier

[BossFox]

Just been helping a person attending a meeting on site use one of our chargers we have, with her demo Tesla Model S 85D.

 

Thankfully she was pretty and it's a very nice looking car.

 

For our type of charging posts it was the last cable that I tried out of what felt like loads that fitted. Then she gave me the brilliant news that as she was in a rush when she collected it, she forgot to ask how to open the bloody charging socket (which I quite like was hidden away behind the rear light). Then took us about 15 minutes to work out that you have to use the massive centre console to open it.

 

Also as a side note her demo is in the Grey, looks really really bland.

 

Still made me slightly jealous and was tempted to ask if I could take it for a spin :-)

 

 

You can also hold the "boot" part of the key down for 2 seconds, which then opens the charging port instead of the boot.

 

Had mine a month on Sunday, covered 2,600 miles already.

Still very impressed.

Bit big, but great car.

[Tomote]

Ooh, if you're in Guildford, then she probably had a demo car from the Heathrow / West Drayton branch? I'm very interested as I'm still considering getting one but would like a lengthier test drive, ideally a 24h or 48h to confirm my lifestyle can match the car's

 

BTW, pressing and holding the boot side of the remote keyfob will release the charging port

 

Interesting you said the grey looked bland, on paper (and on screen), that was the colour I'd go for. Need to see one in the flesh

Well atm I'm just outside Crowthorne, but having a look you're still likely correct.

 

I thought the key had to do something with it, but she was convinced in all her wisdom that it didn't and refused to give me the key to try. EDIT -  Also read on the tesla website that pressing the light should open it as well.....

 

Will take a picture later of it.

Edited 26 January, 2016 by Tomia

[Xavier]

Ahh, so she's still there

 

Other stuff you can do with the keyfob is auto-open the boot. Double press boot part. It will only happen with the tech package, but I think all recent cars have that as standard now.

 

You can also adjust the height at which the boot hatch stops, great for shorter people. Doubly press the bonnet bit to open the "frunk", the front boot. I think double-pressing on the roof bit unlocks doors / opens windows / sunroof, can't quite remember.

 

Sad reading up and learning all this when I still don't even have the car on order!

[Tomote]

Interesting you sadi the grey looked bland, on paper (and on screen), that was the colour I'd go for. Need to see one in the flesh

 

 

 

[Paul007]

Possibly slightly OT...

 

£40m funding for green cars in England

Words:Laura Edgar

Four English cities have been awarded funding to promote green vehicle technology after successfully bidding for a share of government money.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin named Bristol, Milton Keynes, Nottingham and London as the winners.

The £40 million comes from a Go Ultra Low City Scheme fund created to support the take-up of plug-in electric cars.

The government said the four cities will deliver a “roll-out of cutting edge technology”, such as rapid-charging hubs, street lighting that double as charge points and proposals that will give plug-in car owners extra privileges, including access to bus lanes in city centres.

The winning cities designed schemes that aim to encourage thousands of people to consider switching to a plug-in cars to improve air quality and support the UK’s green vehicle sector.

McLoughlin said the schemes proposed by Bristol, Milton Keynes, Nottingham and London are “exciting” with “innovative ideas”.

“The UK is a world leader in the uptake of low emission vehicles and our long-term economic plan is investing £600 million by 2020 to improve air quality, create jobs and achieve our goal of every new car and van in the UK being ultra-low emission by 2040,” he said.

The breakdown

Bristol will receive £7 million to offer residents free residential parking for ultra-low emission vehicles, access to three carpool lanes in the city, over 80 rapid and fast chargers across the city. Additionally, the funding will go towards a scheme aimed at encouraging people to lease a plug-in car for up to four weeks to help them better understand the benefits of electric cars.

Milton Keynes will receive £9 million to open an Electric Vehicle Experience Centre that would offer advice and short-term vehicle loans. The proposals also include opening 20,000 free parking bays for electric vehicles and co-branding bus lanes as low emissions lanes, giving plug-in vehicles the same priority as local buses at traffic lights.

Nottinghamshire and Derby will use £6 million to install 230 charge points and offer ultra low emission vehicle owners discount parking and access to over 13 miles of bus lanes along key routes across the city. The funding will also pay for a new business support programme allowing companies to try before they buy.

London has been awarded £13 million to create ‘neighbourhoods of the future’, in which ultra-low emission vehicles will be prioritised in several boroughs across the city. Proposals include over 12 streets in Hackney going electric with charging infrastructure such as car-charging street lighting. Harrow will develop a low emission zone offering parking and traffic priority to owners of plug-in vehicles. London’s proposal aims to deliver 70,000 ultra low emission vehicles sold by 2020 and almost 250,000 by 2025.

Dundee, Oxford, York and regions in the north east will share £5 million of funding for specific initiatives aimed at “kick-starting a country-wide clean motoring revolution”.

Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, a campaign for ultra low emission vehicles, said the investment will help to place the UK at the forefront of the “global ultra-low emissions race”.

“Initiatives such as customer experience centres, free parking, permission to drive in bus lanes and hundreds of new, convenient public charging locations are sure to appeal to drivers and inspire other cities and local authorities to invest in the electric revolution.”

- See more at: http://www.theplanner.co.uk/news/%C2%A340m-funding-for-green-cars-in-england%20?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=#sthash.kTY6Pb7e.dpuf

[Paul007]

Shame it doesn't extend to Manchester. I thought it would. 

 

Northern powerhouse. Hmmm

[pipsyp]

My company has just arranged a salary sacrifice car scheme via one of the bigger UK fleet suppliers......opening up the option to lease a Model S of any kind.

Sadly the monthly cost is similar to a mortgage paymenr even with the relevant discount and tax/NI reductions so cant see myself running around in one of these any time soon....Shame!

[B33fy]

My company has just arranged a salary sacrifice car scheme via one of the bigger UK fleet suppliers......opening up the option to lease a Model S of any kind.

Sadly the monthly cost is similar to a mortgage paymenr even with the relevant discount and tax/NI reductions so cant see myself running around in one of these any time soon....Shame!

Check out the cost of a 350e Merc, you may be pleasantly surprised.

[Xavier]

I've just started working for in London as a contractor for a big company. They have a few EV charging stations on site.

As a contractor, I'm not allowed to have a parking space with my normal ICE car which is a bit of a bummer as it's a 40mile commute each way and public transport is not possible. Currently, I'm parking off site with a 10-15 minute walk.

 

I asked: "with your green / low emissions incentives, if I have an EV which you actively promote, can I then park in an EV designated parking space?"

 

"No" was the response. "The cost of an EV isn’t achievable to all, so it could be seen as a luxury benefit to certain contractors. Whilst contractors can’t park on site, if EV contractors were permitted they would benefit from a) a parking space and b. free electricity".

 

Ho-hum, I guess my EV will have to wait :( A bit of a shame as I'm potentially working here full time for the next year, so would be very useful.

Edited 3 February, 2016 by Xavier

[Tomote]

So they would rather have empty EV parking spaces then let you use one.....great idea that is...

[Xavier]

I don't know whether the EVs that do use the spaces (used by staff) are company cars or private cars owned by employees.

 

But in the whole parking diagram, the first question is full time staff or contractor and everything is then decided by that.

 

I do think it's a little unfair and one-sided. My question to them has been "what takes priority? Staff / contractor point or being able to benefit from an EV?" But it's not worth having an argument over it. Parking for me is a pain as it is, and it's true that going for an EV was a potential benefit for me (getting closer parking and possibly a charge too). But that's whole point of trying to incentivise the take-up. If you exclude people based on their employment status, it's a bit hypocritical then saying "we promote green energy efficient transport".

Edited 3 February, 2016 by Xavier

[Wardy]

Office politics that, plain and simple. Whether it's EV or not doesn't even come into it!

[Xavier]

Yup, exactly.

It turns out that they're not company cars, any EVs staff use are privately owned. However, I've been told by someone else that they don't have enough EV parking spaces so it's a squabble between employees to get a space to charge. But of course, they can park in a normal car slot. And I think the charging bays get ICEd too by others. All in all, sounds like it's not been managed at all and office politics is just a way to shut people up.

[Xavier]

Check out the cost of a 350e Merc, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Hey, it could be free for all I care because if it doesn't ever materialise... :P

[Lady Elanore]

...and todays message is

 

 

"Don't mess with the Musk"

 

 

Can't say I blame him

['daiking']

Yup, exactly.

It turns out that they're not company cars, any EVs staff use are privately owned. However, I've been told by someone else that they don't have enough EV parking spaces so it's a squabble between employees to get a space to charge. But of course, they can park in a normal car slot. And I think the charging bays get ICEd too by others. All in all, sounds like it's not been managed at all and office politics is just a way to shut people up.

You'll be applying for the next vacancy to become a employee then?

[Xavier]

You'll be applying for the next vacancy to become a employee then?

Haha, no, not really. I've got used to my freelancing contracting lifestyle too much to give it away for a parking space!

[900000]

Richard: ordered a few of these for your kids yet?

 

http://toyland.gizmodo.com/rich-kids-in-tiny-tesla-model-s-ride-ons-will-now-be-lo-1759260957

 

http://tesla.radioflyer.com/build.html

 

 

[Wardy]

Very slick, as I'd expect from Tesla. Like it  

[BossFox]

Richard: ordered a few of these for your kids yet?

 

http://toyland.gizmodo.com/rich-kids-in-tiny-tesla-model-s-ride-ons-will-now-be-lo-1759260957

 

http://tesla.radioflyer.com/build.html

 

haha, no.

 

My kids have legs that work so they can walk, run or peddle.

Not encouraging them to be potatos already.

[Lady Elanore]

As the car is for the Greenest of people, that child should have been painted a nice verdant colour, then he would have looked like the Jolly Green Giant driving a Tesla

 

 

 

Perhaps I was trying too hard there

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off to find my coat...

[BossFox]

New software update on Friday.

 

Now have the summon feature.