http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/12/7530325/chevrolet-volt-2016-hybrid-electric-car-50-miles

 

 

Is it still a viable technology? Or will the recent advances in batteries make cars like the Tesla S unchallenged winners?

 

Is it still a viable technology? Or will the recent advances in batteries make cars like the Tesla S unchallenged winners?

 

 

Personally I consider plug in hybrids to have a place for people that want to go epectric, but mostly can't due to range/time reasons or don't have the confidence to go fully battery electric.

 

But there is always a trade off.

I don't see the point of carrying around two power sources.

 

Once mainstream battery cars have a better range they will be pointless IMO.

But the cost needs to come down.

The Tesla Model S is a good car, but is overpriced and huge.

Electric cars are ok for California where there is an infrastructure. Not here until range and price or a garage with fast chargers outside of the m25 beces the norm .

I'm starting to agree with BF, I think hybrids might be an expensive dead end.

 

I saw a Tesla S quite recently, I was more surprised to see that locally than a Ferrari quite honestly. I didn't think it was that big, Jag XF sized at a guess.

 

I suspect in the future the two car household will be one short rage plug in and one larger fossile fuel burner.

 

I'll certainly try to direct SWMBO at a used plug in when it's time to change her car. An electric that will do 60mi would cover my commute on the few days she needs to drive further. And an electric won't coke up with her short journeys.

I suspect in the future the two car household will be one short rage plug in and one larger fossile fuel burner.

 

I'll certainly try to direct SWMBO at a used plug in when it's time to change her car. An electric that will do 60mi would cover my commute on the few days she needs to drive further. And an electric won't coke up with her short journeys.

 

If I was limited to having two cars in the household this is exactly what we would run.

 

My wife could pretty much have anything as it's for local running around (2-3k miles per year) which would be our longer range weekend/holiday car.

I'd drive a battery EV commuting all week and then depending on what we were doing at the weekend depends which car we'd take.

 

I'm currently driving around in a KIA Soul EV that has a real world range of 90 miles.

Over the weekend we did a 262 round trip to Hampshire in it.  Just took us an hour extra each way.

OK, that's an hour which we could have been doing something far more important, like watching rubbish on TV or something... but it's perfectly viable and with a conventional fueled car as an option you have the choice.

 

I just don't get why you'd want to drag around the weight of a big motor and battery, plus the weight of a petrol engine and it's ancilleries in one vehicle.

I suspect a part of it is just to meet future emmission regulations.

I looked at the Vauxhall Ampera (uk version of the volt).

 

For my needs it would have been perfect, enough range that i'd mostly use the batteries, and an engine for the other times, i also really like the chunky styling of the exterior.

 

Just a pity the interior was soo rubbish, and the rear seats a funny shape meaning my kids seats wouldn't work.

Electric cars are ok for California where there is an infrastructure. Not here until range and price or a garage with fast chargers outside of the m25 beces the norm .

Ecotriciy are installing them everywhere. Flipping loads of these bays empty at shopping centres, service stations and even offices now.

Grinds my gears

 

I don't see the point of carrying around two power sources.

 

 

 

Just out of curiosity, what's your take on the BMW i8 Richard?

Just out of curiosity, what's your take on the BMW i8 Richard?

 

It looks like it's trying to push a Porsche 911 out of it's bottom.

 

 

I don't understand why they didn't make it a 100% EV, as the Tesla was already out and showed what could be done.

With BMW's interior (The Tesla is poor) it would have been the best EV on sale so far.

I think they're trying to produce an 'affordable' hybrid supercar but with a more everyday focus, after all Mclaren, Porsche and Ferrari are all at it. My local BMW dealership has a black and white demonstrator and I've seen it in traffic - it doesn't look that bad