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The battery as the new frontier

Ryeman
in Electric Vehicles

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Things will feel light and flimsy if Manufacturers are trying to get something out that is affordable and they need to have lighter because of heavy batteries.

Fit narrower tyres to etc.

 

BMW are turning out Carbon Fibre or better reinforced plastics for not much more money, or are producing loss leaders to get into the market.

 

It is still early days, and Nissan, Toyota are still just trying to get cars out in bigger numbers.

Maybe by the next generation they will improve.

 

Skoda are on the Face Lift 3rd Generation of the Fabia with 110ps max, and there have been about 5 updates since 1999 and they still have hard plastics, crap heating and demisting and some are now over £20,000 if anyone is stupid enough to pay that.

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To be fair, my 4yr old first-gen Sunderland built Leaf has zero rattles, compared to my 5 yr old CZ built Skoda with many rattles and a vibrating speaker grill. Though materials feel worse, when moving the Leaf is almost silent inside. Only noise from the pedestrian noise maker whine at low speed and wind noise at high speed.

 

I guess my Skoda rattle is preparing me for my future experiences with Tesla quality ;) 

 

@domhnall so you've got the new Leaf. How do you rate ProPilot?  Adaptive cruise control is the only missing feature in my Leaf to make it my perfect commute car.

40 minutes ago, wyx087 said:

To be fair, my 4yr old first-gen Sunderland built Leaf has zero rattles, compared to my 5 yr old CZ built Skoda with many rattles and a vibrating speaker grill. Though materials feel worse, when moving the Leaf is almost silent inside. Only noise from the pedestrian noise maker whine at low speed and wind noise at high speed.

 

I guess my Skoda rattle is preparing me for my future experiences with Tesla quality ;) 

 

@domhnall so you've got the new Leaf. How do you rate ProPilot?  Adaptive cruise control is the only missing feature in my Leaf to make it my perfect commute car.

 

pro pilot is awesome, I thought ACC on the Octy was good but pro pilot takes that and adds on steering assist - makes for a very relaxing drive.

    • Thanks 1

    Hi Gizmo, back in June you said VAG don't offer a viable BEV currently.  What about the e-Up?   Shortish range, yes, but been available for several years as a compact car suitable for a commuter.   Gather from my local Skoda dealer, and from Diesel Car and Eco-car mag, that there'll be an E-Citigo next year, and likely with a better range than the e-Up presently offers.

     

    Interesting discussions in this thread, how's she getting on with the new-gen Leaf?  Tried your 500 miler yet?

     

    I've test driven Renault Zoes twice, liked them a lot, but cramped rear passenger and load-space compared to my cavernous and versatile Roomster, which this summer has been doing well over 800 miles between fill-ups (filled soon after the light and bell alert).

     

    Would like to try living with a Zoe for a month, see how it fitted my lifestyle. The Roomster's rear seats area and limo-like footwell swallow my cello case diagonally with ease;   strongly suspect I would have to lower rear seat and feed it in via the hatch to fit it in a Zoe.

     

    My e-travel currently restricted to a hybrid folding bike, by which I mean a hybrid of me pedalling, and it e-assisting.  Freego Folder, did my longest ride to date last Saturday, just under 36 miles, used 2 of 4 bars of battery gauge.  Maker claims 50-60miles range. They offer battery capacities of 8, 10, 16 ampHrs, I chose the latter, its only slightly heavier (more cells in the same case), and should last longer as I shouldn't have to re-charge it as often as with the smaller capacities. It's actually 15.6ah shown on the battery case top. Got its first (free) service done on Wednesday, supplied by and serviced at, South Yorkshire E-Bikes Centre in Rotherham.  

    Its a 60-miles round trip in the car, there's a dealer up at Otley (Chevin Cycles) that's a bit closer, but an awkward slow trip through Leeds.

    SYEBC were very thorough, spent at least an hour cleaning and re-lubing the chain, adjusting gear and brake cables, checking all sorts of stuff, impressed, will likely go to them next year for annual service, quoted me £35 fixed price (guess plus any parts fitted).

    • Like 1

    I could have bought a Used Kangoo EV or a Zoe for the price of my Electric bike or a Van & Car for the same as both my Electric Bikes.

    The Bikes are more fun, still more sensible in towns and cities, sometimes i just need to get them to use there and there are no Vans or Estate Cars yet with enough range for doing that without needing to then get parking places with charging points, then having to hang about, charge them  then move them before going biking.

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    • Like 1
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    I think I’m going electric for our next car  - probably the more affordable Leaf, as the Tesla 3 isn’t going to even start to appear out here for a couple of years even if I was to order today and the way the $A has been going lately it could end up around $A100k.

    The new Leaf will get us to our regional towns and back on a full (solar) charge at home and the savings over a Tesla will easily pay for a home battery installation as well.

    Nissan, at last, is putting out teaser ads for the new model and I suspect dealerships will be (begrudging) charging points as well.

    I just need to find out what it’s ground clearance is as some of our backroads have crowns threatening the floor of low (105mm) modern sedans like the new Opel/PSA/Holden Commodore..........very unAustralian !

    • Like 1
    20 hours ago, RichardatWakefield said:

    Hi Gizmo, back in June you said VAG don't offer a viable BEV currently.  What about the e-Up?   Shortish range, yes, but been available for several years as a compact car suitable for a commuter.   Gather from my local Skoda dealer, and from Diesel Car and Eco-car mag, that there'll be an E-Citigo next year, and likely with a better range than the e-Up presently offers.

     

    Interesting discussions in this thread, how's she getting on with the new-gen Leaf?  Tried your 500 miler yet?

     

    I discounted the e-up mainly because of the range (“up to 99 miles”  which basically means about 75 miles as my mrs refuses to drive the Leaf any differently to her previous ICE’s... which I can’t say I blame her) it also isn’t powerful enough (there are several big hills on her commute), lacks spec (coming from an L&K) it also isn’t big enough for her needs.

     

    She absolutely loves the Leaf, on the few occasions I am allowed to drive it :D I can clearly see why, she gets about 150 miles per charge (driven completely like an ICE) which is ample as that nearly covers her weekly usage, it is also ample for the 100 miles or so it does once a month to go shopping and a round trip to see her mum.

     

    We have yet to do the 500 miler though due to life getting in the way.

     

    Would I swap my Superb L&K for one.... :thinking:

     

    Not just yet as my commute is 80 miles per day and I don’t want to be charging every day, however the VW Neo or 2019 Leaf currently are topping my list for it’s replacement (with my cancelled Model 3 reservation probably 3rd).

     

    I also don’t plan on changing for another 2 years, so hopefully there will be plenty of choice of highly specced, decent build quality, 300 mile range cars on offer.

     

    • Like 1
    9 hours ago, Ryeman said:

    The new Leaf will get us to our regional towns and back on a full (solar) charge at home and the savings over a Tesla will easily pay for a home battery installation as well.

    Nissan, at last, is putting out teaser ads for the new model and I suspect dealerships will be (begrudging) charging points as well.

    I just need to find out what it’s ground clearance is as some of our backroads have crowns threatening the floor of low (105mm) modern sedans like the new Opel/PSA/Holden Commodore..........very unAustralian !

     

    I haven’t physically checked ours but the official figures are 5.9” (150mm) 

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    2 minutes ago, Gizmo said:

     

    I haven’t physically checked ours but the official figures are 5.9” (150mm) 

    I’ve seen suggestions that the Tesla 3 will start at ~$A50k but that sounds a bit pie in the sky stuff if only because that’s not much more than I expect for the new Leaf top model.

    Surely Peugeot / Citroen / Vauxhall must be ready to get EV's that suit European Requirements built and on sale sometimes soon.

    They have played about with them for long enough & have gleaned knowledge from others.

     

    The UK Government want EV's in the UK, Vauxhall has the plants are worried about Brexit, the Government just needs to through more money their way and maybe the Right Hand Drive Vauxhall EV cars and LGV EV's can be assembled in the UK.

     

     

     

    Edited by Offski

    • Author

    Yeah George, it appears they are going all electric with the 208&2008 (city type) series first at least. The 3008/5008 will be hybrid.

    Cit?  Not sure.

    Hybrid is Kidology and now people know that unless they can do a proper distance with no ICE required to be fired up.

    The UK Chancellor knows about cars he made is money as a teenager selling cars, so surely he is not being conned.

    Edited by Offski

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