26 minutes ago, Stonekeeper said:

Portions of the Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming road networks have 80 mph

UK has quite a low speed limit compared to many countries ie France Italy and especially Germant but some US states have quite relatively high speed limits to the UK.

Not sure if one can use the 10 %, plus 2% rile in all place ie speedo and tyres possible error percentages.

Many EVs ate not great efficiency at high speed Polestars and Tesla seem to be but I would only consider one of those options.

My Scenic not great with a Drag Coefficient not much under 0.3. Waiting for more over the air updates to introduce more regen levels including one pedal driving which gives a few miles more range. Better lower rolling resistance tyres would be a good addition.

I need my breaks. My bladder is not longer range than even my 65 kwh car !!!! Charging at C times 2 ie 130 kws is good enough but over 200 kws for replacement car is expected with the rapid advancement of EV batteries and UK charging infrastructure.

The @outofspec channel use Sat nav for speed setting, in general the Tesla over reports it's speed by at least 10% which is why they set fsd to 85mph where possible

3 hours ago, Stonekeeper said:

The @outofspec channel use Sat nav for speed setting, in general the Tesla over reports it's speed by at least 10% which is why they set fsd to 85mph where possible

I see, that would kind of make sense as what I have discovered only Texas has a limit of 85mph, as can be seen here USA State Speed Limits - Maximum Speed Limits by State

The @outofspec channel use Sat nav for speed setting, in general the Tesla over reports it's speed by at least 10% which is why they set fsd to 85mph where possible

Wow that is a lot and more than the 10% max error that I thought manufacturers were suppose to adhere to.

Great for doing ones mileage claims if one relying on car odometer, lots of extra monies being claimed.

First Japanese bikes were renown for over stating speed compared the more accurate Smiths speedo. Probably helped them sell much more bikes ie my 250cc bike does well over 90 mph, no is does not as it is the speedo well oer reporting. Italian bikes the same with their Veglia instruments or "vague-lio" as we used to call them.

Interesting it is reported the TESLA are allegedly massive overreading distance and speed to get to the ned of warranty sooner, not cricket.

Renault, seem to over read the speed by a few percent, I would say 3 or 4% but under read the distance by 1 or two percent. The speed, despite being a digital speedometer, I can understand to help people not lose their licences but the odometer under reading seems odd ie get people in sooner for their 10/18k servicing or whatever.

Quite common to set the car cruise control at 11% over the nominal speed limit for these reason and police general setting their speed detection at 12% above nominal though that is cutting it a bit fine IMO and certainly not optimal car range speed in many EVS where 65 to 70, genuine speed, is optimal it has been shown but if one has a fast charging car and deep pockets cruising at this grey zone of speeds is oft done.

I think it's why we now get more middle lane hoggers. Cruise control set to 70 car doing about 65 and the car behind is set at 70 but more accurate, or someone who sets to 77mph to allow for it being wrong. But the one in front thinks " I am doing the speed limit,so I don't have to pull over"

I don't think changing the wheels and tyre spec helps either, it will mess with the ratios.

You end up with the third and fourth lanes going slower than 1 and 2.

Edited 27 April, 20251 yr by Stonekeeper

10 hours ago, lol-lol said:

Not sure if one can use the 10 %, plus 2% rile in all place ie speedo and tyres possible error percentages.

I was under the impression that the "grace value" used by UK Police has been 5% plus 1.5mph for several years now?

I think people conflate the two issues.

1: Speedometers can be up to 10% higher than the speed driven but not allowed to under read.

"The UK law is based on the EU standard, with some minor changes. A speedo must never show less than the actual speed, and must never show more than 110% of actual speed + 6.25mph."

2: The RAC report that

Am I allowed a 10% leeway of the speed limit?

In the eyes of the law, you’re liable for a speeding fine as soon as you exceed the limit. So if you’re doing 31mph in a 30 limit or 71mph on a motorway, you’re breaking the law.

Guidance from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) does recommend giving drivers a so-called ‘10% plus 2’ leeway, to aid police officers in using 'discretion', however, it is well worth remembering this is only a recommendation, not the law.

Most speed cameras have to be manually set to trigger at a speed, however, it is unconfirmed whether they are in fact set 10% above the limit. It's not worth gambling and assuming they give you 10% - never exceed the speed limit.

When you are caught speeding by a mobile camera, it is up to the police officer's discretion to penalise you if you are over the speed limit in any way, they can choose to take the NPCC's guidance, but do not have to, because - as stated above - 1 mile an hour over is still breaking the law. 

It sounds like simple advice, but to avoid all of the above complications it's best to never speed at all. 

So my take on it is If a camera/speedgun catches you at 10% over the speed limit there is a fair assumption that you know you are speeding. E.G if you are caught doing 80mph the car is probably telling you 85mph or above

Edited 27 April, 20251 yr by Stonekeeper

Satellite navigation units (either portable or integrated into the car) calculate your car’s speed by measuring actual distance travelled over time using GPS satellite tracking.

They repeatedly locate your exact position on earth via satellite and calculate how far you have travelled, then divide by the time it took for you to travel that distance. Satnav accuracy is determined by satellite signal quality and is unaffected by your car’s tyres.

Many satnavs are unable to account for changes in vertical direction, so they may be less accurate if you are travelling up or down a steep hill. They are also inherently more accurate at higher speeds, as a larger distance over time reduces rounding errors, but a satnav will usually be much closer to a car’s true speed than the speedometer.

Some factory satnav systems will also use data from the car to integrate with the GPS signal to improve overall accuracy.

https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/how-accurate-is-a-car-speedometer/

Edited 27 April, 20251 yr by Stonekeeper

If you don't have a GPS that shows speed then timing the distance posts on the sides of a motorway can also be a useful way for a PASSENGER to check the difference between indicated and actual speed

45 minutes ago, Stonekeeper said:

Satellite navigation units (either portable or integrated into the car) calculate your car’s speed by measuring actual distance travelled over time using GPS satellite tracking.

They repeatedly locate your exact position on earth via satellite and calculate how far you have travelled, then divide by the time it took for you to travel that distance. Satnav accuracy is determined by satellite signal quality and is unaffected by your car’s tyres.

Many satnavs are unable to account for changes in vertical direction, so they may be less accurate if you are travelling up or down a steep hill. They are also inherently more accurate at higher speeds, as a larger distance over time reduces rounding errors, but a satnav will usually be much closer to a car’s true speed than the speedometer.

Some factory satnav systems will also use data from the car to integrate with the GPS signal to improve overall accuracy.

https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/how-accurate-is-a-car-speedometer/

Supposedly accurate to 1% or about 1 mph which considering the Earth is not a sphere but satsuma shaped, polar radius 13 miles less than the equatorial radius. 3900 miles compared to 3913 miles i recall from Albedo 0.39 by Vangelis.

Some facts have been refined shall we say.... https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/earthfact.html

Maximum distance from the sun: 94 million 537 thousand miles Minimum distance from the sun: 91 million 377 thousand miles
Mean distance from the sun: 92 million 957 thousand and 200 miles
Mean Orbital velocity: 66000 miles per hour Orbital eccentricity: 0.017
Obliquity of the ecliptic: 23 degrees 27 minutes 8.26 seconds Length of the tropical year: equinox to equinox 365.24 days
Length of the sidereal year: fixed star to fixed star 365.26 days
Length of the mean solar day: 24 hours and 3 minutes and 56.5555 seconds at mean solar time
Length of the mean sidereal day: 23 hours and 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds at mean sidereal time
Mass: 6600 milion milion milion tons
Equatorial diameter: 7927 miles Polar diameter: 7900 miles Oblateness: one 298th
Density: 5.41
Mean surface gravitational acceleration of the rotating earth: 32.174 feet per second per second Escape velocity: 7 miles per second
Albedo: 0.39

Edited 28 April, 20251 yr by lol-lol

Latest pricing news

A BEV with V2H will be handy in Spain or Portugal as long as the car was charged up and you are not wanting to travel abour.

3 hours ago, Ootohere said:

A BEV with V2H will be handy in Spain or Portugal as long as the car was charged up and you are not wanting to travel abour.

Indeed, although V2H alone isn't enough, also need some sort of "Gateway" as Tesla and GivEnergy calls it. It isolates home from the grid allowing inverter to work by itself.

Hopefully those with V2L capable EV's can keep their fridge and lights running.

In sunny days like this week, I'd have zero problem living without grid. With energy to spare for local car use.

But tonight, I charge everything, because Octopus:

50% off electricity for your EV and home between 23:30-5:30 tonight.

 

Yup, that's right: we'll give you 50% off your already super-cheap off-peak rate tonight, as long as you...

 

• Plug your EV in this evening (Monday 28 April) AND

• Don't plug in your EV tomorrow evening (Tuesday 29 April)

Give the summer wardrobe a wash, get the wheels charged, or set the dishwasher to task after a spontaneous BBQ. Tick off the list tonight and save while you’re at it.

 

Wondering why we’re offering half-price energy? 

We unlock super-low prices for Intelligent drivers by charging your cars flexibly. This isn’t just about nabbing cheap wholesale rates – we also get compensation through grid-balancing schemes and pass the savings on to you. Over the next two days, we have an exciting chance to show the impact of EV drivers in one such scheme.

@wyx087 Is it not enough if you just want to plug in a 3 pin plug extension cable to boil a kettle or run a fridge or lights? The necessity in the UK is a FM radio running on batteries or a wind up one. PS. Edit. Got you. Plugging into the car direct is V2L.

Edited 29 April, 20251 yr by Ootohere

12 hours ago, wyx087 said:

Indeed, although V2H alone isn't enough, also need some sort of "Gateway" as Tesla and GivEnergy calls it. It isolates home from the grid allowing inverter to work by itself.

I believe this requirement is the stumbling block for V2H systems. Manual change over is not good enough for UK regulations. Although using the main switch would work to isolate from the grid, relying on a human to flick that over before connecting the car is not considered safe. This is why the only V2H charger available is so expensive, as I understand it.

11 minutes ago, Luckypants said:

I believe this requirement is the stumbling block for V2H systems. Manual change over is not good enough for UK regulations. Although using the main switch would work to isolate from the grid, relying on a human to flick that over before connecting the car is not considered safe. This is why the only V2H charger available is so expensive, as I understand it.

Well, yes and no.

It depends on what you want it to do. Same as grid-tied solar inverter, there is nothing wrong with grid-tied V2H where it only operates as home battery when the car is connected. Should the grid goes dark, so does everything grid-tied. My V2H install will not work if isolated from the grid, before I got home battery with Gateway.

In that sense, the biggest stumbling block is the cost of DC V2H charge points. Where it needs to convert from car's 400v DC to 240v AC. The 2 Chademo products are at ~£3000 for the charger only, excluding install.

Hopefully AC V2H like advertised by Renault 5 and Zappi charge point supplier will go towards solving that.

Second stumbling block is CCS charging standard and lack of implementation by car manufacturers.

But also, yes because when people get any battery system, people normally expect able to run everything off it when grid goes down. But to be safe (not output power to the grid), these grid-tied systems won't operate unless 50 Hz can be sensed and phase locked.

Cheap way of doing a sort of V2H without the grid, whilst also being safe, is to: (as per this person's thread on SpeakEV: https://www.speakev.com/threads/thanks-bonnet-that-powers-the-house-for-a-week.170649/)

• install an earthing rod for grounding (the being safe bit)

• manually isolate from the grid via a switch (the being safe bit)

• use V2L vehicle and be careful not exceed its output limit

I think this is what you had in mind when you talk about relying on a human to flick a switch?

It seems that the massive loss of electric power yesterday in Spain and Portugal was caused by the net-zero drive and the lack of enough generators.

I am pretty sure that it will be the lack of investment or being slow in updating the grid and not the drive to net zero and more renewables.

The failure will very probably have been the same with Nuclear or Gas generated electricity in Spain or Portugal.

As is being said by other experts that seem to not excite MYGUY as much as those he picks.

If or when the UK,s NATIONAL GRID has a major failing or outage it will be for the same reason.

Energy companies are taking huge profits, as is THE NATIONAL GRID,s owners / investers without INVESTING enough in the TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE.

https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-portugal-power-blackouts-energy-electricity/

But green energy was not to blame for Monday’s blackout, Meeus said, since the EU has in recent years enforced several sets of rules, like updated grid connection codes from 2016, to prevent renewable power generators from disconnecting from the network in a way that endangers the system.

“The nature and scale of the outage makes it unlikely that the volume of renewables was the cause, with the Spanish network more often than not subject to very high volumes of such production,” added Daniel Muir, senior European power analyst at S&P Global. 

“There was sufficient conventional generation available, with nuclear, hydro, cogeneration and thermal technologies all on the system prior to the event and ... available to the operator,” he said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/what-could-be-behind-iberian-power-outage-2025-04-29/

EXCESS RENEWABLES?

Monday's collapse has sparked debate about whether the volatility of solar and wind supply made its power systems more vulnerable to such an outage.

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday there was not a problem of excess renewable energy.

Still, the rapid development of renewables in Europe has flooded grids during periods of heavy sunlight and weak demand, sometimes driving wholesale electricity prices down to zero or negative and forcing solar farms to curtail their input.

Analysts expect an increase in negative price hours in Spain and Portugal in 2025 due to further expansion of solar farms.

The situation shows the complexity of managing modern energy systems as they integrate increasing levels of intermittent renewable energy, said Victor Becerra, professor of power systems engineering at the UK's University of Portsmouth.

Blindly push to renewable is good, but it creates unstable grid due to unstable renewables. Pretty obvious.

You know what instantly solves any momentary dips in renewable production? Batteries.

You know what is infinitely flexible to help with grid peaks and troughs? EV's. (see my earlier post regarding Octopus testing out grid-balancing schemes yesterday and today)

1 hour ago, Ootohere said:

I am pretty sure that it will be the lack of investment or being slow in updating the grid and not the drive to net zero and more renewables.

The failure will very probably have been the same with Nuclear or Gas generated electricity in Spain or Portugal.

As is being said by other experts that seem to not excite MYGUY as much as those he picks.

If or when the UK,s NATIONAL GRID has a major failing or outage it will be for the same reason.

Energy companies are taking huge profits, as is THE NATIONAL GRID,s owners / investers without INVESTING enough in the TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE.

The UK and probably most countries do not have enough resilience in their power systems.

In these countries they are supposed to respond with telling certain industries that the Grid power will be scaled back for them but public will stay on line. This looked like a cascade failure of which there have been examples of this in the US where the have so much of a fracture power supplier market.

After the big Texas power outage of a few years ago they have gone massive into renewables and battery storage of electrical power and now they are much better for outages but then citizen, including Spanish and Portuguese, will have a lot more renewable and battery storage at a personal but questions must be asked, like with Heathrow's recent outage, just what is their plan B for electrical resilience. We had plans B, C and D at sea whereas lots of these major business seem to not have a backup plan or test it as we had to do.

Got this solar generator coming in the next few days. 1000W output, well under £200 and bought two of the kits in the second picture, cost £14.29 for all the bits in the picture ie battery, 3 LED bulbs, USB charge cable and little solar panel, well prepared for outage.

18 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

It seems that the massive loss of electric power yesterday in Spain and Portugal was caused by the net-zero drive and the lack of enough generators.

18 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

It seems that the massive loss of electric power yesterday in Spain and Portugal was caused by the net-zero drive and the lack of enough generators.

It seems that the grid operator in Spain warned some months ago that with 70% of their power coming from renewables, especially solar, the network lacked the inertia inherent in mechanical generators to cope with sudden changes in demand - so it seems they were warning that such a grid collapse could happen.

It seems then that the Grid Operators are accepting that they run a system not fit for purpose and that they knew for a long time needed upgrading.

The Renewables have been getting built and providing the electricity for many years.