44 minutes ago, PetrolDave said:

That's not the case with my future brother-in-law's Yaris Cross hybrid - if the 12V battery goes flat (which it has done several times if not used for a couple of weeks - he's been in hospital a lot recently) then it won't "start". He's become good friends with Toyota's home recovery people!

He's taken it to his local Toyota dealer who say they've seen this problem a lot and the only advice they can give is to keep the 12V battery on a trickle charger! It sounds to me like the same problem that some early Octavia 4 HEV's had where the 12V is only charged from the ICE and not also from the HV battery, so repeated short trips just result in two dischcarged batteries?

Well, that's exactly what my sister-in-law's car does. She was advised to take the car out for a 20 to 30-minute drive at least once a week to make sure that the 12V battery is kept charged. I think the entire car depends on the 12V battery for both electric and ICE modes for the control aspect. If that battery ever goes flat, then the car is going nowhere until that is rectified.

A must for all true EVangelists......

Available from AMAZON

EF ECOFLOW Power Hat(L-XL) 360-Degree Solar-Powered Wearable Hat, Waterproof, Ultra Light, Foldable, Dual USB-A & USB-C Ports, Charge Smart Phones

Not a late April fools, they have already sold going on for a thousand of these ! Think I will wait until they go from £99 to £9.

Edited 10 April10 Apr by lol-lol

2 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

... until Musk aligned himself with the Orange Baby!

My future stepson had a Tesla as his previous company car, when he first got it many passers by commented on his nice car but more recently a typical comment was "shame about the car".

Feel the same way. Musk instrumental in firing about 300K Civil servants and this has in part resulted in some chaos with government in several area.

Would not buy a TESLA and I think their time is done and they are slipping back rapidly in the value and tech areas to BYD etc. Happy with my Renault EVs.

Occasionally use their public chargers, just crazy low prices both north and south of me ie Gloucester and Brum ie 44p per kwh peak and 22p per KWh off peak, cheaper than I can charge at home during the day and 10 to 15 times the speed ! Only do occasionally and I get a pang of guilt on those rare occasions.

9 hours ago, Stonekeeper said:

Awesome tech.

I think BYD will take over the current TESLA fans over to their products. Charging at 10 times the number of the battery size, upon plug in, but it will back off in the later charging curve I am sure. Where time is money this scenario now matches or beats filling up with diesel or petrol as car itself will talk to the charger unit and pass patment details quicker than ICE cars do with flashing a card and PIN etc.

48 minutes ago, lol-lol said:

Awesome tech.

I think BYD will take over the current TESLA fans over to their products. Charging at 10 times the number of the battery size, upon plug in, but it will back off in the later charging curve I am sure. Where time is money this scenario now matches or beats filling up with diesel or petrol as car itself will talk to the charger unit and pass patment details quicker than ICE cars do with flashing a card and PIN etc.

While this is getting the charging times to a point where they almost could match that of refilling an ICE car (depending on the tank capacity), has anyone actually stopped to consider where the energy is going to come from in order to cope with recharging a few cars one after the other in a similar fashion to how a regular filling station can service loads of cars on the same pump?

The size of the grid connection to a charging hub with, say, half a dozen of these chargers is going to be massive and so is the cost of running the grid connection to the hub site.

Edited 12 April12 Apr by Graham Butcher

1 hour ago, lol-lol said:

Charging at 10 times the number of the battery size, upon plug in, but it will back off in the later charging curve I am sure.

Did you watch it. Started at 10%

Edited 12 April12 Apr by Stonekeeper

2 hours ago, Stonekeeper said:

Amazing kit.

Works from the BYD Power Bank batteries so not so reliant on the Grid connection.

Narrator quotes the 10 times charge and discharge rates from these Blade 2 batteries used in the car and power station giving the 6 minute

56 minutes ago, Stonekeeper said:

Did you watch it. Started at 10%

Impressive, even if actually about 9C ay start and 7C near the end.

One would probably pull the plug at 7, 8 or 9 minutes and go if one had done the bathroom break and drink and food acquisition.

Quick enough for vast majority of people i think.

Edited 12 April12 Apr by lol-lol

1 hour ago, lol-lol said:

Amazing kit.

Works from the BYD Power Bank batteries so not so reliant on the Grid connection.

Narrator quotes the 10 times charge and discharge rates from these Blade 2 batteries used in the car and power station giving the 6 minute

So just where do you think here in the UK or in any densely populated country that would require it to be able to service a reasonable stream of cars in a given time period is going to get its energy from if not the grid? Even with the BYD Power Bank batteries, they have to be charged up as well.

Edited 12 April12 Apr by Graham Butcher

2 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

While this is getting the charging times to a point where they almost could match that of refilling an ICE car (depending on the tank capacity), has anyone actually stopped to consider where the energy is going to come from in order to cope with recharging a few cars one after the other in a similar fashion to how a regular filling station can service loads of cars on the same pump?

The size of the grid connection to a charging hub with, say, half a dozen of these chargers is going to be massive and so is the cost of running the grid connection to the hub site.

This is where BYD, Tesla or others will deploy their storage batteries in 10 ft, 20 ft or 40 ft banks ie built to container sizes. The little BYD units were 192 kwh I gather and tgers coukd be one of these per charging station which can charge two cars. It will be recharging during quiet overnight time and when cars are unplugging and leaving before the next car plugs in.

Like TESLA software knows how busy charging places are it could know how charged the charge station batteries are. The batteries could be charged solar panels on the canopy roofs, service station roofs and solar fields next door. The various charge station batteries could charge balance between each other.

Worst case only allow half or three quarters charge and sites be upgraded with newer and bigger batteries as number of EVs grow.

Edited 12 April12 Apr by lol-lol

2 hours ago, lol-lol said:

This is where BYD, Tesla or others will deploy their storage batteries in 10 ft, 20 ft or 40 ft banks ie built to container sizes. The little BYD units were 192 kwh I gather and tgers coukd be one of these per charging station which can charge two cars. It will be recharging during quiet overnight time and when cars are unplugging and leaving before the next car plugs in.

Like TESLA software knows how busy charging places are it could know how charged the charge station batteries are. The batteries could be charged solar panels on the canopy roofs, service station roofs and solar fields next door. The various charge station batteries could charge balance between each other.

Worst case only allow half or three quarters charge and sites be upgraded with newer and bigger batteries as number of EVs grow.

Do you think that will be enough, as the number of BEVs grows, many of them will be capable of this type of charging? Stand at any busy filling station and count the number of cars being filled in an hour, and given that currently an ICE car is capable of many more miles between fill-ups than BEVs are, that means that as ICEs are phased out, there will be massive demand for such chargers as BEVs are going to need twice the charging to rival what some ICE cars can achieve per tank. I can't see just how that is sustainable, even when Hinckley Point and other power stations come online. The demand for electricity is going to be massive.

10 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

Do you think that will be enough, as the number of BEVs grows, many of them will be capable of this type of charging? Stand at any busy filling station and count the number of cars being filled in an hour, and given that currently an ICE car is capable of many more miles between fill-ups than BEVs are, that means that as ICEs are phased out, there will be massive demand for such chargers as BEVs are going to need twice the charging to rival what some ICE cars can achieve per tank. I can't see just how that is sustainable, even when Hinckley Point and other power stations come online. The demand for electricity is going to be massive.

Maybe less public charging needed with EVs of greater range not needing to use public chargers as they can get home to use cheap home charging.

Those that do need to use public charging might like the option of charging at over 360 KWs but there are just about no cars that can charge at such a rate but might be soon but they will be a small minority probably for the rest of this decade. Fastned tend to biuld solar canopies to their sites and I think this is a great idea.

Belgium zoo just did this for their site and I have canopies providing up to 40 MWs, picture below. There is a problems with mid winter in Northern Europe and more site batteries are needed to be installed to charge up in the quite night time to get one thru the day until the cheap and plentiful night time power becomes available.

All the renewable tech is coming on leaps and bounds. I have started to use bifacial solar panels on my arrays, same price ie cheap, and we are going to start seeing perovskite panels will twice the solar generation as it uses much more of the electromagnetic spectrum and the material is cheap and starting to be commercially produced. Battery packs get cheaper too. All of the renewable tech better, cheaper and we can still produce locally or get a cheap secure supply from China unlike oil and gas which seems doomed to difficult supply and high costs form months if not years to come !

https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/is-solar-about-to-get-way-better-i-did-the-math/vi-AA20hjAB?ocid=socialshare

Edited 13 April13 Apr by lol-lol

A perfect equipped used diesel pickup suitable for my needs came up for sale locally. A Fiat Fullback 2.4 Auto. With Pickup bed cover, reversing camera, leather etc. Insurance is fine with my Admiral Multicar & economy is what is pretty much expected at under 40 mpg, maybe more like 35. VED not crazy. So as much as i want to just go buy it i think for once i best hold off to see how fuel prices go. I was not really planning on buying anything till the end of the summer anyway. I might go for an Electric Pickup up or Van later in the year if i can get a bigger battery one (good range) at a good price. Public Charging costs would be less important with at least 200 miles range.

Edited 13 April13 Apr by Evolution13

28 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

A perfect equipped used diesel pickup suitable for my needs came up for sale locally. A Fiat Fullback 2.4 Auto.

Isn't that a re-badged Mitsubishi L200?

@skomaz Yes, with some more standard equipment.

36 minutes ago, Evolution13 said:

A perfect equipped used diesel pickup suitable for my needs came up for sale locally. A Fiat Fullback 2.4 Auto. With Pickup bed cover, reversing camera, leather etc. Insurance is fine with my Admiral Multicar & economy is what is pretty much expected at under 40 mpg, maybe more like 35. VED not crazy. So as much as i want to just go buy it i think for once i best hold off to see how fuel prices go. I was not really planning on buying anything till the end of the summer anyway. I might go for an Electric Pickup up or Van later in the year if i can get a bigger battery one (good range) at a good price. Public Charging costs would be less important with at least 200 miles range.

A couple of years ago the Maxxus 9 was dreadful but typical Chinese it got much better very fast.

Was some mad lease miles deals, under £100.

SAIC brand and they bought LDV of course.

Edited 13 April13 Apr by lol-lol

@lol-lol I went and drove the big one and the small one last year. The small one was just fine for size / parking. Like the porridge and the 3 bears. I have a Main Dealer close and a Maxus tech as a neighbour.

Edited 13 April13 Apr by Evolution13

If this free electricity actually happens as reported here, maybe a good time for those with EVs to fill their boots with a cheeky daytime boost as well?

Households could get free electricity for doing washing on sunny weekends - BBC News

1 hour ago, Graham Butcher said:

If this free electricity actually happens as reported here, maybe a good time for those with EVs to fill their boots with a cheeky daytime boost as well?

Households could get free electricity for doing washing on sunny weekends - BBC News

I checked back on my Octopus emails and we did not see a Free Day until June last year energy excess periods. Would have thought we would gave started to see freebies sessions from late April. We saw about a dozen freebies days up until about the Autumnal equinox / equilux.

With even more find farms and solar farms in would gave thought there would be an abundance of power. Seeing it from home solar.

With prices so low overnight maybe people are less bothered ?

Octopus gas 8m customers. Other providers have sone very convoluted schemes ie weekends but personally happy with Octopus, the GO tariff for me, but hope to see some freebies hours in the coming weeks !

Edited 14 April14 Apr by lol-lol

TV presenters and News Paper reviewers on the Telly this morning kept speaking about Dish Washers & Washing Machines. On Radio 4, 5 & World Service they did talk of EV,s and Home Batteries. A Distillery in South Scotland, Annandale is running on Green Energy. Offpeak and a new Boiler System. Electricity is used to heat water and make steam and they store steam at a very high temperature using a 'heat battery' or 'Steam Bank' and then use that to run their boilers. Whisky production and bottling on site. The issue is the HIGH ELECTRICITY costs when not Offpeak. The Decarbonisation Project grant. £3.6 Million from UK Government. Our money...

Edited 14 April14 Apr by Evolution13

48 minutes ago, lol-lol said:

I checked back on my Octopus emails and we did not see a Free Day until June last year energy excess periods. Would have thought we would gave started to see freebies sessions from late April. We saw about a dozen freebies days up until about the Autumnal equinox / equilux.

With even more find farms and solar farms in would gave thought there would be an abundance of power. Seeing it from home solar.

With prices so low overnight maybe people are less bothered ?

Octopus gas 8m customers. Other providers have sone very convoluted schemes ie weekends but personally happy with Octopus, the GO tariff for me, but hope to see some freebies hours in the coming weeks !

Well that suggests to me that the national power generation is currently not really able to cope with the demand unless it is both windy and sunny, hence the mention of sunshine in the article.

I still cannot see a time when we will have sufficent electricity to cope with all the EV vehicles that the government are hoping will on the roads by 2030, especially when you factor in that the vast majority of heavy transport are going to have battery packs in the realms of 600 to 900KWh each and the size of some the haulage fleets, it looks highly unlikely to happen.

^^^ England! Way behind the curve. Sufficient electricity generating capacity in Scotland now. Lots more coming on stream. Just not the National Grid up to it and not enough battery storage with pumped hydro, battery farms or hydrogen production. But the Nuclear power station in Scotland will be shutting down. Tories and Labour, Lib Dems and Reform UK are going on about the Small Modular Nuclear needed. That is going at a fast pace in England. NOT.

I will plug in and charge for 2 hours tomorrow afternoon just to see how it goes. it will just be about 5 kWh extra from my usual afternoon usage. They are crediting 20 pence back per kWh so not really gaining me anything as i will be 29 pence a kWh daytime tariff, but i can afford 15 pence to join in. I was away the past 2 times they let me know about 'Powering up'.

Edited 14 April14 Apr by Evolution13

3 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

Well that suggests to me that the national power generation is currently not really able to cope with the demand unless it is both windy and sunny, hence the mention of sunshine in the article.

I still cannot see a time when we will have sufficent electricity to cope with all the EV vehicles that the government are hoping will on the roads by 2030, especially when you factor in that the vast majority of heavy transport are going to have battery packs in the realms of 600 to 900KWh each and the size of some the haulage fleets, it looks highly unlikely to happen.

The UK needs more hydrostorage, more tidal ans more nuclear, these small modular reactors seem to be the flavour.

Millions of Brits will expand their home batteries to take advantage of daily cheap electricity for their home use and some, perhaps many, will have such systems that they provide what they need for their home and their EVs and the UK Grud is a place they can dump their excess electricity.

Australia, albeit a sunnier place, has been pushing through mass adoption of solar and home batteries, 100k homes in 17 weeks. We hear Octopus saying they are very busy with installs which is not surprising considering fuel cost and the impending Q3 price cap which Cornwall insight are reckoning will be £1900 pa pro rata and perhaps even more in Q4 plus the higher energy uses of course.

Grid needs upgrading with these new T pylons and other tech. Just hope the massive amounts collected from some of us in the non London / SE regions is well spent !