1 minute ago, Graham Butcher said:

I think it was also mentioned at the time of introduction as a means of noise reduction for those living alongside the motorway.

EVs are quite apart from tge standard tyre rumble and aero noise as motor almost silent though it does sing Jean Michelle Jarre when sub 20 mph.

We are still waiting for those ENSO tyres which can give 10% more range and presumably are quieter as well.

Edited yesterday at 12:181 day by lol-lol

1 hour ago, lol-lol said:

EVs are quite apart from tge standard tyre rumble and aero noise as motor almost silent though it does sing Jean Michelle Jarre when sub 20 mph.

We are still waiting for those ENSO tyres which can give 10% more range and presumably are quieter as well.

At motorway speed the drive by noise is dominated by tyre noise, so EV or ice the noise levels are similar unfortunately, and can, in fact, be higher with EVs due to the harder compounds and structure of the tyre needed for their (usually) extra weight.

Edited yesterday at 13:291 day by skomaz

3 hours ago, lol-lol said:

Probably right but it does annoy me in places like the motorway near Birmingham and Sheffield when it says reduced speed limits due to pollution when it is the ICE vehicles causing the pollution and not EVs.

I think the main developments will be in more EV trucks being on the market and its effects. EV trucks look capable of towing two containers / trailers rather than just the one that ICE trucks can also EV trucks are going to want to pass ICE trucks on inclines due to their superior climbing ability and this could cause a few issues.

What actually makes you think that electric trucks will out perform ICE ones in terms of towing etc? That certainly has not been demonstrated by the electric vans, or indeed cars towing caravans has it? Manuefacturers hyped up claims are never ever matched in reality and nowhere is that more evident than in the EV world.

1 hour ago, lol-lol said:

EVs are quite apart from tge standard tyre rumble and aero noise as motor almost silent though it does sing Jean Michelle Jarre when sub 20 mph.

We are still waiting for those ENSO tyres which can give 10% more range and presumably are quieter as well.

Exactly, but those speed limits where put in place before EVs were as common as they are now.

24 minutes ago, Graham Butcher said:

What actually makes you think that electric trucks will out perform ICE ones in terms of towing etc? That certainly has not been demonstrated by the electric vans, or indeed cars towing caravans has it? Manuefacturers hyped up claims are never ever matched in reality and nowhere is that more evident than in the EV world.

The stats support it, more power and more torque.

My company Ceva was seeing several minutes quicker runs by the EV trucks running up from the Spanish ports that connect with Morocco up to Madrid and onwards.

Ceva use Winrose EV truck for such runs.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by lol-lol

20 hours ago, skomaz said:

At motorway speed the drive by noise is dominated by tyre noise, so EV or ice the noise levels are similar unfortunately, and can, in fact, be higher with EVs due to the harder compounds and structure of the tyre needed for their (usually) extra weight.

I think the EV weight much more thing has become an entrenched myth. Germanic EVs, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, SEAT, Skoda and VW tend to be heavier than the average EVs and many have fallen foul of the Paris 2 tonnes triple parking charge. I am surprised there was not more protest by the 3 German HQ based companies as it seemed to single them out. There are some reasonable reasons for Germanic cars being heavier ie there need to be able to do 200-250 kph plus to drive at the perfectly allowable speeds ie bigger motors, battery packs, two speed gearboxes to allow the electric motor to switch to a longer gear and not be limited to 100 mph or less like many EVs. Also on the tyre front, and most are fitted with EV tyres which tend to be quite quiet with less tread when new and alos are oft fitted with acoustic foam to reduce noise as the rest of the vehicle is so quiet Michelin add the foam to further quiet it down. 68 to 70 decibels being the norm. Scenic has e Primacy and % has Conti 6Qs. The Q standing for quiet as again, like the Scenic and other EVs, as they are so quiet in the engine / motor department the tyre manufacture put extra effort in to quietness. Both EV Tyre review reports commend these EV tyres quietness.

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre/Michelin/e.Primacy.htm/Test-Results/

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre/Continental/EcoContact-6.htm

22 hours ago, lol-lol said:

The stats support it, more power and more torque.

My company Ceva was seeing several minutes quicker runs by the EV trucks running up from the Spanish ports that connect with Morocco up to Madrid and onwards.

Ceva use Winrose EV truck for such runs.

Again, you are not talking about the UK; we just don't have or will have the infrastructure to allow those trucks to become more common here, for sometime to come. I do accept, however, that for some companies and scenarios an EV could be the best solution for them, but for now, it is not a direct one-for-one swap.

Also, tests done by various organisations here in the UK have shown that EV vans just cannot compete on the longer trips or those that are heavily loaded, with their ICE counterparts. Note, I'm not talking about last-mile delivery vans like those used by Royal Mail or other such companies, i.e., Amazon, DPD, etc., all of which may well appear to be fully laden if you look inside them, but the fact is that many of these cardboard boxes contain a smaller blister-packed item, surrounded by bubble wrap or other such protection. I have friends who work in council technical services, etc., and they report that their council trialled some EV vans, of the same type as their existing ICE ones. These EVs were quickly rejected; they could not complete a normal day's work without either running out of power to climb hills because of their load, or they were running out of battery and needed charging to make the return trip at the end of the day.

Others have tested EV cars towing caravans and found them incapable of performing as well when towing and also dramatic reductions in their range compared to ICE versions of the same cars towing the same caravans

39 minutes ago, Graham Butcher said:

Again, you are not talking about the UK; we just don't have or will have the infrastructure to allow those trucks to become more common here, for sometime to come. I do accept, however, that for some companies and scenarios an EV could be the best solution for them, but for now, it is not a direct one-for-one swap.

Also, tests done by various organisations here in the UK have shown that EV vans just cannot compete on the longer trips or those that are heavily loaded, with their ICE counterparts. Note, I'm not talking about last-mile delivery vans like those used by Royal Mail or other such companies, i.e., Amazon, DPD, etc., all of which may well appear to be fully laden if you look inside them, but the fact is that many of these cardboard boxes contain a smaller blister-packed item, surrounded by bubble wrap or other such protection. I have friends who work in council technical services, etc., and they report that their council trialled some EV vans, of the same type as their existing ICE ones. These EVs were quickly rejected; they could not complete a normal day's work without either running out of power to climb hills because of their load, or they were running out of battery and needed charging to make the return trip at the end of the day.

Others have tested EV cars towing caravans and found them incapable of performing as well when towing and also dramatic reductions in their range compared to ICE versions of the same cars towing the same caravans

Two companies I have been most associated with are Ceva and DPD and Ceva are looking to bring the Windrose trucks to the UK and I presume the frightening increasing in diesel costs and strong desire to go to lower carbon footprint the Ceva UK fleet is predominately running on HVO rather than diesel. Can be a little more than diesel and is erratic pricing. Hope to see the Windrose EV HGVs on the road soon but I am sure they will want to test in cooler weather but Windrose has already done much of this and truck has 800v architecture and charging is very good in the chargers are there which is something Uk government working on with Gridserve and others to hit the 2040 deadline of all trucks being electric..... https://www.gridserve.com/electric-freightway/

https://www.cevalogistics.com/en/news-and-media/newsroom/press-release/ceva-uk-investment-low-emission-fleet

DPD also breaking out from EV delivery vans not just being mainly cities.....

DPD UK is expanding its electric van fleet with 341 new Mercedes-Benz eSprinters, taking the parcel carrier’s total number of electric vehicles to more than 4,000. The first vans are due to enter service in September, with the full batch scheduled to be operational by the end of October. They will be deployed both within the M25 and at locations elsewhere in the UK, ahead of the company’s peak Christmas delivery period. DPD said the new vehicles will allow it to extend the use of larger electric vans beyond the inner-city areas where much of its EV fleet has so far been concentrated. According to the company, its electric vehicles currently operate across more than 7,300 UK postcodes. In 2025, DPD delivered more than 85 million parcels using electric vehicles, including a predominantly diesel-free final-mile operation within London’s North and South Circular roads. Olly Craughan, head of sustainability at DPD UK, said larger panel vans remain central to the company’s final-mile operation.

"The eSprinters can carry the same payload as the equivalent 3.5t diesel while the new battery technology and improved range mean more of our depots can start deploying larger EVs further afield,” he said".

DPD pushes electric vans beyond city centres with hundred...

DPD pushes electric vans beyond city centres with hundreds-strong order

Edited 5 hours ago5 hr by lol-lol

4 hours ago, lol-lol said:

I think the EV weight much more thing has become an entrenched myth. Germanic EVs, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, SEAT, Skoda and VW tend to be heavier than the average EVs and many have fallen foul of the Paris 2 tonnes triple parking charge. I am surprised there was not more protest by the 3 German HQ based companies as it seemed to single them out. There are some reasonable reasons for Germanic cars being heavier ie there need to be able to do 200-250 kph plus to drive at the perfectly allowable speeds ie bigger motors, battery packs, two speed gearboxes to allow the electric motor to switch to a longer gear and not be limited to 100 mph or less like many EVs. Also on the tyre front, and most are fitted with EV tyres which tend to be quite quiet with less tread when new and alos are oft fitted with acoustic foam to reduce noise as the rest of the vehicle is so quiet Michelin add the foam to further quiet it down. 68 to 70 decibels being the norm. Scenic has e Primacy and % has Conti 6Qs. The Q standing for quiet as again, like the Scenic and other EVs, as they are so quiet in the engine / motor department the tyre manufacture put extra effort in to quietness. Both EV Tyre review reports commend these EV tyres quietness.

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre/Michelin/e.Primacy.htm/Test-Results/

https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre/Continental/EcoContact-6.htm

EV weight may be coming down but they are still heavy - eg your 'lightweight' French Renault Scenic is heavier than my 'heavy' German petrol Kodiaq by a margin of around 300kg.

In terms of tyres - yes they are designed to be quiet inside the car - hence the absorbing foam etc... BUT... the drive-by noise rating remains largely the same for similar tyre sizes - eg both the Michelin Primacy 4 and Michelin Primacy-e in 235/50R19 size both have a noise rating of 70dB.

I think you may be seeing what you want to see, as opposed to what is actually being seen?

Groundhog day again. The Councils / Local Authority discussion was done several times here. Location location location. There will be councils where VANS have to do lots of miles in a day, and others that might just be a city and the miles their vehicles might not be so much. Getting BEV,s into the mix is just a case of what the Local Authority is prepared to sort out as far as economics and efficiency and meeting the Net Zero targets that they need to be meeting.

Edited 4 hours ago4 hr by Evolution13

13 minutes ago, skomaz said:

EV weight may be coming down but they are still heavy - eg your 'lightweight' French Renault Scenic is heavier than my 'heavy' German petrol Kodiaq by a margin of around 300kg.

In terms of tyres - yes they are designed to be quiet inside the car - hence the absorbing foam etc... BUT... the drive-by noise rating remains largely the same for similar tyre sizes - eg both the Michelin Primacy 4 and Michelin Primacy-e in 235/50R19 size both have a noise rating of 70dB.

I think you may be seeing what you want to see, as opposed to what is actually being seen?

Please supply the jetb weight of your petrol Skoda ?

Think my Scenic is 1746 kgs kerb weight. Be amazed if it is 300 kgs difference.

70 decibels is on the quietish for any tyre and is measured external in the noise tests as I understand. I have tge nice slim 205/55R19s on my Scenic. Cheapish to replace and its looking like none will need replacing in its 4 year PCP period as wear is so low.

New current version of the Scenic has a minimum of 220 hp, mines 170 hp, so i hope it does wear tyres faster. Even with 67 KWh LFP battery I don't think it weights more than a few Kgs more.

Which engine do you gave in your Skoda ?

@Evolution13 not really groundhog day, it's horses for courses, vans that are used for light duty are fine as EVs for most councils, but not so for the trades dept where Transists, Sprinters etc are the order of the day to carry 8x4 sheets of plasterboard plywood etc along with loads of heavy tools etc. My HA has a mix of both types for exap

Mp

1 minute ago, Graham Butcher said:

@Evolution13 not really groundhog day, it's horses for courses, vans that are used for light duty are fine as EVs for most councils, but not so for the trades dept where Transists, Sprinters etc are the order of the day to carry 8x4 sheets of plasterboard plywood etc along with loads of heavy tools etc. My HA has a mix of both types for exap

Mp

Its not only that EV vans are getting better year on year for the new models but us EV owners are learning new and better practices also on running the vehicles.

I was on the tariffs where it was cheaper on the overnight charging which meant, particularly on cooler nights the charge would finish about 0530 and the battery cool and range would decrease.

Now I am on a tariff where day time charging is oft cheaper and I have probably biult up a credit from negative priced weekend charging I routinely have the EVs charging right up to the point of departure. Battery is warmer and the cabin preheated which means more ranfw on offer and ok to charge beyond the 80% normal daily limit for NMC chemistry as the car is to be used immediately.

All things learnt in the 5 years of running EVs. Continued goverment support, last government and this one makes the whole trip a pleasure and economic help to ones budget in these challenging economic times.

1 hour ago, lol-lol said:

Please supply the jetb weight of your petrol Skoda ?

Think my Scenic is 1746 kgs kerb weight. Be amazed if it is 300 kgs difference.

70 decibels is on the quietish for any tyre and is measured external in the noise tests as I understand. I have tge nice slim 205/55R19s on my Scenic. Cheapish to replace and its looking like none will need replacing in its 4 year PCP period as wear is so low.

New current version of the Scenic has a minimum of 220 hp, mines 170 hp, so i hope it does wear tyres faster. Even with 67 KWh LFP battery I don't think it weights more than a few Kgs more.

Which engine do you gave in your Skoda ?

1540kg Kerb Weight apparently - so just over 200kg difference - the Renault website suggested your Scenic is 1853Kg which is where my 300kg comment came from but that could be for the larger battery version?

Having checked your tyre size both Primacy and Primacy-e are still rated at 70db.

PS - the kerb weight of the Kodiaq surprised me too when I first saw it as it's less than my Mk2 Octavia 4x4 was, even though it's a bigger vehicle.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by skomaz

9 minutes ago, skomaz said:

1540kg Kerb Weight apparently - so just over 200kg difference - the Renault website suggested your Scenic is 1853Kg which is where my 300kg comment came from but that could be for the larger battery version?

Having checked your tyre size both Primacy and Primacy-e are still rated at 70db.

PS - the kerb weight of the Kodiaq surprised me too when I first saw it as it's less than my Mk2 Octavia 4x4 was, even though it's a bigger vehicle.

Yeah my Scenic is the 60 / 65 KWh version and weights about 100 kgs less than the 87 / 92 KWh version as only two thirds of the battery compartment are populated with batteries.

As the torque is quite similar but the weight quite different the acceleration is quite similar.

In the new Scenic due out in France this fall the smaller batteried version now has LFP rather than NMC chemistry which is less energy dense so the smaller battery capacity version, 67 KWh, will be similar weight to the 90 KWh but the LFP batteries are much cheaper and don't mind being regularly charged to 100% when the norm for NMC is 80% charge threshold and 100% only occasionally. Both will get the 220 hp rather than use the 170 hp motor mine has.

You have the 1.4 TSI and 4x4 with auto or manual ? Liked my 1.4 tsi dsg in my Octy but I think it helped get me nicked for speeding as it slipped in to ECO freewheel mode and crept over 80 mph. In the EV I would have just applied a bit of regen back in to the battery.

Br interesting to see which cities follow Paris and hit the vehicles over 2.4 tonnes Gross Vehicle Weight. Cardiff is one and I heard Reading and others to follow suit. My Scenic version slips under at 2340 Kgs.

Looks like several Kodiaqs (2s ?) are over the 2.4T threshold and would have to pay the extra city entry fee.

Model-Gross Vehicle Weight - kg Max. Towing Weight - Braked 12% - kg Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked - kg Minimum Kerbweight (with driver) - kg Minimum Kerbweight (without driver) - kg Nose weight - kg

SE (5 seats) 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150 PS DSG 235/55 R18 100V 2,175 1,800 750 1,659 - 1,739 1,584 - 1,664 100

SE (5 seats) 1.5 TSI iV 204 PS DSG 235/55 R18 100V 2,430 1,800 750 1,911 - 2,075 1,836 - 2,000 100

SE (5 seats) 2.0 TDI 150 PS DSG 235/55 R18 100V 2,300 2,000 750 1,746 - 1,838 1,671 - 1,763 100

SE (7 seats) 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150 PS DSG 235/55 R18 100V 2,231 1,800 750 1,695 - 1,772 1,620 - 1,697 100

SE (7 seats) 2.0 TDI 150 PS DSG 235/55 R18 100V 2,348 2,000 750 1,793 - 1,880 1,718 - 1,805 100

Edition X (7 Seats) 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150 PS DSG 235/50 R19 99V 2,275 1,800 750 1,695 - 1,807 1,620 - 1,732 100

SE L (5 seats) 1.5 TSI iV 204 PS DSG 235/50 R19 99V 2,430 1,800 750 1,911 - 2,075 1,836 - 2,000 100

SE L (7 seats) 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150 PS DSG 235/50 R19 99V 2,275 1,800 750 1,695 - 1807 1,620 - 1732 100

SE L (7 seats) 2.0 TSI 204 PS 4x4 DSG 235/50 R19 99v low rolling resistance 2,402 2,400 750 1,811 - 1933 1,736 - 1858 100

SE L (7 seats) 2.0 TDI 150 PS DSG 235/50 R19 99v low rolling resistance 2,348 2,000 750 1,793 - 1880 1,718 - 1805 100

SE L (7 seats) 2.0 TDI 193 PS 4x4 DSG 235/50 R19 99v low rolling resistance 2,414 2,400 750 1,848 - 1943 1,773 - 1868 100

L&K (5 seats) 1.5 TSI iV 204 PS DSG 235/45 R20 100V (polymer coating) 2,430 1,800 750 1,911 - 2,075 1,836 - 2,000 100

L&K (7 seats) 2.0 TSI 204 PS 4x4 DSG 235/45 R20 100V (polymer coating) 2,502 2,500 750 1,811 - 2,002 1,736 - 1,927 100

L&K (7 seats) 2.0 TDI 193 PS 4x4 DSG 235/45 R20 100V (polymer coating) 2,510 2,500 750 1,848 - 2,035 1,773 - 1,960 100

SportLine (5 seats) 1.5 TSI iV 204 PS DSG 235/45 R20 100V (polymer coating) 2,430 1,800 750 1,911 - 2,075 1,836 - 2,000 100

SportLine (7 seats) 1.5 TSI e-TEC 150 PS DSG 235/45 R20 100V (polymer coating) 2,275 1,800 750 1,695 - 1,807 1,620 - 1,732 100

SportLine (7 seats) 2.0 TSI 204 PS 4x4 DSG 235/45 R20 100V (polymer coating) 2,402 2,400 750 1,811 - 1,933 1,736 - 1,858 100

SportLine (7 seats) 2.0 TDI 193 PS 4x4 DSG 235/45 R20 100V (polymer coating) 2,414 2,400 750 1,848 - 1,943 1,773 - 1,868 100

vRS (7 seats) 2.0 TSI 265 PS 4x4 DSG 235/45 R20 100V (polymer coating) 2,500 2,500 750 1,900 - 2,006 1,825 - 1,931 100

Information regarding tyre technical specifications can be found by visiting the Škoda car configurator here.

* Figures for the ŠKODA range, including petrol/diesel and hybrid vehicles. Plug-in hybrid vehicles require mains electricity for charging. Figures for hybrid vehicles were obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption, CO2 and electric range figures with other vehicles tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. Data correct at 3rd August 2026. Choice of wheels and other options may affect fuel consumption and emissions data. For more information, please see skoda.co.uk/owners/wltp-info or consult your retailer.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by lol-lol

I think the point @skomaz was making is correct for the average EV, not everyone wants a compact car with a small battery. I think it's more likely that even with your car, most would opt for the bigger battery?

25 minutes ago, Graham Butcher said:

I think the point @skomaz was making is correct for the average EV, not everyone wants a compact car with a small battery. I think it's more likely that even with your car, most would opt for the bigger battery?

The Scenic is very roomy and fits the 6 foot five son in law (getting an ID Buzz this week and getting rid of his VW Caddy as who knows were fuel prices are going to stop going up and even be available to buy at fuel stations) in the front or back of the Scenic. His brother is 6 foot 10 inches so car choice limited, he might be too big perhaps.

Yes my 60 /65 KWh was the unusual choice compared to the 87 / 92 KWh version but I was confident it would cope with my Worcester to Heathrow, Liverpool or even Felixstowe business trips. Same for my 5 as I went for the 40 /43 KWh rather than the more common rather than the more common 52 / 55 KWh version. Worked out OK and saved thousands and the lighter cars are more efficient, maybe by only 0.1 or 0.2 KWh per mile. Mg 5 weighs less than 1400 Kg and cannot imagine any car is very much quiter when in motion though I think 18 inch wheels on all models was a bit overkill. Thinking of trying 16 inch all weather or winter tyres especially as we are due a Super El Nino winter just in to 2027.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by lol-lol

UK tries to stop Trump's diesel export ban - BBC News UK tries to stop Trump's diesel export ban .....

That's going to work isn't it. Time to trade in tgMhe older EV as the prices rise i reckon and order an even better one.

BBC News

UK tries to stop Trump's diesel export ban

John Healey said the government is in talks with the US over Donald Trump's threat to stop exports.

@lol-lol I just watched the Kei car special of the Grand Tour, a bloody good watch and a laugh.