Tesla - And whats it really like owning an EV?

Tesla - And whats it really like owning an EV?

Author
Discussion

slippery

14,093 posts

239 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
If it's good enough for BMW...
hehe A 1.5 litre generator.

red_slr

17,231 posts

189 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
quotequote all
matt5791 said:
Is there anything to stop you carrying a small generator in the boot for emergencies?
That's actually quite funny!

Scuffers

20,887 posts

274 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
quotequote all
red_slr said:
matt5791 said:
Is there anything to stop you carrying a small generator in the boot for emergencies?
That's actually quite funny!
well, it is an it isn't...

that would be the DIY version of a range extender, although for the std slow charger, it would need to be a 3+Kw (~3.6Kva) genset, so not that little.

Interestingly, if you work on the numbers that every hour of charge @3Kw = 10 miles
and that a small petrol genset uses some 400g/Kwh, that's ~28Mpg


Frimley111R

15,652 posts

234 months

matt5791

381 posts

126 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
quotequote all
Scuffers said:
well, it is an it isn't...

that would be the DIY version of a range extender, although for the std slow charger, it would need to be a 3+Kw (~3.6Kva) genset, so not that little.

Interestingly, if you work on the numbers that every hour of charge @3Kw = 10 miles
and that a small petrol genset uses some 400g/Kwh, that's ~28Mpg
Very interesting - no such thing as a free lunch.

I had a look at the Tesla in a small showroom they have in a Bristol shopping mall a couple of weeks ago. I did get really very interested in it. But now I think, in reality, it would be a really annoying car to live with and the big worry would be that some new technology suddenly pops up and renders it pointless.

98elise

26,568 posts

161 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
matt5791 said:
Scuffers said:
well, it is an it isn't...

that would be the DIY version of a range extender, although for the std slow charger, it would need to be a 3+Kw (~3.6Kva) genset, so not that little.

Interestingly, if you work on the numbers that every hour of charge @3Kw = 10 miles
and that a small petrol genset uses some 400g/Kwh, that's ~28Mpg
Very interesting - no such thing as a free lunch.

I had a look at the Tesla in a small showroom they have in a Bristol shopping mall a couple of weeks ago. I did get really very interested in it. But now I think, in reality, it would be a really annoying car to live with and the big worry would be that some new technology suddenly pops up and renders it pointless.
Electromagnetism is a fundamental force so there isn't going to be some new technology to replace it. If some super battery tech comes along its about 2 minutes to change it.



Jon1967x

7,224 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
F
98elise said:
matt5791 said:
Scuffers said:
well, it is an it isn't...

that would be the DIY version of a range extender, although for the std slow charger, it would need to be a 3+Kw (~3.6Kva) genset, so not that little.

Interestingly, if you work on the numbers that every hour of charge @3Kw = 10 miles
and that a small petrol genset uses some 400g/Kwh, that's ~28Mpg
Very interesting - no such thing as a free lunch.

I had a look at the Tesla in a small showroom they have in a Bristol shopping mall a couple of weeks ago. I did get really very interested in it. But now I think, in reality, it would be a really annoying car to live with and the big worry would be that some new technology suddenly pops up and renders it pointless.
Electromagnetism is a fundamental force so there isn't going to be some new technology to replace it. If some super battery tech comes along its about 2 minutes to change it.
Hydrogen fuel cells

Scuffers

20,887 posts

274 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Jon1967x said:
Hydrogen fuel cells
Brilliant!

Just the small matter of how you get the hydrogen on the first place?


Jon1967x

7,224 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Scuffers said:
Jon1967x said:
Hydrogen fuel cells
Brilliant!

Just the small matter of how you get the hydrogen on the first place?
I'm not sure if you're agreeing with me or not, the point I was making was in response to the person who implied the technology was mature and if they came out with battery batteries you'd just switch to them. We've no real idea what twists and turns are ahead but I doubt plugging your car in for 10 hours or even 1 hour to do 300 miles is a sustainable model for everyone

Scuffers

20,887 posts

274 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Jon1967x said:
I'm not sure if you're agreeing with me or not, the point I was making was in response to the person who implied the technology was mature and if they came out with battery batteries you'd just switch to them. We've no real idea what twists and turns are ahead but I doubt plugging your car in for 10 hours or even 1 hour to do 300 miles is a sustainable model for everyone
the point I was making is that Hydrogen fuel cells are just an even more expensive and complex battery system, and somewhat less efficient too.

I am actually pretty scared of the idea of cars with either high pressure hydrogen tanks or liquid nitrogen tanks onboard having been on H&S courses into industrial gas safety.

Jon1967x

7,224 posts

124 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Scuffers said:
the point I was making is that Hydrogen fuel cells are just an even more expensive and complex battery system, and somewhat less efficient too.

I am actually pretty scared of the idea of cars with either high pressure hydrogen tanks or liquid nitrogen tanks onboard having been on H&S courses into industrial gas safety.
But sitting next to 60l of unleaded is ok?

McWigglebum4th

32,414 posts

204 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Jon1967x said:
I'm not sure if you're agreeing with me or not, the point I was making was in response to the person who implied the technology was mature and if they came out with battery batteries you'd just switch to them. We've no real idea what twists and turns are ahead but I doubt plugging your car in for 10 hours or even 1 hour to do 300 miles is a sustainable model for everyone
Hydrocarbons aren't going away

If you have to do 300 miles a day

everyday

Buy a diesel

Scuffers

20,887 posts

274 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Jon1967x said:
But sitting next to 60l of unleaded is ok?
Very much so.

Seriously, its not even close to the same level of risk or outcome if it does go up.

Super Slo Mo

5,368 posts

198 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Jon1967x said:
But sitting next to 60l of unleaded is ok?
It's nothing like as dangerous. It's not under massive pressure for a start. Having said that the gas tanks are pretty safe these days.

slippery

14,093 posts

239 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
I guess I'll get to see what the reality is when it arrives, but putting on charge at home overnight should work very well for me. It's rare that I do more than 200 miles in a day these days, but fortunately I've got access to other cars, should that situation arise occasionally. Obviously they aren't going to suit everyone's circumstances, but there are many cars with a lot more compromises than a Tesla and they still seem to find buyers.

slippery

14,093 posts

239 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all
Edited for iPhone double post!

Vanin

1,010 posts

166 months

Monday 9th March 2015
quotequote all
A few questions.

1. Has anyone manage to make use of photovoltaics on their garage roof to give a free charge (once the capital cost is taken care of!)

2. Does anyone see the possibility of ready charged, universal batteries being developed so that you just pull up to a garage and press a button and a cassette system changes the batteries. The garage could be charging them with their own photovoltaics.

Two things are holding me back from buying a Tesla, the fact that a battery exchange system may be developed and the possibility that the hydrogen fuel cell will become more popular


http://www.toyota-global.com/innovation/environmen...

Scuffers

20,887 posts

274 months

Monday 9th March 2015
quotequote all
Vanin said:
A few questions.

1. Has anyone manage to make use of photovoltaics on their garage roof to give a free charge (once the capital cost is taken care of!)
two problems:

1) unless your garage roof is huge, you don't have the area to generate much power.

Biggest domestic installs are 4Kw, and need at least 16 panels (and often more).

even if you have the roof area, you will only get 4Kw at very optimal conditions, ie, mid-day with a very clear sky etc, most of the time it will be less than half that. Typically domestic 4K systems make ~4-4,500Kwh per year, vast majority in summer.

this is the monthly figures from a high-end system:

Jan - 139kW
Feb - 250kW
Mar - 426kW
Apr - 476kW
May - 545kW
Jun - 663kW
Jul - 666kW
Aug - 519kW
Sep - 421kW
Oct - 237kW
Nov - 128kW
Dec - 139kW

then consider to use this to charge your car, its going to have to be parked there during daylight hours.


Vanin said:
2. Does anyone see the possibility of ready charged, universal batteries being developed so that you just pull up to a garage and press a button and a cassette system changes the batteries. The garage could be charging them with their own photovoltaics.

Two things are holding me back from buying a Tesla, the fact that a battery exchange system may be developed and the possibility that the hydrogen fuel cell will become more popular
you mean like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5V0vL3nnHY

Vanin

1,010 posts

166 months

Monday 9th March 2015
quotequote all
Scuffers said:
Yes that is on the way, but I would hope that they will eventually come up with a universal battery for all electric cars which can be changed automatically without having to leave the driver's seat or have a gang of mechanics involved.

I need to know why Toyota have chosen the hydrogen cell route over the alternative

Also need to know about the longevity of the batteries especially with a lot of fast charges

But basically the whole Tesla concept would excite me, whereas a conventional supercar for the same money would not. Been there done that.

Vanin

1,010 posts

166 months

Monday 9th March 2015
quotequote all
The easily interchangeable batteries would make more sense with photovoltaic as you could leave a spare battery at home on charge all day