Electric vehicles-Conversions

[white exec]

Crossed posts. Have added an edit to mine above. You've obviously done your homework.

[Gibbo2286]

I think you should look again at an off-peak tariff, especially as you are vehicle charging.
A bit of intelligent use of time-switches could mean savings too on energy-hungry appliances like water heating, dishwashing, washing machine, tumble dryer...assuming they're electric, of course.
We're managing 71% of our kWh in the off-peak period*, and did similarly in the UK for a couple of decades.
If ever there were a case for "switching suppliers", you must surely be it.

* For us, € 9cents off-peak per kWh vs € 17cents peak, VAT at 21% (yes, full rate!!!) not included. Usefully, though, off-peak here is 2200h-1200h next day.

>>> Edit: Have just read your remark about gas being entwined with this. Does complicate the calculation.

I used to have economy seven until recently, they fitted a smart meter so it's now all one rate 11.533p per KWh plus 15.42p per day standing charge (I think you must work this into your calculations to get an honest figure)

However that is on a fixed term contract which ends in June and looking at what's being offered to continue it looks as though there will be an increase of damn near 20% to renew even if signing up for eighteen months.

Having a smart meter set up I can't see any reason why they can't still do an off peak rate but so far no mention of that.

I'm in the process of shopping around now for the best deal...........but they don't make it easy, so many different ways they try to blind you to the net facts.

Looking at the USA is no good it's an entirely different world as far as energy goes.

[white exec]

In Spain there is a government-run website that allows you to enter your energy use requirements:
- elec/gas/both
- tariff preferred (single, dual, triple...)
- annual consumption in kWh
- postcode

It immediately shows, in cost order, all the energy suppliers who can provide what you want in your location, and shows the monthly/annual cost.

Simple, and not tied into any of the con-merchant and commissioned 'price comparison' websites.
Something similar in UK? Maybe by Which?

[bobins]

There are similar things in the UK - Martin Lewis' Cheap Energy Club https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub does the same thing in comparing available rates and offers with a short appraisal of each energy supplier (Pro's / Con's etc). You ideally need to know your annual energy usage to make the most out of the site, but it does make understanding the available energy deals a little more clear.

[white exec]

Be very careful with Martin Lewis; he used to be independent, but is now involved with commissioned and sponsored sites, having sold his original site for a small fortune, I believe. The Consumers' Association (and Parliamentary Select Committees) have reported that none of the commercial price comparison sites offer comprehensive and commission-free advice.

ML is a persuasive salesman, and running a lucrative business. Watch out!

[bobins]

For the actual way MSE is financed, it's probably best to read the relevant webpage:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/site/m ... rt-finance

[harryp]

Simon, interested that you specifically drive to fill up your Xant - don't think I've ever done that... always filling up when I'm out, warm engine and no detour - worked that out when checking petrol costs 40/50 years ago when it didn't pay to drive very far at all to negate the savings, even on a full tank; especially on a cold engine. Regarding charging when out on a long trip, there must many, many cars fueled with fossil fuel for the time taken for an EV charge? Surely it can makes "full range" journey into a 2 day trip, esp when having to find an (possibly inconvenient) empty charging point?
I fully agree that for local use from home within it's range an EV is very convenient and a good choice.
I often wonder why the depreciation is taken into the running cost. If you by a car, you buy a car; and the cost of tax (or not at the moment) insurance and depreciation is the (huge) cost of it sitting on the drive. The cost oof actually running it is what it is too. A good reason why I and others have always tried to let the first 3 years depreciation belong to someone else . Probably most of us here

[Hell Razor5543]

I spotted an advert (not sure where) that shows Shell is getting into Hydrogen;

http://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovat ... Hlkcm9nZW4

[Mandrake]

I thought this was interesting. While Tesla is busy pursuing the luxury car market others are working on electric cars in the super car/racing car segment. An example of this is the Rimac Concept One:

[NewcastleFalcon]

Spotting a Leaf at a very nice location for a journey stop off at Rheged at Penrith, 400 yards off the M6, I put up the Zap map details, and noticed this story from the "news" on Zap Map

https://www.zap-map.com/scotrail-to-ins ... -stations/

Another type of location where EV Charging points are going to expand.

Regards Neil

[Mandrake]

Scotrail have quite a few chargers at their Park and Ride's already - I used one of their Rapid chargers just outside Edinburgh Airport on Saturday to get back home after dropping my mum off at the airport. Pity that the charger was misbehaving and I had to restart the charging process twice in the 30 minutes I was using it! In the worst case there was another Rapid charger in another park and ride about 3 miles away, but there shouldn't be these kinds of problems in 2017...

Everyone likes a good controversy, right ? It looks like the research paper for the solid state battery technology that I posted about recently is seeing quite a lot of scepticism from those working in the industry! For example:

https://qz.com/929794/has-lithium-batte ... skeptical/

Seeing it compared to cold fusion is a bit worrying!

One analysis is here and although my understanding of battery chemistry is marginal I still found it quite interesting:



He seems to be of the opinion that the experimental results reported so far are most likely true, (eg they haven't been faked) but that the given explanation of how it actually works is handwavy and doesn't hold up to scrutiny. In other words they have something, but their understanding of what they have and how it works is wrong, and nobody really knows what is happening yet. I find that quite intriguing!

A related article about John Goodenough (inventor of the Lithium Ion cell, and researcher for the controversial solid state battery above) which covers invention of the Lithium Ion battery and is also more or less a mini-biography I also found interesting:

https://qz.com/338767/the-man-who-broug ... e=readnext

Finally in other news that actually matches the original subject of this thread, here is a company doing a custom EV conversion of a Lotus Evora using none other than a Tesla motor! They are using the standard Tesla motor and drive inverter, but with a custom gearbox sandwiched in between instead of the Tesla gearbox. It's quite interesting the lengths that they have had to go to to "fool" the standard Tesla drive inverter electronics into working outside of a Tesla, as the drive inverter talks to the rest of the car in a Tesla using Can bus and includes a built in immobiliser, so the immobiliser has to be fooled using a custom ECU there entirely to communicate with the Tesla drive inverter and translate the data for the other ECU's in the car: (This is part 3)





And here is an earlier video (part 2) when they still had the motor out on the bench:





And here is part 1, which I haven't watched yet:





Unlike me you might want to watch the videos in the correct order!

You certainly need to know a fair bit about electronics, but it shows that custom car building and modification will still be alive and well in the days of electric cars!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Was in the middle of this rather mundane post, about planning policy and EV Charging points when your post above came in Simon! Still I'll shove it in.

Over on SpeakEV came across this post in relation to provision of EV charging points in new developments by planning condition. It quote's the National Planning Guidane thus:_

"It stems from the policy guidance at Para 35 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which guides planning decisions and sets out government planning policy. Specifically it states:

35. "Plans should protect and exploit opportunities for the use of sustainable transport modes for the movement of goods or people. Therefore, developments should be located and designed where practical to:

● accommodate the efficient delivery of goods and supplies;
● give priority to pedestrian and cycle movements, and have access to high quality public transport facilities;
● create safe and secure layouts which minimise conflicts between traffic and cyclists or pedestrians, avoiding street clutter and where appropriate establishing home zones;
● incorporate facilities for charging plug-in and other ultra-low emission vehicles; and
● consider the needs of people with disabilities by all modes of transport."

In every major new development (10 houses or more or over 1,000sqm floorspace for anything else), there should be EV charging points installed. This includes for housing (for each house), new offices and supermarkets. Even a new local medical centre has one now by condition.

https://speakev.com/threads/use-your-vo ... rea.16605/

Regards Neil

[Gibbo2286]

I watched the prep day for the F1 race last Friday, one of the cars was taped off.........to protect the mechanics from electrocution by touching the car before all the power had dissipated

[Hell Razor5543]

Well, Tesla have just dropped some of their prices;

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/tesl ... spartanntp

[Gibbo2286]

Well, Tesla have just dropped some of their prices;

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/tesl ... spartanntp

Still an awful lot more than I'd be prepared to pay, my old C5 will get me there and back cheaper and if it dies I can dump it at the roadside and walk away.