Cont: Electric Vehicles II

[Filippo Lippi]

Ah, octopus app says "cannot control device" ie the car. I'd asked for the car to be at 80% this morning, it's at 100%.

 

[Filippo Lippi]

Car was at 80% when I got into it.

As someone has observed elsewhere, "we're all beta testers now"

 

[Rolfe]

Are Octopus offering VtG, then?

 

[Filippo Lippi]

Yes, Google Power Pack Bundle

 

[Rolfe]

That's a positive development.

Have we discussed Axle Energy? They offer £1/unit export tariff for designated "grid events" where you allow them to export your battery to them at times of their choosing, notified the previous day. In practice these events last for an hour either at the morning or evening peak, and have the effect of taking power you would otherwise have exported to Octopus for 12p/unit at a different time, and paying a hefty premium for it. It's free money, but it must be worth it to Axle. Octopus are completely cool with it.

There was one this morning. My battery was taken down to about 60% from 8 am to 9 am, and had replenished itself back to 100% before noon from the solar excess. I reckon I make £4 or so every time they do this, and they guarantee all participants will make at least £10/month. The more common this sort of thing becomes the less dependent the country is on peak gas generation.

 

[Trebuchet]

Yesterday we drove about 30 miles to Poulsbo where my wife had an appointment. On the way we passed 15 Amazon delivery vans coming the other way. I counted.
Fourteen of them were these electric ones.
Delivery actually seems like a good niche for EV's. Charge overnight and while loading.

 

[acbytesla]

Super fast charging.

 

[theprestige]

Super fast charging.

I confess that a random YouTuber with a conveniently positive review of a company makes me trust that company even less. Especially a Chinese company.

Are you even subscribed to this guy? Or did the Algorithm just happen to throw this video into your feed by pure coincidence?

 

[Rolfe]

Kyle isn't a random YouTuber. He and his outfit have a number of channels and review and test all sorts of cars, and carry out interesting automobile projects. I've been following him for his series where he restored a 12 year old EV abandoned in a dealer's yard with only 50 miles on the clock. He's actually a pro and has a sizeable business. I've been following him moving the horses into the new horse barn recently too.

Having said that, we all know that all car manufacturers provide sweeteners to reviewers and cut them dead with the cold shoulder if their reviews are too negative. But that applies to all of them. Kyle is no more bent than any other professional car reviewer.

 

[acbytesla]

I confess that a random YouTuber with a conveniently positive review of a company makes me trust that company even less. Especially a Chinese company.

Are you even subscribed to this guy? Or did the Algorithm just happen to throw this video into your feed by pure coincidence?

Out of Spec is not a "random" YouTuber. And yes, I'm subscriber to Out of Spec. That channel has been reviewing EV products for a long time. I highly recommend it.

 

[zooterkin]

UK insurers are reluctant to cover some Chinese EVs.

UK drivers struggle to get insurance for Chinese EVs such as Jaecoo

Firms do not offer cover for some models, or charge more than for equivalent petrol cars, research finds

www.theguardian.com

However, figures from sales site Carwow show that sourcing insurance may take some of the sheen off buying a Chinese car. In its survey, half of the requests for quotes were declined.

It took four models – the hybrid Jaecoo 7, the XPeng G6, the BYD Seal U and the Skywell BE11 – and asked five insurers for quotes for a 27-year-old man living in Hampshire.

Axa declined to give quotes on any of the vehicles, while Hastings Direct only offered coverage on the BYD. Direct Line declined two vehicles and Admiral one, while only Aviva offered cover for all, according to Carwow.

 

[Rolfe]

I've had no trouble at all getting insurance on my Chinese-made MG4, and at very reasonable rates too. Initially I transferred my previous policy with Sheila's Wheels to the MG, but at the next renewal time I transferred to Aviva because it was cheaper. Still with Aviva.

 

[Orphia Nay]

Any Formula E racing fans, or anyone interested? Here's highlights (6 minutes) of Sunday's Monaco E-Prix:

 

[catsmate]

Hmm...

If the battery is not removable, does that mean the bike is junk when the battery fails?

Maybe. It will need a tech who knows what they are doing, and has the appropriate tools. It may require hacking the motor/battery computer.

 

[catsmate]

Not  user removable. Some bikes are made so that the battery can be easily removed to lighten the bike, or to take indoors to charge, or to swap with a spare for longer range. However that makes the bike clunkier and heavier overall. Others are made with the battery integral and not user-removable for simplicity and overall lightness.

Of course the battery can be removed by a technician if necessary for repair or maintenance or even replacement. Although given modern battery technology I don't think any of that is particularly likely to be needed.

OT but a friend's apartment building now forbids charging ebikes in apartments, they can only be plugged in in the dedicated shed

 

[catsmate]

UK insurers are reluctant to cover some Chinese EVs.

UK drivers struggle to get insurance for Chinese EVs such as Jaecoo

Firms do not offer cover for some models, or charge more than for equivalent petrol cars, research finds

www.theguardian.com

Actuaries.....

 

[zooterkin]

Reading is getting kerbside chargers installed to help people who can't charge on their own driveway.

(I saw an article about this shared on FB, and of course the person sharing it was whingeing about "I don't remember them doing this for petrol and diesel cars".)

Public electric vehicle charging points to be installed across Reading | Reading Borough Council News

Around 2,600 public EV charging stations to be delivered in residential streets which lack off-street parking At least nine in 10 households without a driveway will be within 100 metres of an EV charger The £866k government-funded scheme aims to boost the transition to electric vehicles to help...

media.reading.gov.uk

 

[Rolfe]

OT but a friend's apartment building now forbids charging ebikes in apartments, they can only be plugged in in the dedicated shed

Makes sense. There are some very dodgy machines on offer mail order, and how do you police what sort of things your tenants buy?

 

[Rolfe]

Maybe. It will need a tech who knows what they are doing, and has the appropriate tools. It may require hacking the motor/battery computer.

I was watching a US YouTube video about problems people had when a manufacturer went bust and they couldn't get a replacement battery for their expensive e-bike. It was all a bit odd though because he seemed to be implying that fairly early battery failure was common and almost to be expected, which I don't think is most people's experience. I think the trick is to get an established make and be prepared to pay for the battery to be replaced by the manufacturer if it comes to that.

 

[Rolfe]

Reading is getting kerbside chargers installed to help people who can't charge on their own driveway.

(I saw an article about this shared on FB, and of course the person sharing it was whingeing about "I don't remember them doing this for petrol and diesel cars".)

Public electric vehicle charging points to be installed across Reading | Reading Borough Council News

Around 2,600 public EV charging stations to be delivered in residential streets which lack off-street parking At least nine in 10 households without a driveway will be within 100 metres of an EV charger The £866k government-funded scheme aims to boost the transition to electric vehicles to help...

media.reading.gov.uk

That's BRILLIANT. It's what's needed everywhere.