Cont: Electric Vehicles II

[acbytesla]

It's the wicked waste of money and effort that bugs me about hydrogen. I mean, it's obviously never going to work, and it always was obvious it would never work.

I never like saying never when it comes to technology development. Because who knows what new technology will change everything?

But the hurdles are huge with hydrogen. Worse than the obstacles to fusion energy. Which is still a joke despite the so called breakthroughs I am reading about or seeing on YouTube.

Hydrogen in it's usable form is too expensive to make, And too expensive to store. And unless you burn it, it is too cumbersome and expensive to propel a vehicle.

 

[Filippo Lippi]

Well, the vehicle to load works, plugged in an electric fan

 

[Andy_Ross]

. There are already more public EV charging stations than there are petrol stations (or possibly more public chargers than petrol pumps,

There are two 'chain' pubs at retail parks near me that have charging points in their car parks as well as charging points in the main retail car parks.

 

[steenkh]

In Denmark the electricity grid cannot handle all the new demands for electricity. It seems that private people can still get their private 11kW charging stations, but companies cannot get charging stations to handle their delivery vans, or battery driven trains.

Some years ago, a forecast was made of how much the grid needed to be upgraded to handle their delivery vans future demands, but demand has exploded, and a complete stop for new applications has now been decreed.

Of course this also affects other applications such as data centres for AI, although some think it the data centres should be favoured, because "they are the future".

 

[Roger Ramjets]

In Denmark the electricity grid cannot handle all the new demands for electricity. It seems that private people can still get their private 11kW charging stations, but companies cannot get charging stations to handle their delivery vans, or battery driven trains...

Of course this also affects other applications such as data centres for AI, although some think it the data centres should be favoured, because "they are the future".

Denmark built Europe’s cleanest grid. AI data centres are overloading it.

Denmark’s grid operator Energinet has paused all new grid connection agreements after a 60-gigawatt queue, nearly nine times the country’s peak demand, overwhelmed the system. AI data centres are the proximate cause: hyperscalers chose Denmark for its clean grid and cool climate, and are now consuming more electricity than the infrastructure was designed to deliver.

9 times the entire country's peak demand - for AI data centers??? This is getting way out of hand. No doubt they are expecting a big wholesale discount too. What's worse is the business models of these AI companies are unworkable. They burn through electricity and sell compute at below cost to get customers hooked, hoping that eventually the AI will get good enough to raise prices and make a profit. Meanwhile they are sucking up renewable energy that should be going towards reducing carbon emissions.

I say charge them for the opportunity cost of wasteful electricity usage. Every kW used for AI is a kW not being used to displace fossil fuels - therefore they should be charged as if they are using fossil fuels. 5 times the retail price would be a good starting point.

 

[acbytesla]

Denmark built Europe’s cleanest grid. AI data centres are overloading it.

9 times the entire country's peak demand - for AI data centers??? This is getting way out of hand. No doubt they are expecting a big wholesale discount too. What's worse is the business models of these AI companies are unworkable. They burn through electricity and sell compute at below cost to get customers hooked, hoping that eventually the AI will get good enough to raise prices and make a profit. Meanwhile they are sucking up renewable energy that should be going towards reducing carbon emissions.

I say charge them for the opportunity cost of wasteful electricity usage. Every kW used for AI is a kW not being used to displace fossil fuels - therefore they should be charged as if they are using fossil fuels. 5 times the retail price would be a good starting point.

Wow!? You and I agree on something. I'm of the opinion that if any company wishes to build out a data AI center, they must also build the power generation plant to power it plus 25% head room. The idea that the residents must compete with them for electricity is obscene.

 

[acbytesla]

Wow!? You and I agree on something. I'm of the opinion that if any company wishes to build out a data AI center, they must also build the power generation plant to power it plus 25% head room. The idea that the residents must compete with them for electricity is obscene.

Oh, and it can't be a fossil fuel burning power plant either. It must not cause fuel prices to rise.

 

[Filippo Lippi]

No delivery date, but I've managed to book a test drive on Sunday. Just have to pretend that I'm interested in purchasing a car from them.

Nothing but annoying problems on the V2G front. BYD is lovely, but having Octopus control the charging and the V2G* is rubbish. All of the controls stopped and it just charged whenever it was plugged in and needed a charge.

*they've applied for the export license for the fourth time.

 

[Filippo Lippi]

The test drive went well. Not the version of the Leaf I've ordered, but close enough to get an idea. Drives well, quick enough, snazzy roof that goes clear or opaque at the touch of a button didn't excite me, but may grow on me if/when our car arrives.... and, after prompting by me, we have a provisional date from the dealer - 8th October. There have been big, widely reported problems at the plant and a different dealer gave me the same information.

The BYD V2G car - charging issues have been resolved. Apparently, BYD sent an over the air update that screwed the Octopus control mechanisms. Octopus have given me some more money back as compensation. It's still not doing the V2G bit and I've managed to persuade them that I don't have to keep to the monthly charging schedule, meaning I can leave it at the airport while we were away

 

[Ranb]

Not EV related, but my wife's Corolla hybrid has a sunroof that we never use. I opened it once just to verify it worked. I heard that Tesla stopped offering the sunroof option on the model 3 after learning that hardly anyone ever used it.

 

[novaphile]

Not EV related, but my wife's Corolla hybrid has a sunroof that we never use. I opened it once just to verify it worked. I heard that Tesla stopped offering the sunroof option on the model 3 after learning that hardly anyone ever used it.

It probably varies by geography.

I use my sunroof (not a Tesla) all the time in summer (i.e. if I'm driving the car, I'm using the sun roof).

If you've had the misfortune to park in the sun on a hot day, driving for a couple of minutes with the sun roof fully open is an excellent way to cool the car down quickly.
Generally, having only the rear of the sun roof open, is a really good way to have fresh air circulating through the car. (Air comes in through the vents and exits via the roof.)

 

[Ranb]

We have only owned my wife's Corolla for a few months. I find that merely sliding back the cover to expose the glass of the sunroof lets in the hard rays of the sun that immediately heat my skin. Nope . The vents are usually enough to keep us cool without using the AC. On hot days the front windows opened while driving slowly cools down the car quickly to the point where the AC takes over with windows closed.. We are not windows open on the freeway people.

 

[Rolfe]

I loved the sunroof in my previous two cars and I wish the MG4 had one. I'd have specified one if it had been an option. Yes I know the MG4's aircon is superior to either my Peugeot's or my Golf's, and it has the preconditioning facility, but still.

And when the Peugeot's aircon died some three years before the car itself went to the great scrappage scheme in the sky, the sunroof was an absolute godsend.

 

[Roger Ramjets]

I use my sunroof (not a Tesla) all the time in summer (i.e. if I'm driving the car, I'm using the sun roof).

If you've had the misfortune to park in the sun on a hot day, driving for a couple of minutes with the sun roof fully open is an excellent way to cool the car down quickly.

Around here sunlight can literally kill you (my mother died of skin cancer at age 49). With a sunroof I would have to wear a hat in the car.

My solution to summer heat was:-
1. A white car with light interior and cloth seats.
2. A/C
3. An EV

My 2011 Leaf is the first and only car I have owned which has A/C. I have only used it 3 times, after the car was sitting outside all day during the heat of summer. I only had to use it for about 5 minutes to cool the cabin down. This was much more effective than opening the windows.

Why an EV? Because there isn't a hot engine and exhaust to heat the car up, and because the A/C isn't tied to the engine (you can precondition the cabin before driving, and using the A/C doesn't load the motor down).

The downside of a sunroof is that it makes the interior hotter due to less insulation. It also makes it colder in cold weather. I keep my Leaf in the attached garage which is nearly the same temperature as the rest of the house. If I keep the fan off there is very little airflow in the cabin, so I don't feel the cold.

My gas cars had breezy cabins and heating systems that didn't work until the engine warmed up. By the time you got some heat you were already freezing. Because the engine didn't like running cold I didn't want to use the heater anyway until it warmed up.

 

[Rolfe]

My Golf had a shutter you could slide over the sunroof if you didn't want it. Also, as far as I know it's the UV that does the damage and UV doesn't get through the glass of a sunroof.

But even in Scotland I really appreciate the aircon on sunny days. In the south of England this year I'd have fried without it.

 

[novaphile]

My Golf had a shutter you could slide over the sunroof if you didn't want it. Also, as far as I know it's the UV that does the damage and UV doesn't get through the glass of a sunroof.

But even in Scotland I really appreciate the aircon on sunny days. In the south of England this year I'd have fried without it.

Yes, mine is the same.

There is a sliding panel under the sun roof that is covered with the same insulation and head lining as the rest of the interior.

Note that the sun can't get through the sun roof, if I only have the rear open on an angle (the vent mode), the sun would have to be on the horizon to get through that low angle, and at that time of day, you'd be protected by a thicker path through the atmosphere anyway.

 

[EHocking]

Not EV related, but my wife's Corolla hybrid has a sunroof that we never use. I opened it once just to verify it worked. I heard that Tesla stopped offering the sunroof option on the model 3 after learning that hardly anyone ever used it.

Up here in the subtropics, they are advertised as "moon roofs", 'cos no one would be stupid enough to drive around with the sun blazing through it.

Oddly, the UK boasts the most convertibles owned per-capita. It is where I got my passion for driving with the top down. (oo, er, matron)

 

[Rolfe]

Volkswagen's EV van drove through 92 countries to set a new Guinness World Record

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz set a new Guinness World Record for “the most countries visited in a continuous journey” by...

electrek.co

 

[bruto]

Up here in the subtropics, they are advertised as "moon roofs", 'cos no one would be stupid enough to drive around with the sun blazing through it.

Oddly, the UK boasts the most convertibles owned per-capita. It is where I got my passion for driving with the top down. (oo, er, matron)

I don't think sunroofs make much sense these days, but they used to. Back in the days before air conditioning, a combination of sunroof and vent windows was very nice. Once upon a time all Peugeot sedans came with them standard, and I used mine quite often. Similarly, I had a 1971 VW bus with an enormous one that was very nice.