Car and Bike Chat

[Ninanina]

I assume that you ordered a bike, not a car.

Re the Toyotas - which would you go for? I had a Prius - loved it until it "died" - or became unrealistic to repair. Would you even consider an EV or a plug-in hybrid?

Actually it looks as though the Prius range is no longer available as new in the UK - see https://www.toyota.co.uk/new-cars/prius

In the US government funded support has been withdrawn for some of Toyota's cars.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/electric-h...194422192.html

Apparently there will be a new Prius from 2024 - https://topelectricsuv.com/news/toyo...-coupe-hybrid/ - though not sure when or if that will arrive in the UK.

Indeed Dave I ordered a new Honda Rebel 500 bike…shame I’ve got to wait so long for it though

I would definitely go for another Prius, the outgoing model from 2016-2021/2. I would consider an EV or a Plug-in Hybrid but living in Portsmouth with no driveway I have no option but to go for a normal hybrid. The Prius is no longer available new in the UK but I’m hoping they will bring the new one in maybe 2023/24

I’ve decided I’d get much more fun from a new bike than changing the Prius. My Prius has just under 130,000 so theoretically it’s about half way through it’s life and I’m in no rush to change it really as it’s been 100% reliable. If repairs start to be too expensive I’ll chop it in sooner but so far after 6 years it’s cost me next to nothing to run/repair

[Pigmy Pony]

I would consider an EV or a Plug-in Hybrid but living in Portsmouth with no driveway I have no option but to go for a normal hybrid.

This my problem with EVs as things stand - a huge chunk of the population live in apartments or terraced houses with no off road parking. Green credentials, mad acceleration and the ability to get where you need to go for tuppence every four years mean nowt if you can't charge at home.

Maybe in a few years...

[struth]

This my problem with EVs as things stand - a huge chunk of the population live in apartments or terraced houses with no off road parking. Green credentials, mad acceleration and the ability to get where you need to go for tuppence every four years mean nowt if you can't charge at home.

Maybe in a few years...

it can be an issue steve but it will be solved soon i think. we are still in first real wave of modern ev's. the next lot will likely solve much of the problems; if not then the 3rd wave will. the tech is changing very rapidly.

[Macca]

Wireless charging. It's feasible.

[walpurgis]

it can be an issue steve but it will be solved soon i think. we are still in first real wave of modern ev's. the next lot will likely solve much of the problems; if not then the 3rd wave will. the tech is changing very rapidly.

Unfortunately, I think makers will see the high mileages EVs are capable of as an excuse to design them to wear out after a certain mileage. After all, if every car can cover 300k miles, they'll be selling fewer. Maybe I'm just cynical.

[Pigmy Pony]

Wireless charging. It's feasible.

How would that work? Something under the tarmac near to the kerb? My cat spends a lot of time under the car, especially when it's raining. As I'm sure lots do. I can just see the lawsuits: Your EV charger gave my cat cancer

My concerns about on-street charging are for others - there's room to charge a double decker on my drive, with enough space left for a queue of shivering passengers My sticking point is probably just the outlay, which no doubt will improve over time.

Oh, and Anita saying she won't have an EV while she has breath in her body

[Barry]

Unfortunately, I think makers will see the high mileages EVs are capable of as an excuse to design them to wear out after a certain mileage. After all, if every car can cover 300k miles, they'll be selling fewer. Maybe I'm just cynical.

Not at all - it's exactly the sort of thing that all manufacturers think about. For example, warranty duration is usually set so that most items will fail a few months after the expiry date.

[Pigmy Pony]

Unfortunately, I think makers will see the high mileages EVs are capable of as an excuse to design them to wear out after a certain mileage. After all, if every car can cover 300k miles, they'll be selling fewer. Maybe I'm just cynical.

No, just being realistic. Obsolescence make the world go round

[Macca]

How would that work? Something under the tarmac near to the kerb?

Pretty much:

Magnetodynamic coupling
In this method, power is transmitted between two rotating armatures, one in the transmitter and one in the receiver, which rotate synchronously, coupled together by a magnetic field generated by permanent magnets on the armatures.[25] The transmitter armature is turned either by or as the rotor of an electric motor, and its magnetic field exerts torque on the receiver armature, turning it. The magnetic field acts like a mechanical coupling between the armatures.[25] The receiver armature produces power to drive the load, either by turning a separate electric generator or by using the receiver armature itself as the rotor in a generator.

This device has been proposed as an alternative to inductive power transfer for noncontact charging of electric vehicles.[25] A rotating armature embedded in a garage floor or curb would turn a receiver armature in the underside of the vehicle to charge its batteries.[25] It is claimed that this technique can transfer power over distances of 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches) with high efficiency, over 90%.[25][79] Also, the low frequency stray magnetic fields produced by the rotating magnets produce less electromagnetic interference to nearby electronic devices than the high frequency magnetic fields produced by inductive coupling systems. A prototype system charging electric vehicles has been in operation at University of British Columbia since 2012. Other researchers, however, claim that the two energy conversions (electrical to mechanical to electrical again) make the system less efficient than electrical systems like inductive coupling.[25]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirele...ve)_techniques

[dave2010]

This my problem with EVs as things stand - a huge chunk of the population live in apartments or terraced houses with no off road parking. Green credentials, mad acceleration and the ability to get where you need to go for tuppence every four years mean nowt if you can't charge at home.

Maybe in a few years...

Some towns/cities are tackling this issue really rather well. Brighton is way ahead of the game I believe, and have a lot of on street chargers, with more to go in. Clearly a lot less fun if one has to drive to a charging point. Even for people who have houses and the possibilty of having a charger installed, the constraints on the wiring distance from the electricity supply into a property are another barrier. Having a drive or nearby kerb parking spaces is no good if the distance is more than 5-7 metres from the electicity supply. I don't know if this is an issue that the electricity companies are addressing - perhaps it's not too high priority for them.