Electric Cars:what's available?

[Sloppysod]

Just watched the latest video from "James & Kate" about a 200,000 mile Tesla, the interior looks in better condition than my C5 did a 50,000! I also had to replaced discs & pads at 60,000....not going to mention the rack.
I service my own car, and in consumables only
(Oil, filter, airfilter, fuel filter, gearbox oil) I must have spent over £300 (serviced every year) in 65,000 miles (5 years) of ownership which will be nearer £900 if it ever gets to 200,000!
[media] [/media]

Just so you know, I'm not a Tesla Wannabe........

[myglaren]

It's been almost four years since we were able to write "Absolutely smashing: Musk shows off Tesla's 'bulletproof' low-poly pickup, hilarity ensues".

The world was a simpler place. COVID hadn't happened, Russia was mostly keeping to itself, and the Tesla CEO hadn't blown $44 billion on buying Twitter.

So a car crash (pun intended) unveiling of Tesla's tilt at the pickup truck market was big news – Elon Musk's antics hogged far fewer headlines back then.

If you recall, much was made of the futuristic, Blade Runner-esque Cybertruck being "literally bulletproof." However, when Musk and team attempted to demonstrate the truck's credentials outside LA on that fateful November evening of 2019, a weighty metal ball thrown by chief designer Franz von Holzhausen was able to shatter the "armor glass" on the prototype.

Going by Musk's physical response, it was an embarrassing gaffe for the electric car company. But what might have been even more embarrassing is that the Cybertruck was supposed to begin production in 2020-21.

OK, no one could have predicted that the worst pandemic in decades was going to dominate those years, and Musk cited component shortages as the reason why production had been pushed back.

Those provisional deadlines flew past, and it took until the beginning of this year to get solid confirmation that production would soon begin on the cyberpunk pickup. Musk told an earnings call in January that the vehicle wouldn't have a meaningful impact on Tesla's product line until 2024, saying: "The start of production is always very slow so I wouldn't put too much stock in start of production. It's kind of when does volume production actually happen, and that's next year."

Over the weekend, though, it appeared that Tesla had ironed out the kinks with the first Cybertruck rolling off the assembly line at the Giga Texas factory in Austin, with Tesla and Musk marking the occasion on Twitter (where else?).

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The delay has meant that other vehicle makers have been able to beat Tesla to market with electric pickups. Ford, home of America's best-selling F-150, hurried out a battery-powered version called the Lightning last year, and newcomer Rivian has also increased deliveries of its R1T equivalent.

In terms of appearance, neither mark a departure from their gas-guzzling counterparts – an intentional move to sway traditionalists. The Cybertruck, on the other hand, is a statement vehicle, boasting "better utility than a truck with more performance than a sports car." The Register suspects that few will be using the truck for its notional purpose as a farming tool.

In 2019, the price was pegged at $39,900, a tag that makes little sense four years later when other Tesla cars like the Y start at $47,490. All the same, the Cybertruck has been one of the most highly anticipated car launches ever with thousands paying a $100 reservation fee to bagsie one.

In May, the company stopped taking orders for the Cybertruck outside of North America. Musk said Tesla had "more orders of the first Cybertrucks than we could possibly fulfill for three years after the start of production."

There has also been suggestion that the company is struggling to scale up in-house production of Tesla's vaunted 4680 battery, which powers the Cybertruck.

So that waiting list may have to wait even longer. ®

The Register

[myglaren]

Jaguar Land Rover-owner to build UK battery factory in Somerset

Jaguar Land Rover-owner Tata will announce plans to build its flagship electric car battery factory in the UK.

People familiar with the matter said the new plant in Somerset would be officially announced on Wednesday.

The government is providing subsidies worth hundreds of millions of pounds, sources said.

Some in the car industry have described the plant as the most important investment in UK automotive since Nissan came to Britain in the 1980s.

(The Beeb).

[CitroJim]

It'll be good for Somerset although it could have been in a better place to have relieved some of the joblessness down that way. Next to Hinkley Point so it won't be short of power!

Hinkley Point is already a huge local employer... That area will be a bit of a vacuum and will suck people in from all over the county. I can see Bridgewater, the nearest sizeable town, growing exponentially...

[Hell Razor5543]

I think a reason Somerset was chosen is because there is lithium in the Cornwall tin mines (but, when it was first discovered, it was a 'waste' product as there was no use for it then).

[CitroJim]

Yes, a good point about the lithium James...

Also, there's still, given Hinkley Point C is almost nearing completion, a lot of heavy construction expertise available right on the doorstep...

And huge government subsidies it seems...

Also, that part of Somerset has nothing much going for it so it's hardly going to spoil the place or destroy any natural beauty to build a giant factory. It has none and Bridgewater - speaking from knowing the place well - is a bit of a toilet these days and the new factory can only be good for it... Hopefully it'll regenerate the place. It used to be a big industrial centre but fell on very hard times. Fingers crossed...

[aneesh84]

I found Mr. Falcon's Leaf to have a very acceptable ride and comfort

I ended up buying the Nissan Leaf 2018 as a second car. Still keeping my C5 for long drives.

The suspension is pretty good over bumps and bad roads. But it lacks the composed mature feeling of the C5. Over bad roads feels good, but when going over smooth surfaces it felt like a spring with a constant mild vibration. It took me some time to get used to, but now i find it quite comfortable.... until i again get back into my C5, which feels like a floating carpet. Considering the Nissan Leaf is the cheapest second hand EV i could get in my budget for daily running with a decent range I am happy to live with it. And go back to my beloved C5 for that occasional luxury.

[NewcastleFalcon]

I found Mr. Falcon's Leaf to have a very acceptable ride and comfort

I ended up buying the Nissan Leaf 2018 as a second car. Still keeping my C5 for long drives.

The suspension is pretty good over bumps and bad roads. But it lacks the composed mature feeling of the C5. Over bad roads feels good, but when going over smooth surfaces it felt like a spring with a constant mild vibration. It took me some time to get used to, but now i find it quite comfortable.... until i again get back into my C5, which feels like a floating carpet. Considering the Nissan Leaf is the cheapest second hand EV i could get in my budget for daily running with a decent range I am happy to live with it. And go back to my beloved C5 for that occasional luxury.

Great post aneesh, hope you have many miles of enjoyment in your Leaf. I guess at 2018 its the "new" shape car .
Mine is a 2015, and coming up to 65,000 km and 4 years in my ownership. A well engineered and reliable car, and after getting through the novice stage its comparatively low range now compered to 2023 offerings has never proved to be too much of a problem in our usual driving area.

You are welcome to post up your Electric experiences in the thread which I call "Bargain Basement Electric". Like many others the overpriced cartel of European EV prices for new vehicles is often a barrier to going for an electric car, and even now the choice is between a leaf and a Renault Zoe in the second-hand market at the lower end of the price range. With the expansion of the number of different cars now, the choice on the second hand market will constantly widen.

Hopefully you will not have much to report as far as car problems go, but feel free to ask on the Bargain Basement Electric thread, and in any case that is an excellent thread for a few pictures of the pleasurable side of motoring, getting out and about. I reckon I could take some very nice "brochure" shots of my Leaf with the background of Lisbon but it is very unlikely ever to make that trip! Not designed for it and it would take weeks!

Maybe for your debut on the bargain basement electric thread you could supply some "Leaf in Lisbon" pictures.

viewtopic.php?p=755092#p755092

This sort of thing....Bargain Basement Leaf in Northumberland, England...

Falcon original
You can in a Nissan!
January 2023

Neil

[aneesh84]

Maybe for your debut on the bargain basement electric thread you could supply some "Leaf in Lisbon" pictures.

Neil

Thank you. Just made my first post with some pictures in the Forum. more to come.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Maybe for your debut on the bargain basement electric thread you could supply some "Leaf in Lisbon" pictures.

Neil

Thank you. Just made my first post with some pictures in the Forum. more to come.

Excellent...like the "more to come" bit. Very interested in your electric motoring experiences, with some nice scenic pictures of course, and learning about how Portugal is developing an infrastructure to facilitate take-up of electric vehicles.

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

FCF Member aneesh from Lisbon, has posted up a very good commentary on his recent experience of driving a Citroen. Starts "Today I test drove a Citroen e-C4 X with the progressive hydraulic cushion. "
I have copied the post here into this thread "Electric Cars What's Available", because the e-C4 is some way off making its way into the Bargain Basement Electric thread

The Citroen e-C4 comes in a colour I thought striking enough to elevate to an entry on "favourite colours for cars" back in May when I spotted one

Falcon Original May 28th 2023

Today I test drove a Citroen e-C4 X with the progressive hydraulic cushion. I must say i was really impressed with the suspension, and this is something I could accept as a replacement for my C5. Very stable ride, slightly wafty and smooth over all kinds of bumps with good dampening. I find the leaf very comfortable too but slightly underdamped.
Its a pity the e-C4 X has only a 50 Kwh battery compared to many cars with bigger battery out there (eg. Kia e-Niro with 64 Kwh Battery). I will probably wait a few years till i find the perfect C5 electric replacement at a reasonable price.

I love the sofa like wide seats and the soft ride of my C5 2005. Car design has been getting worse and worse with the passing years. I just cant understand these trends:

- Making the front of cars Boxy/SUVish and less aerodynamic and ugly. I wonder if people really like these boxy fronts! Why are car makers making them!

- Making cars wider and then wasting all that extra space on a huge centre console. Centre consoles are getting higher too making for lesser leg room.

- The seats are just getting worse and worse. Why do regular cars need thick side bolstering that presses your butt. The seat backs now have now those side protrusions pressing against your arms. Why cant i get my C5 like seats, open wide just like a sofa.

- Putting bigger and bigger screens so that doing basic tasks become more cumbersome. And all that sun reflection to deal with off the big screens.

- Making ergonomics worse and trying to fix things that arnt broken. While test driving a Tesla Model S, I just couldnt use the Yoke that replaces the steering wheel and the indicator buttons that replace the indicator stalk. in the roundabout, balancing the stalk with one hand you must chase the left indicator button as the steering spins around. How come people pay so much money for these ill designed toys.

- The more expensive the car the rougher it rises and the harder the suspension.

Sometimes I wonder, if I am an outcast for liking simple comfortable cars. Or is it that I am too out of touch with the tastes of the masses.

Neil

[myglaren]

Update on Oli

[mickthemaverick]

I really like that car in a very quirky way!! If they launch it and it's a sensible price I may well give it a go!!

[CitroJim]

I really like that car in a very quirky way!! If they launch it and it's a sensible price I may well give it a go!!

Ditto... I love that. Proper Citroen quirky and different Bring it on It's inability to easily carry a bike will rule it out for me...

Maybe they'll do a Picasso version

[ChrisRobin]

We bit off topic a little.
Just come home from Portugal, it quite surprised me the amount of underground and multi story car parks that displayed signs telling you NO GAS VEHILCES.
I understand the worry of explosion but I did wonder what the difference is between gas and petrol Vapour which is also lethal, but my main thoughts as I followed an ID4 underground ground was battery fire! If that ID was to over heat underground then catch fire as they can do and they do, they burn intensely, which would be underground in a contained area with a lot of air flow, add to that the petrol and diesel cars surrounding it I thought to myself you are going to end up with a huge problem under there, A friend of ours in Greece this year said he had noticed that on ferry ports as well, no gas vehicles.
We are changing cells on ID 3/4s like hot cakes at the moment. just one cell, car is plugged in and tester looks at the cells, then flags if it needs changing, why has not really been communicated to us, we are told if it flags change it DO NOT LET the car go out. At present we have 7 in our carpark waiting and now 21 old cells in our container, that nobody seems to want, there are a couple of Companies who will take the full battery off us but do not want just the cells for some reason, well not yet they are saying, VW do not want them back and under no circumstance are we to send the old units back.
We have recently been made to spend 10K on a coolant bleeding system to fill these EV's as NO airlocks are permitted, so the machine forces coolant in and operates valves on the vehicle to fill it we then have to put a tag on the coolant bottle akin to those found of electric/gas meters to stop you tampering with them, but I do wonder as these cars get older how many will get cut off and coolant added, if there is a drop in coolant it is suppose to be returned to dealer ASAP but I do wonder how many owners will cut it off and chuck some antifreeze in it with out realising the cycle they may be starting.
Surprises me as gas is actually closer to the habits we now use with IC cars yet there is push back on it already, were as EV's are not you have long charge hours in some places, work colleague took a ID BUZZ to Scotland in June and he said it cost him more than going in his Tiguan the year before, taking away fuel costs as he wasn't sure how much the charge up cost would be all together he said the fact you had to stop and wait anything from an hour up to 4 hours for charging in some places meant you spent money, that you ordinarily would not of, they did not cover the dame miles in the BUZZ as you had to filter in charge times which were all over the place, some working some not, some fast charge or so say they were but would not on the BUZZ, finding a charge point that was vacant sometimes posed a problem, the drive itself was nicer as there was lack of engine noise and it seemed easier to propel it but other than that there is going to be big changes in the way we travel if EV is the only way forward, or the fast charge infrastructure needs looking at in a big way and quickly, even motorway service station lack enough fast charge points he was saying so you end up waiting there for ages or hanging around waiting for an EV to come off fast charge either way it is not relaxing. It was quit an eye opener, you see a lot on TV but how much made to look like that, this was a genuine guy in a BUZZ trying to holiday with his family.