Electric Cars:what's available?

[myglaren]

Rapunzel, Rapunzel...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Plenty to find on the VW ID7 spotted yesterday in a Northumberland carpark, but let's have a change from US and UK journalists and punters, let's try a bit of first hand information from someone who bought one and has had it for 6 months, and bonus upon bonus is from Germany, and the story told in English with a German accent, and not much wavy arm action.



Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Having watched that video and concentrated I have two points that come to mind: 1) Do VW offer a degree course in Piloting an ID7? and 2) How much distraction would a 15" screen cause from concentrating on the job of driving?

I make the second point because in my brief ownership of the C4, and the trip to Germany, I found the 12" screen on its own to be a great temptation to do things you just shouldn't when you are driving. Using a mobile phone has been banned when driving for safety reasons, how is using a B****y great screen considered safe?

[Gibbo2286]

I agree on both points Mick, the Zoe is much the same, lots of stuff I keep finding out about it as ownership moves on and the screen is largely ignored.
Most of the car show presenters say they'd prefer proper buttons instead of the touch screen.

[bobins]

IIRC, the regulations are changing a bit to favour proper buttons in favour of a glass dashboard for certain functions.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Not entirely an EV Phenomenon of course, de rigueur in most new vehicles regardless of whether they plug in or not.
Even the very primitive "Car Wings" thing in my 2015 Leaf I only really use for putting the radio on! and sooner or later those screens go kaput, as has half of mine but seeing as its no great loss I haven't bothered doing anything about it.

Neil

[Skull]

I found the 12" screen on its own to be a great temptation to do things you just shouldn't when you are driving.

That's what lane assist is for

[CitroJim]

Having watched that video and concentrated I have two points that come to mind: 1) Do VW offer a degree course in Piloting an ID7? and 2) How much distraction would a 15" screen cause from concentrating on the job of driving?

I very much agree... We really need to bin all this unnecessary rubbish so the driver can get back to the task of driving without any distraction. Cars need to be simplified to a very great extent... Cars should not be full of 'toys'.

I found the 12" screen on its own to be a great temptation to do things you just shouldn't when you are driving.

That's what lane assist is for

[Gibbo2286]

A summer repeat here of the 'how far will they go.' comparison done in the winter:

[bobins]

Not exactly unexpected, and not exactly catastrophic, and Toyota weren't exactly the most enthusiastic of EV manufacturers in the first place ! but worth noting nonetheless......

Toyota delays US electric car plans as sales slow

"Toyota is pushing back the start date for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing in the US, as global demand for battery-powered cars continues to soften.
The Japanese motor industry giant was aiming to start production in late 2025 or early 2026.
Toyota now expects to launch its US EV operation at an unspecified time in 2026, a company spokesperson told BBC News.
Several other major car makers, including Volvo and Ford, have recently scaled back their EV plans.
"We’re still focused on our global [battery electric vehicle] target of 1.5M vehicles by 2026," said Toyota spokesperson Scott Vazin, adding that in the next two years it plans to introduce "5 to 7 [battery electric vehicles] in the US market."
"Toyota's announcement came as the global car industry continues to struggle with weakening demand for electric vehicles in some major markets.
On Wednesday, Tesla's quarterly figures missed Wall Street expectations, putting leading EV maker at risk of its first-ever decline in annual deliveries."

More at the Beeb: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clylzgmp3zpo

[NewcastleFalcon]

Saw one of these today, a first for the Electric Vehicles what have you spotted thread. Looks like this one arrived earlier than anticipated.

Whatever happened to Ford Traditionally a best seller in the UK.

Well there's this. Their all-new Ford Explorer (VW ID4 with different clothes and a blue oval). One to look out for for the Electric Vehicles What have you Spotted thread. No one has spotted one yet on the roads of the UK. (Available to order...late 2024! according to the Ford UK Website) Made at the Ford Cologne EV Centre in German just in case anyone was thinking it was made in Dagenham.

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Pick out of this what you like.

Renault will Debut the New Renault 4 on October 14th.

From the bouche de Cheval, a few teased images and a bit of guff in advance of the launch.

https://www.renault.co.uk/electric-vehi ... ctric.html

Neil

[bobins]

Note - this is for the EU market, not the UK market....... at the moment.

EU hits China with big taxes in electric car sales battle

Big taxes will be imposed on imports of electric vehicles from China to the EU after the majority of member states backed the plans.

"The move to introduce tariffs aims to protect the European car industry from being undermined by what EU politicians believe are unfair Chinese-state subsidies on its own cars.
Tariffs on electric cars made in China are set to rise from 10% to up to 45% for the next five years, but there have been concerns such a move could raise electric vehicle (EV) prices for buyers.
The decision, which split EU member states such as France and Germany, risks sparking a trade war between Brussels and Beijing, which has condemned the tariffs as protectionist.
China has been counting on high-tech products to help revive its flagging economy and the EU is the largest overseas market for the country's electric car industry.
Its domestic car industry has grown rapidly over the past two decades and its brands, such as BYD, have begun moving into international markets, prompting fears from the likes of the EU that its own companies will be unable to compete with the cheaper prices.

Figures show that in August this year, EU registrations of battery-electric cars fell by 43.9% from a year earlier.
In the UK, demand for new electric vehicles hit a new record in September, but orders were mostly driven by commercial deals and by big manufacturer discounts, according to the industry trade body.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said firms had "serious concerns as the market is not growing quickly enough to meet mandated targets".

More at the Beeb: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly20n4d0g9o

[NewcastleFalcon]

Looks like the New Renault 4 might even get an entry on the Open-Top Motoring thread.

The Renault Embleme is also an interesting "hybrid" described not as a "concept car" but a "demo" car. The hybrid bit is a fuel cell/battery, with the fuel cell being fuelled by H₂.

Another on the stand thing will be another of back to the heritage concepts for Renault. The gorgeous Estafette of old recreated into some kind of homage but not quite as gorgeous

Neil

[CitroJim]

Ohh, that Estafette, fitted with rear windows and rear seats, could make a very nice MPV and be a potentially worthy successor to the C3 Picasso

In van form it looks good - and it's not very often I say that about a modern car!