Electric Cars:what's available?

[Dormouse]

I found this in my searches about electric vehicles ( while I was actually researching Sand Ladders - just go with it. I got side tracked by an Electric VW Syncro Transporter ) Anyway, I think it contains a fair comment on EVs and their battery packs/ Claims of Range.
I was interested and followed this guy's build of a Suzuki Sidekick EV conversion and his whole series of vlogs are very interesting I think.

[Dormouse]

This vlog kind of puts context to the reasons for the conversion and some real world info.

[NewcastleFalcon]

The presenter in that first video is really hard work. He is the soporific antithesis of the normal mode of presenter from the USA which tends to be fast talking, too loud and mostly manic, often with the Gibbo room 101 characteristic of arm waving!

I couldn't get through the 15 minutes of the video.

Conversions are well and truly hampered by high battery prices, for the small scale converter. That leaves a market for used battery packs from first generation EV's like the Leaf/Zoe and over in the US his pack from the Chevy Volt together with occasionally cells available from written off Teslas. Conversions currently fall into

1. Less than ideal, was it worth it, moderately expensive category where you could easily spend an equivalent amount of money and buy a very decent second hand whole EV with miles better range and performance.

2. Eye-wateringly expensive professional conversions of classics.

This thread specifically on Conversions has plenty examples in its pages.

https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... 16#p696116


Regards Neil

[Dormouse]

Yes I have seen that link. The American guy in the vlog was not your normal Yank, thankfully, but his less than professional presentations do show that he has at least researched the subject - he just hasn't reached professional standards of video editing and producing. He is at least trying to give us/ share his honest findings in his quest for an EV to meet his needs. An Australian video about the same/similar type of motor in a Series Landrover kind of covers the uses of the gearbox as well as the transfer gearbox and touches on issues in the Suzuki build.



There is a wealth of information on this subject and I just found it refreshing not to be subjected to the stereotypical Yankee crap or the glitzy Professional Presenter. The information contained in the vlogs was the key elements for me as it talked about Real World vs The Theoretical Maximum crap that Media types try to blind us with and how operating temperature and usage are the key - not the hyped figures trotted out to impress us.

[ChrisRobin]

Interesting anomaly has cropped up in relation to EV's which as a dealer (Seat/Skoda/Audi/Vw cars and vans) and as a main dealer we missed it as well, so the story goes.
Customer takes his EV Skoda to a company called Costal Tow bars to have bar fitted, 45min later he is at our service desk saying the tow bar company can't fit the bar, it would be illegal as its towing weight is zero.
so we look into it to cut a long story short and lots of checks later plus a technical ticket sent to Skoda it turns out the vehicle has a maximum permissible towing weight of 0000KG, Technical say on this matter this particular vehicle is not homologated (approved) for towing and under no circumstance should we fit a bar as it would make the vehicle illegal should it tow something, if the customer ordered the vehicle from the factory with TOW PREP then it would have had a tow weight. We have just had to remove and refund another customer as we fitted one to another Skoda with 0000KG tow weight, it never occurred to us to check the vin plate.
Even more annoying my parts catalogue which is VIN driven gives me a PR code for the Skoda as no tow prep BUT lists a detachable tow bar for it? How wrong is that! yet if it does not have NAV in it (PR code for MEDIA only) it does not list any SD/CD map upgrades so it can figure that out but not the tow bar.
You do begin to wonder how more vehicles without tow prep out there actually have bars fitted and not just by us .

[NewcastleFalcon]

Interesting but surely a major own goal by Skoda, Chris.

Bit of EV tow car discussion here, but nothing on that 0000 kg towing anomaly.

https://electrictowcars.co.uk/skoda-enyaq-iv/

Interesting anomaly has cropped up in relation to EV's which as a dealer (Seat/Skoda/Audi/Vw cars and vans) and as a main dealer we missed it as well, so the story goes.
Customer takes his EV Skoda to a company called Costal Tow bars to have bar fitted, 45min later he is at our service desk saying the tow bar company can't fit the bar, it would be illegal as its towing weight is zero.
so we look into it to cut a long story short and lots of checks later plus a technical ticket sent to Skoda it turns out the vehicle has a maximum permissible towing weight of 0000KG, Technical say on this matter this particular vehicle is not homologated (approved) for towing and under no circumstance should we fit a bar as it would make the vehicle illegal should it tow something, if the customer ordered the vehicle from the factory with TOW PREP then it would have had a tow weight. We have just had to remove and refund another customer as we fitted one to another Skoda with 0000KG tow weight, it never occurred to us to check the vin plate.
Even more annoying my parts catalogue which is VIN driven gives me a PR code for the Skoda as no tow prep BUT lists a detachable tow bar for it? How wrong is that! yet if it does not have NAV in it (PR code for MEDIA only) it does not list any SD/CD map upgrades so it can figure that out but not the tow bar.
You do begin to wonder how more vehicles without tow prep out there actually have bars fitted and not just by us

Regards Neil

[ChrisRobin]

As stated has to come with tow prep from factory and that's direct from Skoda Technical to us a main dealer. the point made was how many people look at the tow weight when they:
A, fit an aftermarket tow bar.
B, when they hook their trailer up and load up.
We all just take it for granted it has a tow weight.

Even more interesting it seems it is not just EV's the have a 0000KG tow weight IC can as well. Enyaq may well be a different beast, we have only ever sold 2 of them so far and both od them had battery software issues, mainly ID3/4 are selling like hot cakes as is the Q8 Etron and also the Q4 is now staring to pick up. Not sure on the "own goal" went over my head, sorry!
try.
https://www.towbarexpress.co.uk/maximum-towing-weight

[Gibbo2286]

My optician bought an Audi Q something then went to get a tow bar fitted, they wanted £4,500 to fit it, said they had to relocate all the car's computer kit.

[Dormouse]

Interesting anomaly has cropped up in relation to EV's which as a dealer (Seat/Skoda/Audi/Vw cars and vans) and as a main dealer we missed it as well, so the story goes.
Customer takes his EV Skoda to a company called Costal Tow bars to have bar fitted, 45min later he is at our service desk saying the tow bar company can't fit the bar, it would be illegal as its towing weight is zero.
so we look into it to cut a long story short and lots of checks later plus a technical ticket sent to Skoda it turns out the vehicle has a maximum permissible towing weight of 0000KG, Technical say on this matter this particular vehicle is not homologated (approved) for towing and under no circumstance should we fit a bar as it would make the vehicle illegal should it tow something, if the customer ordered the vehicle from the factory with TOW PREP then it would have had a tow weight. We have just had to remove and refund another customer as we fitted one to another Skoda with 0000KG tow weight, it never occurred to us to check the vin plate.
Even more annoying my parts catalogue which is VIN driven gives me a PR code for the Skoda as no tow prep BUT lists a detachable tow bar for it? How wrong is that! yet if it does not have NAV in it (PR code for MEDIA only) it does not list any SD/CD map upgrades so it can figure that out but not the tow bar.
You do begin to wonder how more vehicles without tow prep out there actually have bars fitted and not just by us .

This isn't restricted to pure EVs. Our Hybrid 4 Peugeot 3008 can tow but at a much reduced weight. When I trawled the internet and also checked with a couple of local towbar fitters I got widely varying results for the weight I could tow. Interestingly, both towbar fitters didn't know the Hybrid 4 had a weight restriction. They looked up the appropriate kit and quoted a price but were not aware of the restriction - so your own goal isn't uncommon and shows how poor the information on towbars is in the first place, even for professionals.
PS The Hybrid 4 tows well but you have to use manual 4wd to get the best mode if your towing companion is a bit porky.

[NewcastleFalcon]

As stated has to come with tow prep from factory and that's direct from Skoda Technical to us a main dealer. the point made was how many people look at the tow weight when they:
A, fit an aftermarket tow bar.
B, when they hook their trailer up and load up.
We all just take it for granted it has a tow weight.

.... Not sure on the "own goal" went over my head, sorry!
try.

Not your own personal "own goal" Chris (apologies if you read it that way), but Skoda's, or any other manufacturer of a new vehicle, who manufactures a new car which is incapable/illegal to tow any trailer no matter how small and light the trailer is.

Prior to your post, I was certainly one of those in the your category "We all just take it for granted it has a tow-weight".

Regards Neil

[ChrisRobin]

No worries Neil
We had a Customer in mid week with a Q8 etron (holiday maker) complaining his etron was only getting 60 miles to a full charge.
Bike rack on back 3 bikes on it
VERY Large roof box on roof (full)
Cooler plugged in
Boot FULL
and all seats taken by passengers..... so a full car of humans.

Not sure why he thought he would get anymore miles from it. When this was pointed out to him, his answer!
Well my Q7 was always alright!
That was a diesel sir!

[NewcastleFalcon]

The Tesla Model Y will be on the roads of Britain now....deliveries have kicked off from the Shanghai Factory in China

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-y ... ies-event/

Electrek's take
Tesla launches Model Y in the UK and other right-hand-drive markets


REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Whats the Model Y like then Ginny? You've got 7 minutes 48 seconds to tell the FCF.

I wont be troubling the scorers, "it isn't an inexpensive car"



Regards Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Rich man's territory there. Still with that awful screen and from the side looks like a raised Prius from 2008. I'll stick to electric cars with slot guides thankyou!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

While our electric vehicles spotting thread, and this thread shows that the well-heeled are reasonably well provided for with electric vehicles, the cosy price cartel hasn't been smashed by anyone not even DACIA, and the affordable EV for mass adoption has not materialised.

So back to China where there are several from Great Wall and others, but the most dominant one of them all is the Wuhling Mini EV. Yes it has big players in its corner SAIC and GM.

This article indicated there were plans to bring it to Europe

https://www.electrive.com/2021/09/21/ho ... nge-boost/

and it would appear that it has reappeared assembled in Lithuania "passed all the tests" and up on this website here
with a new name the FreZe NIKROB EV

https://nikrob.uk/

https://nikrob.uk/

REgards Neil