When are you going fully electric?

[b0rn2sk8]

if you are getting similar filling times to ICE stations with high charge power over a larger soc window, thanks to 800v plus merc 'smarts' on micro-management of individual battery cells,
you can think I'm paying the same fuel rate as ICE with no downside, but practically these high power chargers won't be deployed widely for a while.
(I thought charging curve on 400v e-trons was also meant to be good but haven't understood if there is a compromise, like cell life, somewhere, or just good cooling ???)
e: think they said their catl cells inherently will have 6/8C charge rate capability

There is nothing fundamentally different with that Merc are doing compared to others, there is no secret sauce here. Other cars can already recharge to 80% in 22 minutes and high power chargers are already widely deployed where they are needed.

Is there enough of them to enable 30 million cars to become EV's today? No of course not but there is more than enough for the current number of EV's on the roads, part of the reason pricing is high is because of the relatively low utilization. If anything what we lack is low power chargers at key locations like hotels, the more of those there are, the less people need to use high power chargers.

 

[Journey]

With respect, you have no idea how my travel and work is structured during my days on the road.

I could make an EV work but we are a way off in terms of destination charging for it to be a smooth transition.

Edit - my budget also wouldn't have bought an estate other than an MG5.

With respect, you yourself said that the company refused to not entertain fully electric, but give no solid reason other that 'cause. So I'll stick with my assessment of the company you work for.

Also what's wrong with an MG5, brand new 74 plate at £19.8k?

 

[chanjy]

Jeez I don’t click on this thread for a day and it’s full of nonsense

Half jp non sequiturs and half the usual anti ev guff

Saw a brand new Porsche Macan electric drive past me recently - looked nice although pretty small. Haven’t seen a q6/a6 yet!

 

[lordrobs]

With respect, you yourself said that the company refused to not entertain fully electric, but give no solid reason other that 'cause. So I'll stick with my assessment of the company you work for.

Also what's wrong with an MG5, brand new 74 plate at £19.8k?

There are a number of reasons but primarily impact on our own time. To paraphrase the boss, when he is confident that we can start each day with a full battery then he'll be confident to make the switch. Or in other words he wants to see the destination charging that was just mentioned in place at the hotels we use. Getting to places isn't the issue, it's the onward travel.

Also, the expenses side of things is more tricky with an EV unless you want your staff to be out of pocket for public charging, which our place wouldn't consider for a moment despite a lot of employers being happy for that to be the case. On that front it was bad timing as we've recently got a new finance manager so throwing spanners on fuel expenses wouldn't have been a very welcome distraction.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Half jp non sequitur

I'm old, what does that mean?

 

[OspreyO]

No one's likely to be forced to buy an EV for decades. Likely by the time that comes around there will be enough EVs and cleaner ICE that it will no longer be an issue.

If you want an EV you'll make it work. If you don't you won't.

 

[Rroff]

i my younger years i once drove none stop from just south of cambridge to Newcastle none stop. it was iirc around 270 miles door to door and somewhere between 5 and 6 hrs.

Admittedly in winter there is only a small number of EVs which could do that (possibly none in this country)........... but the reality is i could barely walk by the time i got there i was so desperate for a wee and i was exhausted, there is no doubt my decision making and reaction time was impared by then.... i should have had a break.

even a short 15min splash and go whilst i went the loo and stretched my legs would have meant even an average range EV would have been more than capable of making it without any drama and it would have been a safer journey as well.

It is a funny one - I don't really get fatigue from driving until I pass about 100 miles but it is pretty much all the same from there - the fatigue and impact from it doesn't really hit me until I stop. We regularly do far more than 270 miles without breaks or with minimal breaks. Either driving or being driven I've been doing it all my life though so probably far more than average conditioned to it.

 

[OspreyO]

Always found long distance driving on main roads boring to the point of making me sleepy so I've never done much of it, and I'm getting worse as I get older. I'm far better on twisty back roads.

However I know people that can drive long distances on motorways with few breaks and enjoy it.

Just buy the car that suits you.

 

[Rroff]

Just buy the car that suits you.

To be fair the car makes a huge difference on distance - I tend to drive stuff which eats up miles - lots of torque, comfy seats and plenty of legroom - some little hatchback with a gutless engine and basic seats I'd probably want to stop every 15 minutes :s

I'm also quite content watching the world going by so don't really get bored driving.

 

[chanjy]

I'm old, what does that mean?

There's just one guy who types random guff that doesn't make sense or logically follow on from the previous conversation

 

[ColdAsIce]

There's just one guy who types random guff that doesn't make sense or logically follow on from the previous conversation

Magnolia? xD

 

[Penfold101]

To be fair the car makes a huge difference on distance - I tend to drive stuff which eats up miles - lots of torque, comfy seats and plenty of legroom - some little hatchback with a gutless engine and basic seats I'd probably want to stop every 15 minutes :s

I'm also quite content watching the world going by so don't really get bored driving.

Adaptive Cruise Control - best invention ever.

 

[OspreyO]

Adaptive Cruise Control - best invention ever.

Same here, EV with ACC is the best cruiser I've ever owned.

 

[m4rmite]

Magnolia? xD

Keep it civil, there's no need to get emulsional!.

 

[Penfold101]

Same here, EV with ACC is the best cruiser I've ever owned.

Find a lorry/coach doing 65, slot in behind it and admire the scenery.

 

[413x]

No idea why people still think EVs mean more time wasted. In the last (almost) 5 years I've saved around 15+ hours not having to fill up at a refuelling station, but probably only waited for the car to charge on maybe 2-3 occasions, which is less than a couple of hours.

Frankly I tend to laugh at people now who use the same reasoning, and then come your with every excuse under the sun to avoid it like you are giving up a freedom by choosing an EV, more fool them I say, if they don't want to make an effort to learn some facts and maybe take a test drive then when they finally do change they'll be kicking themselves.

Makes sense.

Think of all the times you don't need to fill up.
I expect most people need to use a top up less than 10 percent of their trips.
If you're charging at home you are saving time every day

 

[jpaul]

There is nothing fundamentally different with that Merc are doing compared to others, there is no secret sauce here. Other cars can already recharge to 80% in 22 minutes and high power chargers are already widely deployed where they are needed.

you are incorrect - also if they start deploying 6C batteriess for the CLA thathelps
https://www.all-about-industries.co...-a-5dd09663d1b79ef542144110c15c80ce/?cflt=rel

e: so spelling it out teh combiantion => sustained high power charge curve

 

[lordrobs]

Find a lorry/coach doing 65, slot in behind it and admire the scenery.

You mean 56

I love ACC and use it almost all the time. Yesterday though I had two brake light flashers (EV6 and a Q4 etron) who I can only assume either weren't used to the regen and/or acceleration of their cars or simply thought the throttle was an on off switch.

Literally hundreds of brake light activations in what was generally free flowing traffic. Unfortunately my car was reacting to this so I was subjected to a somewhat smoothed out version of their driving style which was still enough to drive me insane. Felt like quite the chore having to deploy my right foot to keep a steady speed

 

[Yaayuh!]

You mean 56

I love ACC and use it almost all the time. Yesterday though I had two brake light flashers (EV6 and a Q4 etron) who I can only assume either weren't used to the regen and/or acceleration of their cars or simply thought the throttle was an on off switch.

Literally hundreds of brake light activations in what was generally free flowing traffic. Unfortunately my car was reacting to this so I was subjected to a somewhat smoothed out version of their driving style which was still enough to drive me insane. Felt like quite the chore having to deploy my right foot to keep a steady speed

Do the brake lights not come on with heavy regen though? You only need one normy driving without ACC to cause a load of ACC cars to brake/regen behind them.

 

[lordrobs]

Do the brake lights not come on with heavy regen though? You only need one normy driving without ACC to cause a load of ACC cars to brake/regen behind them.

Yeah I think this is what was happening. Even with no traffic in front of them their speed varied, quite abruptly, by about 10 mph. The EV6 I managed to relegate to my rear view mirror quite swiftly but I was sat behind that bloody Q4 for half the A14!