|
A long way off?
Over 300,000 of the old model Nissan Leaf were produced. Tesla have made over 200,000 of its Model S and over 70,000 Model X while Renault has recently produced its 100,000th Zoe. That's a total of 670,000. Compare that with the total production the the MGB between 1962 and 1980, which was bit over 520,000.
The new Tesla Model 3, after a shaky start to production, is now being built at the rate of around 3,000 per week.
|
|
That's great, but how many of them are on UK roads? At the moment, an electric car only works for someone who travels short journeys and has the ability to recharge their car securely. It'll take a miracle for electric cars to become the norm over the next decade, at least in the UK.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the electric car. If a car does what I need it to at a price I can afford then I'm not particularly bothered about how it's being powered. But, there are massive, glaring issues with purely electric cars in the UK which I don't see being addressed any time soon.
|
|
Electric car charging will require special parkng stations for the thousands of cars on matorways trying to recharge for 1-2 hours..Anyone who does understand logistics realise that is going to takes 5-10 years for planning and running cabling to the sites. Proponents of electric cars don't appear to understand logistics - see Tesla's continuing inability to make cars in volume they planned for.
|
I've often thought that there must be a market for a decluttered car, sort of the Dacia principle but taken further. A car that has everything you need to get around but nothing you don't.
In a way, I suppose the original Mini was pretty close to that. Not sure if there's a modern equivalent or indeed if it could legally be sold given today's and forthcoming legislation.
Edited by Alby Back on 12/06/2018 at 14:28
|
I've often thought that there must be a market for a decluttered car, sort of the Dacia principle but taken further. A car that has everything you need to get around but nothing you don't.
In a way, I suppose the original Mini was pretty close to that. Not sure if there's a modern equivalent or indeed if it could legally be sold given today's and forthcoming legislation.
I agree. It really surprises me that to get a well-made and comfortable car you often get a whole load of pointless add-ons and driver distraction devices landed on you.
James May once described the Panda as all the car you need and I agree about the original Mini, perhaps the Nuova 500 too.
Legislation, of course, adds to the complexity but it’s fashion and perceived need that fuels a lot of the pointless ‘features’ on modern cars, and a seemingly insatiable desire to carry ‘stuff’ that fuels the constant growth of the cars that are on sale.
|
|
|
|
The Nissan Pixo comes pretty close.
|
|
|
|
Seem to remember the old Beetle not having a fuel guage. I think you are right, you might be on to something, just good quality with nothing unessential binned.
|
Seem to remember the old Beetle not having a fuel guage. I think you are right, you might be on to something, just good quality with nothing unessential binned.
I doubt its as easy as that, as everything is microchip now,ie, all electronics are processor controlled and built into the chip, so takes up no room to speak off. you cannot leave anything out from a piece of silicon, so all it needs is thin/lightweight cabling and sensors or bluetooth transmission
the days of unessential are gone in that you either buy it or leave it, but I can`t see many leaving it as most want the latest tech....
|
|
That's the point isn't it - 'most want the latest tech'.
The basic no-frills car makes perfect logical sense - except that not many people,particularly in the UK, would buy it. I'm sure I read somewhere that Dacia sell may more of the higher-up versions of their cars than the very basic versions whose low price makes the headlines.
I've also heard that French people are much readier to buy basic versions. A high percentage of them buy cars made in France, which don't go wrong often as they don't have all the complex electronics that the British insist on.
|
That's the point isn't it - 'most want the latest tech'.
The basic no-frills car makes perfect logical sense - except that not many people,particularly in the UK, would buy it. I'm sure I read somewhere that Dacia sell may more of the higher-up versions of their cars than the very basic versions whose low price makes the headlines.
I've also heard that French people are much readier to buy basic versions. A high percentage of them buy cars made in France, which don't go wrong often as they don't have all the complex electronics that the British insist on.
Having owned a basic VW TakeUp, and now a Polo, I’ll take the Polo any time. It’s not the latest tech. It’s traction control that can save your life. And air con with recirculating that can make the car bearable. Heated wing mirrors are safer. And decent audio with CarPlay that makes driving a sheer pleasure. You are of course right that basic is more reliable.
|
|
You are of course right that basic is more reliable.
in this day and age, electronics should be more reliable apart from money making by the OEMs, all electrics should outlast a cars life so the idea that the more loaded a car is the less reliable it is should not be the case
I think as far as EVs are concerned batteries will become more efficient and quicker charging with larger capacity, and motors getting smaller and more powerfull using less power, though as I said before hybrids will take over for a while as the perception is they are better for the environment
|
|
I've often thought that there must be a market for a decluttered car, sort of the Dacia principle but taken further. A car that has everything you need to get around but nothing you don't. In a way, I suppose the original Mini was pretty close to that. Not sure if there's a modern equivalent or indeed if it could legally be sold given today's and forthcoming legislation.
I agree with that also. My Jazz has electric windows all round, climate control, heated mirrors but its the basic ES version. Thats about as much tech as I need in a car. Anything else is flim flam, fluff, stuff to tell folks about if you're a bit of a nerd and think they're easily impressed.
It probably has traction control too, but I drive so slowly most of the time that I'll probably never need it.
In the short time I owned it, my B Max threw up several warnings about the temporary loss of various monitoring devices: tyre pressures, for example, which when checked were fine. These warnings always cleared themselves, and none of them ever threatended to make any difference to the driveability of the car. But what they DID do, they eroded my confidence in the vehicle, rather than enhancing it.
|
|
I agree that the Jazz has everything I want - and very little that I don't
My 2014 ES CVT has climate-control, folding mirrors etc. There are no touch-sensitive screens, DRLs, TPMS, EPB etc. It even uses R134a refrigerant. I don't have any parking aids on it - I can see clearly all around. The TC/CVT is an absolute joy - very easy when manouevering, or in traffic. At 70MPH the engine typically runs about 2200 RPM. It overtakes easily also.
Suitable cars also available from other manufacturers :-)
|
I agree that the Jazz has everything I want - and very little that I don't
My 2014 ES CVT has climate-control, folding mirrors etc. There are no touch-sensitive screens, DRLs, TPMS, EPB etc. It even uses R134a refrigerant. I don't have any parking aids on it - I can see clearly all around. The TC/CVT is an absolute joy - very easy when manouevering, or in traffic. At 70MPH the engine typically runs about 2200 RPM. It overtakes easily also.
Suitable cars also available from other manufacturers :-)
Must admit, I do slightly miss the DRLs. They gave the front end of the Ford a sort of "scary face" look, which might have made my presence on the road appear more intimidating than it really is.
Since the change of vehicle, I assume other road users think I'm a pensioner whose flat cap is in the wash.
|
I suppose it's a natural enough human trait to imagine that people are aware of us, and making judgements or drawing conclusions about us depending on what car we happen to be driving. But I rather suspect that none of us are usually generating any significant interest from others at all.
Unless another vehicle in my close proximity is being driven in an extreme manner, whether that be too fast, too slowly, too inattentively or indeed too dangerously, I'm not at all bothered what it is, what it looks like or who is driving it. I'm inclined to think that most other road users won't especially have noticed or cared about me or what I was driving unless I did something to inconvenience them.
|
|
|
|
|
Electric car charging will require special parkng stations for the thousands of cars on matorways trying to recharge for 1-2 hours..Anyone who does understand logistics realise that is going to takes 5-10 years for planning and running cabling to the sites. Proponents of electric cars don't appear to understand logistics - see Tesla's continuing inability to make cars in volume they planned for.
And Jaguar is about to bring out their own dodgem, followed soon by other makers. Tesla may. well go bust.
|
|
|
|
|
