Least Troublesome Cars

My feeling is you need to get a decent one. With a modern auto transmission.

A million moving parts flailing around generating lots of heat, noise, fumes and with power characteristics so poor it needs electric motors just to get it going and then lots of gears to compensate for the lousy rev range. Yes, over the years car makers did get very good at hiding the deficiencies of ICEs but the deficiencies never went away.

My V6 Jag was nice, but it was a dinosaur. I think you need to get a decent EV.

Tim

Makes absolutely no sense here given the mileage I do. Plus the fact there isn't one to replace my daily driver. And just where would I charge it given I park on the street?

Once they level the playing field as regards taxation on fuel, etc, EVs will become even less popular.

Of course they won?t suit everyone, any more than an archaic ICE powered automatic barge, and yet that seems to be your repeated mantra.

Very probably but I think it?ll be a while coming. Meanwhile, you might go to your grave never having sampled the delights of driving an EV.

Tim

Should have said, yes cost will go up, but EVs will come anyway. There soon won?t be any alternative in the new car market.

Tim

Unlike you I don't see EVs as being the answer to everything.

And if you think it's the only way to provide a nice smooth power flow, you've simply not driven a decent car.

Of course when you compare a nice new £30000 vehicle, it's likely to be better in some ways to an ancient banger.

Had a test ride on an electric motorcycle last year. Complete hoot for a 100 mile range, rated as a 125cc but with the performance of a 600cc --- for 100 miles absolute max, then several hours to charge.

Ok as a commuter but really a bit too expensive for the range offered at £10000 to £18000 new. Range really is a bit too short for touring or a Sunday blat. Range would need to be 180 to 220 miles or so. Range makes them ok for a commute but suitable ICE commute bikes are a third to half the price new, significantly cheaper 2nd hand. These particular ones (a Zero electric bike) are new to the market so deprecation is unknown. Conclusion? Great fun (for 100 miles) but I would wait about 5 years before considering one. Currently range is too short, recharge time too long and not enough re-charge stations. If the notice from above -- "Range" is the problem, as I mention 4 times :-)

I'd avoid such an abomination like the plague, Dave. Modern multi-speed auto gearboxes like the ones ZF made are a dire liability in waiting. They never got serviced 'cos the car manufacturers that fitted them (like BMW among many others who should have known better) claimed they didn't need any; not even an occasional oil change. Plus you have all that electronic garbage inside there just waiting to go 'phut' and put you into 'limp-home mode' til you can find out which ruinously expensive component has failed - you'd have to want your head examined to own a car like that.

And that is something we should all rejoice over?? Personally I'm grateful I'm old enough to be dead by that time.

In my case, it?s got f*ck all to do with them being them being the answer to anything. They?re just a f*ck-load nicer to drive.

Missing the point again. Go out and try one.

Tim

Not what I?m saying. Just pointing out that burying your head in the sand won?t stop it happening.

I?m incredibly grateful that EVs have become a reality in my lifetime. Have you actually driven one? A test drive will cost you nothing. It might surprise you.

Tim

Your view is anything but the universal one. I'll say again - it would be easy for a nice new and expensive EV to be better than what you're used to.

Why? I'm not in the market for a new car. Indeed never have been. But in any case, as I said, an EV simply wouldn't be practical for me anyway. In the same way as it isn't for a large percentage of the population who would find it difficult or impossible to charge one.

I'd have a guessed a majority - but maybe not:

"In 2010, 40% of dwellings had use of a garage, 26% had other off street parking, 32% relied on street parking, and 2% of homes had no parking provision whatsoever" English Housing Survey 2010

Key problem at the moment is city dwellers in flats, terraces etc who could best make use of EVs probably can't.

However, if they have somewhere to park, there could be a charging point there. All city streets have electricity running down them. A tax on all electric vehicles could be used to pay for them.

BTW, when you say 40% of the population have the use of a garage, love to know how many use it to keep their car in it. Many newish developments round here have garage blocks. But hardly any use them for other than storage. Nor could you park outside to charge the car without blocking access for others. Even assuming the garage has an adequate power supply - many don't have any. Off street parking at your house would be easier, of course.

If you?ve not driven one you?re in no position to keep recommending slushbox barges as being as good.

Tim

Calling nimble city petrol or hybrid cars "slushbox barges" is a claim too far.

Heavy barges incorporating up to a ton batteries are hardly green given the mix of electricity they charge their batteries from.

They also typically create more pollution than modern diesel in terms of particulates from their tyres.

In short while I respect you like EVs, many of us don't have the facilities to charge them and have greener credentials from running alternatives.

Whenever there's Globalist pressure to roll some new environmental idea out, you can bet that pressure will be succumbed to - with totally unsatisfactory and very costly results. I'm old enough to have seen the cycle repeat itself over countless times and I'm just hoping I'll be dead before the bill comes in for this latest loony idea, because even though I haven't incurred it, I just know they'll somehow find a way to make me pay towards it.

In article <riirv4$18j6$ snipped-for-privacy@gioia.aioe.org>, RJH snipped-for-privacy@gmx.com scribeth thus

Heres a typical side street in Cambridge how do we propose the install the charging gear then?...

In article snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Cursitor Doom snipped-for-privacy@notformail.com scribeth thus

Yep!....