real world EVs review

[tikal]

It is becoming abundantly clear that there will not be an exponential EV growth from one brand only and one company putting charging stations.

Putting the cart in front of the horse will continue the EV linear growth.

In short to midterm, it seems, hybrids have a better chance of substantial market share growth. The same abundant ICE 'charging stations ' work for hybrids.

 

[turbobrick240]

Surprise, surprise- the Fremantle Highway car carrier fire did not originate from or even include any EVs. Pretty good demonstration of the mental gymnastics some will go through to support their anti EV bias.

'Fremantle Highway' fire not caused by EVs

After the fire on the car cargo ship ‘Fremantle Highway’ off the Dutch coast, many popular media hastily identified an electric car as the cause. Now it turns out that this is untrue. Many publications used the fire accident to highlight the (real) difficulties of extinguishing a fire on an EV...

newmobility.news

EVs May Not Have Caused Fremantle Highway Fire After All | Carscoops

New photos show the extent of damage aboard the car carrying ship, with decks being "fused with cars"

www.carscoops.com

 

[lemoncurd]

with volvo moving to the NACS connector, their new ex30 looks very tempting!
i hope the upcoming tesla model 3 refresh (highland) and incoming volvo ex30 sparks a pricing war. both of those car's appear to be pitched towards the 30k price bracket. if tesla manages to keep the tax credit then a new tesla model 3 for sub 30k is entirely possible

competition is good! i am excited! though i dont see getting rid of my TDI for a long time. only way i'll part with it now is an accident or the new england salt runs it into the ground.

 

[Daemon64]

Improvements sound nice. I think about doing similer things to my home: the insulation and sealing are a no-brainer, but I struggle with what to do about windows. I'm picky about aesthetics, and the house has a lot of windows. What I really should do is move to a smaller home.

If you have a TON of windws like we do, i think its easily hundreds of sqft of windows in my house it makes such a huge difference, 2 of my windows are bow/bay that are 8ft wide and 5ft tall, so those windows alone account for 80sqft of wall space... and like going from R1.7 to R5.2 is an absolutely staggering amount of energy difference in 20f weather for BTU load...

80sqft @ 48deg temp diff @ R1.7 is 2258.8 btu/hr
80sqft @ 48deg temp diff @ R5.2 is 728.46 btu/hr

Those 2 windows alone will account for 1530 btu/hr

but lets say i have 300sqft of windows probably about rightish

300sqft @48deg temp diff @ R1.7 is 8470.59 btu/hr
300sqft @48deg temp diff @ R5.2 is 2769.23 btu/hr

difference of around 5700 btu/hr --- massive difference. and mind you some of those windows we moved from single paned 1970s R1 windows... so like thats an even bigger difference.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I don't have any really big windows, just a lot of them: 43 total. I do have a couple of french doors, but those are double glazed. I was insistent on getting true divided light windows, so they're single pane with combination storms. I don't want to give up the windows, but I could go to fixed double glazed low e storms on the front of the house and on the living room. That's "only" 17 windows. I'm just having trouble finding someone to make them.

My house faces west and the living room is on the south side, so the low e would help in the summer, too. Right now I have pleated shades that I lower in the daytime so the A/C doesn't have to work as hard.

 

[Daemon64]

Been heating with wood primarily for the two decades, did the numbers once and found that I was saving more Green House Gasses (GHGs) than my friends $100+K solar array... She unfriended me when I told her that. Thanks for the data on the pellet stove vs. what I assume is electric heat pumps, been tempted to try a heat pump with the rebates but it might actually increase my GHG emissions as you found.

Yes they are electric heat pumps. Removing the chimney also likely has air sealed the house a SIGNIFICANT amount.

Prior to removing the chimney, sealing 2 large foundation cracks, replacing my failed basement exterior door ( where i could see daylight through part of the frame ), air sealing below and above ground completely on 60% of the basement. When we had our attic insulation done we went from 2100cfm to 1451cfm@50 ( House is 32,783.33 cubic feet total, 1970sqft @ 14 ft 2 or 27908.33cf + ( 650sqft @ 7ft 6 ) 4875 cf for addition) so thats 1451cfm * 60 or 87,060 CF / house CF of 32783.33 or 2.66 ACH50 in a 1971 house, because we gutted and airsealed a significant amount of it.... so like you can do it if you want to. I imagine its way tighter than that now, and when we are finished w/ the main house and not the addition i will get another blow door test...

 

[turbobrick240]

Yeah, on most homes of that vintage tightening up the envelope to reduce air infiltration will yield more energy savings than replacement windows. On really old homes the windows and doors can be major sources of air infiltration themselves. My dad used to work for the state energy dept. and did blower door tests for air infiltration. He built our house in '78 with imported European triple pane tilt sash windows, which was unusual at the time. Also spray foam urethane insulation which was just being introduced. I remember putting in neoprene gaskets behind the power outlet covers that were supplied for free by the state.

 

[gulfcoastguy]

VW ID.GTI Concept EV re-ups the fun compact car for the electric era

The ID.GTI Concept pays homage to all the gasoline versions of the GTI, while applying the formula to a cost-conscious EV.

www.greencarreports.com

 

[kjclow]

We probably won't see it on this side of the pond.

 

[x1800MODMY360x]

We probably won't see it on this side of the pond.

Just like the CUAA Engine

 

[turbobrick240]

We probably won't see it on this side of the pond.

I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up here shortly after the gasoline powered GTI disappears.

 

[gulfcoastguy]

2024 VW ID.4 EV gets more power, likely boost to range

A new power unit at the rear wheels in both single- and dual-motor models with the larger battery pack will boost performance and bring a range improvement, VW suggests.

www.greencarreports.com

The article misses a few details like the improved 4.0 software and the 21 inch wheels on the top of the line model.

 

[oilhammer]

Mmm.... even MORE expensive tires! Of course, I guess if you can afford one, the cost of tires isn't an issue. And I think a lot of people who buy those new won't have them long enough to wear out more than one set anyway, if that.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I drove down to NYC on Sunday and Routes 95 and 278 near the city are rough enough that I was grateful for my 65 series tires. Anything much lower profile probably would have resulted in a bent wheel or two. 21s? No thank you, at least as long as I continue to drive in the real world.

 

[gulfcoastguy]

As I said the 21's are only available in the very top of the line trim, Pro S Plus. otherwise it s the same 19 and 20 inch wheels as currently offered.

 

[oilhammer]

... which are still ridiculously big and superfluous expensive.

 

[El Dobro]

Just picked up a '23 Bolt EUV Premier and loving it.

 

[Daemon64]

Just picked up a '23 Bolt EUV Premier and loving it.

I just pre-ordered an Audi RS3. It should line up perfectly with the polestar end or lease.

Current garage:
2022 polestar 2 long range dual motor
2023 vw golf r 20th 6spd
2011 wrx hatchback 5spd ( super modified)

Considering if early termination works out, might go find a 15/16 Q5 TDI to keep perm. Flushing out a list of cars we'll own and put 18-20k per year total across all of them.

Seems like a good list to me 5spd man, 6spd man, 7spd dsg, 8spd ZF. A 2.5L boxer motor, a 2.5L 5cyl, a 2 0T, and a 3.0 6cyl DSL. Can't think of anything else after that, that I'd want, short of some rando electric later down the line...

 

[pkhoury]

Related to this conversation, as much as my mother likes her Tesla, she's already decided that as soon as she gets her IRS credit, she's selling her Tesla, and keeping both her 2014 Beetle TDI and 2015 BMW 328d. Found it interesting, given how much she's used it this summer. A little ironic too, given that she complained about our power bill being high for the summer and thinks that supercharging is cheaper (which we know it's not). She's also only been using a 120V charger, because we don't have provisions to add another 240V circuit for charging.

 

[turbobrick240]

Related to this conversation, as much as my mother likes her Tesla, she's already decided that as soon as she gets her IRS credit, she's selling her Tesla, and keeping both her 2014 Beetle TDI and 2015 BMW 328d. Found it interesting, given how much she's used it this summer. A little ironic too, given that she complained about our power bill being high for the summer and thinks that supercharging is cheaper (which we know it's not). She's also only been using a 120V charger, because we don't have provisions to add another 240V circuit for charging.

I'm not surprised about the high power bill- it's been a warm summer in TX this year. My cousin in Austin said they had something like 20 consecutive days of 100°+ temps. A lot of them 105°+. At least ERCOT had a massive influx of wind and solar power to prop up the grid.

 

[pkhoury]

I'm not surprised about the high power bill- it's been a warm summer in TX this year. My cousin in Austin said they had something like 20 consecutive days of 100°+ temps. A lot of them 105°+. At least ERCOT had a massive influx of wind and solar power to prop up the grid.

San Antonio reached a new record. I think like 76 consecutive days of 100+ weather? It totally sucks when you have hyperhidrosis, because you never stop sweating, so no chance for it to wick off your body, and you start overheating as a result.

 

[turbobrick240]

San Antonio reached a new record. I think like 76 consecutive days of 100+ weather? It totally sucks when you have hyperhidrosis, because you never stop sweating, so no chance for it to wick off your body, and you start overheating as a result.

Damn, that sounds hellacious. We never touched 100° here in Maine this summer(or most summers). Which is good, because I start to wilt at around 90°, lol.

 

[Lightflyer1]

I'm not surprised about the high power bill- it's been a warm summer in TX this year. My cousin in Austin said they had something like 20 consecutive days of 100°+ temps. A lot of them 105°+. At least ERCOT had a massive influx of wind and solar power to prop up the grid.

45 days consecutive.

Austin's 45-day triple-digit heat streak comes to an end

Lucky rains were able to cool off Austin just enough Tuesday to stay below 100 degrees.

www.kvue.com

.

 

[pkhoury]

45 days consecutive.

Austin's 45-day triple-digit heat streak comes to an end

Lucky rains were able to cool off Austin just enough Tuesday to stay below 100 degrees.

www.kvue.com

.

Whatever it was, it's been quite brutal. Even here in Hill Country, where it's 8-12 degrees cooler than Austin or San Anton, it's totally sucked!

Damn, that sounds hellacious. We never touched 100° here in Maine this summer(or most summers). Which is good, because I start to wilt at around 90°, lol.

Yeah, well, I usually get heat exhaustion and get sick (I'll spare you the details, but use your imagination), even if I'm changing out with fresh shirts. I'm just glad it's finally cooler today. I guess my clutch fork took took the right week to break on me, because I wouldn't want to be pulling a tranny when it's 107 outside.

 

[Daemon64]

https://www.newsweek.com/your-next-green-car-may-run-gas-get-100-miles-gallon-1814144 now this is wild. Seems very promising, and if you combine that with something like free-valve ... you could have a monster of a vehicle that gets north of 100 MPG, w/ tons of power, and very low if any emissions... like my P2 produces all in around 150g/mi of co2 because of grid mix here... but like immediately any gas vehicle that is 60mpg or higher is only 148... they're talking about vehicles north of 100.... 100 would be 88.87 g/co2 / mi.... What would be wild is if something like this came out, and could be retrofitted via tuning and such to older vehicles. Take a car getting 25 MPG average and bring it north of say 70.... that would have PROFOUND effects, nevermind the savings to the consumer.... say such a kit was $2000, at $3.50/gal gas, at 22,222 miles you'd break even, every mile after that you're saving significantly....

 

[turbobrick240]

100 mpg would be great. VW made a few hundred diesel/electric XL1 about a decade ago. It was supposed to get up to 240 mpg- but I'm not sure how much of that figure included charging. Cool looking car. Much better looking than the EV1, imo.

Volkswagen 1-litre car - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Daemon64]

100 mpg would be great. VW made a few hundred diesel/electric XL1 about a decade ago. It was supposed to get up to 240 mpg- but I'm not sure how much of that figure included charging. Cool looking car. Much better looking than the EV1, imo.

Volkswagen 1-litre car - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

That's an interesting concept for sure... but we're not talking lightweight concept cars. With the technology I listed above just the plasma igniter vs spark plug they can inject significantly less fuel for the same power, and saying a standard gas vehicle could easily be north of 100mpg... think likely jetta is my guess which can get into high mpg

 

[turbobrick240]

The XL1 was actually a production vehicle that came off a Wolfsburg assembly line and was bought by the general public. Just not by that many. This plasma injection thing sounds a bit hokey to me, honestly. They try to same it's a completely different chemical reaction than traditional internal combustion. I'm skeptical of that. I'd classify it with those miracle dimpled pistons that are supposed to defy the laws of physics. I suppose time will tell.

 

[Daemon64]

The XL1 was actually a production vehicle that came off a Wolfsburg assembly line and was bought by the general public. Just not by that many. This plasma injection thing sounds a bit hokey to me, honestly. They try to same it's a completely different chemical reaction than traditional internal combustion. I'm skeptical of that. I'd classify it with those miracle dimpled pistons that are supposed to defy the laws of physics. I suppose time will tell.

I didn't mean to degrade the XL1 as a production car, was more pointing out that it is intact practical to most people which is why there was limited success... whereas this has application possibilities to existing vehicle stock

Supposedly the plasma thing has been around a long time and proven but they've never been able to make them smaller than a fridge and they were super expensive. The point of this is the guy has shrunk the process, it's cheap, and reliable. I'd read more about it if I were you.

 

[El Dobro]

In USA bucks (although not available here) the cost for the XL1 was around $146,000, in 2013. And people ***** about EV prices!