Found myself paying $2.52/litre for petrol the other day and actually I stopped filling the tank about halfway through. I can write off my fossil fuel delinquency on tax, but even for me that was a bit rich. I'm pretty sure the next vehicle is going to be pure electric and, stay with me now, I think it might be a... a... another Volvo.
Wait! Stop! Don't click away. I really like the look of the all-electric XC40.
There's a hybrid model, which like all hybrids is hot garbage, but I could plug this little battery on wheels into my big arse solar arrays and drive around for free.
Plus it has seat warmers, which I've come to appreciate as my bones age. The range is pretty good, 400km+ on a single charge, more than enough to get us down to Yamba or up to Noosa which are as far as we ever drive in one hop.
The one thing I don't really understand is how one pedal driving works, as per the Car and Driverreview.
All XC40 Recharge models will come with two electric motors, with one driving the front wheels and the second powering the rears, giving it full-time all-wheel drive. The powertrain puts out a stout 402 horsepower and rocketed the XC40 Recharge to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds at our test track. During our test drive, we noted a compliant ride and a refined cruising demeanour; aggressive drivers may find the Polestar 2 a better fit. Regenerative braking allows for one-pedal driving, which is a desirable and convenient EV feature that we appreciate.
Seriously if anyone has experienced this technology before, I'd be glad of a quick explanation.
Also, if you could organise a quick change of government and the scrapping of the luxury car tax on EVs that’d be awesome.
May 19, 2022·edited May 19, 2022Liked by John Birmingham
We have a newish hybrid so it’ll be a few years before we need a new car, but that one will probably be electric. I already feel like we made the wrong choice and should have gone electric now.
Not sure if it was Saul Griffiths or someone else saying it, but when you buy a Tesla you’re basically buying a battery for your house, and you get a free car with it.
Again- this. Although Tesla doesn't have the ability/approvals (maybe, sorta kinda not sure), but bi-directional charging is the killer app of EV ownership. An electric car can power a house for about 3 days.
One pedal driving and regenerative braking has the not obvious effect of making your inner city driving more efficient (longer range) than highway, rather than the other way like petrol cars.
Fuel (or electricity) is mostly used by accelerating your vehicle and beating air resistance (and hills). The constant stop start in city driving takes more than beating the higher air resistance of going at highway speeds. But if you get most of that back through regen braking, then air resistance becomes the biggest factor.
Also means if you one pedal brake, you're not actually using your brake pads - they can last a really long time. And there is not much engine servicing to be done. If you're a car repair shop that doesn't mostly do suspension, aircon or body work, I'd think about what I'm going to do in 10 years
It's just a stronger version of engine braking, not a big deal to get used to. The bigger shock is the acceleration, particularly when you are already moving.
Electric vehicles are exceeding all popularity expectations, I reckon by 2025 the majority of new cars sold will be electric. I just worry about the batteries, there is a huge market coming on battery replacement and recycling.
I've been admiring the Electric volvo at work, which has charging stations for the employees. I saw the Volvo and wondered if JB would buy one, because it looked good. The nissan leaf's are cute, but look a bit Nana-esk. The Teslas though, remind me of Homer's dream car ' you call that a drink holder? " I'd buy a volvo tomorrow if I was going to buy one, but I would like a Toyota 86 in electric or convert my beat up Navara to electric, mainly because I don't want to buy new stickers for it.
Normally when a car ends up in a pool or a chemist shop the driver explains they mistook the accelerator for the brake. This single pedal has taken that excuse away from us.
I thought that might be his argument, which is fair and correct. But most of the time our car sits under the house doing nothing. It could be charging every day, and the 400+ range will easily get us where we need to be. The problem I expect is a bunch of incompatible proprietary charging connections.
It still has a brake pedal - you just don't have to use it unless it is sort of an emergency. An old fart like you, puttering along at 50 kmh should be fine.
probably means you can speed up and slow down using the one pedal as you ease off and it'll suck power out of the wheel momentum. Doesn't mean you don't have a seperate safety brake pedal.
Yep- this. We have a Nissan Leaf, so can confirm. Momentum gets fed backward through the motor and into the battery. Brakes the car and charges the battery. Took about 30 seconds to get used to.
It's all something to do with that high school physics stuff. Kinetic energy can be converted into either heat or potential energy. In this case, the battery equals potential energy.
We have a newish hybrid so it’ll be a few years before we need a new car, but that one will probably be electric. I already feel like we made the wrong choice and should have gone electric now.
Not sure if it was Saul Griffiths or someone else saying it, but when you buy a Tesla you’re basically buying a battery for your house, and you get a free car with it.
Again- this. Although Tesla doesn't have the ability/approvals (maybe, sorta kinda not sure), but bi-directional charging is the killer app of EV ownership. An electric car can power a house for about 3 days.
One pedal driving and regenerative braking has the not obvious effect of making your inner city driving more efficient (longer range) than highway, rather than the other way like petrol cars.
Fuel (or electricity) is mostly used by accelerating your vehicle and beating air resistance (and hills). The constant stop start in city driving takes more than beating the higher air resistance of going at highway speeds. But if you get most of that back through regen braking, then air resistance becomes the biggest factor.
Also means if you one pedal brake, you're not actually using your brake pads - they can last a really long time. And there is not much engine servicing to be done. If you're a car repair shop that doesn't mostly do suspension, aircon or body work, I'd think about what I'm going to do in 10 years
"The range is pretty good, 400km+ on a single charge"... thats pretty good and would cover all my usual travel
It's just a stronger version of engine braking, not a big deal to get used to. The bigger shock is the acceleration, particularly when you are already moving.
Electric vehicles are exceeding all popularity expectations, I reckon by 2025 the majority of new cars sold will be electric. I just worry about the batteries, there is a huge market coming on battery replacement and recycling.
I've been admiring the Electric volvo at work, which has charging stations for the employees. I saw the Volvo and wondered if JB would buy one, because it looked good. The nissan leaf's are cute, but look a bit Nana-esk. The Teslas though, remind me of Homer's dream car ' you call that a drink holder? " I'd buy a volvo tomorrow if I was going to buy one, but I would like a Toyota 86 in electric or convert my beat up Navara to electric, mainly because I don't want to buy new stickers for it.
can they hurry up and release a 6-8 seat EV. I need my electric fuck bus already
I'll take a hybrid over a straight gas burner, although I concede the point that an electric is best.
As this model runs on Android Auto and other related Google stuff, let me say Welcome to the Dark side 😇😇😇😇😇
Normally when a car ends up in a pool or a chemist shop the driver explains they mistook the accelerator for the brake. This single pedal has taken that excuse away from us.
One pedal driving is like in a dodgem car, you lift off the accelerator it starts slowing down under regen brakes.
I wonder how long that takes to get used to.
No idea let us all know when you get one. 😀
There'll be one issue you face JB charging stations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX2et7lzJTQ
I stopped watching after three seconds. Dude needs to work on his intro.
Basically our infrastructure for charging sucks
I thought that might be his argument, which is fair and correct. But most of the time our car sits under the house doing nothing. It could be charging every day, and the 400+ range will easily get us where we need to be. The problem I expect is a bunch of incompatible proprietary charging connections.
Sounds like you need an Apple EV
It still has a brake pedal - you just don't have to use it unless it is sort of an emergency. An old fart like you, puttering along at 50 kmh should be fine.
Seat warmers, in Queensland! WTF.
Whoa! 50kph?!? Steady on there, Speedy Gonzales.
probably means you can speed up and slow down using the one pedal as you ease off and it'll suck power out of the wheel momentum. Doesn't mean you don't have a seperate safety brake pedal.
I get it - like a video game.
Yeh, just like a video game. Except no reloading save files after crashes.
D’oh!
Yep- this. We have a Nissan Leaf, so can confirm. Momentum gets fed backward through the motor and into the battery. Brakes the car and charges the battery. Took about 30 seconds to get used to.
It's all something to do with that high school physics stuff. Kinetic energy can be converted into either heat or potential energy. In this case, the battery equals potential energy.