25 Comments
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.

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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

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"The range is pretty good, 400km+ on a single charge"... thats pretty good and would cover all my usual travel

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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.

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May 22, 2022·edited May 22, 2022

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.

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can they hurry up and release a 6-8 seat EV. I need my electric fuck bus already

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I'll take a hybrid over a straight gas burner, although I concede the point that an electric is best.

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As this model runs on Android Auto and other related Google stuff, let me say Welcome to the Dark side 😇😇😇😇😇

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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.

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One pedal driving is like in a dodgem car, you lift off the accelerator it starts slowing down under regen brakes.

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There'll be one issue you face JB charging stations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX2et7lzJTQ

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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.

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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.

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