Electric Cars...

[mazelda 124]

Not sure the equivallent in USA but they are large stores that sell everything from tools,eletrical lighting, gardening plants, building materials, basically if you need it for your home to build or fix, you will find it in B & Q 

 

Also just bought my first EV but not from B&Q lol

Edited March 23, 2022 by mazelda

[dmwalker 605]

46 minutes ago, martin-w said:

the vast majority of states only require that you have a regular driver’s license to operate Aptera.

Apparently, New York, Massachusetts and Alaska require a motorcycle licence for this.

[birdguy 3,943]

Do steering techniques differ from standard 2 front wheel steering to single rear wheel steering?  What about when you find yourself in a skid in ice or snow?

Noel

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

1 hour ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

What's B&Q?

Cheers, Rob.

Block and Quayle apparently. This from their website...

B&Q has been proudly serving customers since 1969, when two men walked on the moon, and two men called Richard Block and David Quayle opened their first store in Southampton.

[martin-w 3,235]

1 hour ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

1000 mi ranges will come soon enough via major auto manufacturers ... current EVs are only scratching the surface of efficiency and range. 

 

Yep. As we speak Samsung are firing up their porotype solid state battery production line. Toyota too have a solid sate battery ready to go. Beyond that its very encouraging.  I've already listed the advanced battery tech in the lab now.

Edited March 23, 2022 by martin-w

[martin-w 3,235]

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

I'm guessing the British equivalent to our Home Depot or Lowes.

 

Spot on Mr Noel. 

Quote

Are you going to get an electric truck?

 

No way, too big for UK roads, and gigantic for Guernsey baby roads where extreme precision is a requirement. I feel for my daughter learning to drive here, way, way harder than the UK. 

I fancy the Model Y. Taller than the Model 3 so easier for me to get in and out with a dodgy disc. And a hatchback with plenty of room for the sort of DIY I might do. The only thing I'm not so fond of is the Tesla obsession with "reinventing the wheel". Conventional instruments work great, no need for everything on a touchscreen. And is there really a need for such a big display? Bet I'd get used to it though. Would prefer regen on the brake pedal too, rather than this bonkers "one foot driving". 

 

Quote

Do steering techniques differ from standard 2 front wheel steering to single rear wheel steering?  What about when you find yourself in a skid in ice or snow?

 

Like all modern cars it has every acronym related to safety. ABS traction control all that stuff. As for three wheels, a single wheel at the front is notoriously unstable on a car, but two wheels on the front and one on the back is  stable. Some very high performance cars have been built that way.

For example the Slingshot and my favourite...

The T-Rex!

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by martin-w

[birdguy 3,943]

I think my problem with the T-Rex and the Aptera would be I know a lot of people in town and they would always know where I was.  "Hey, Noel, saw you parked at WalMart the other day.  What did you buy?" or "Is anything wrong Noel?  You were parked at the hospital yesterday?"

They may be too outlandish for small conservative city like Roswell.

Noel

[martin-w 3,235]

Check this out. Electric conversion Beetle against a Lotus. Lotus doesn't stand a chance. 

This company in the UK covert all manner of electric cars into electric.

 

 

 

[birdguy 3,943]

Where do I put my groceries Martin?  In the back seat?  I have problem getting myself out of the car let alone trying to reach in a get them out of the back seat.

Now all of bags I get from shopping aside from a single small item that can fit in the front seat all go in the trunk.   I give the bag boy at the grocery store a dollar tip for wheeling the basket out to the car and putting the groceries in the trunk.

Noel

[n4gix 4,947]

All of the stores here in Hot Springs, Arkansas have electric scooter carts for use. I usually will drive it out to my car, unload the stuff, then drive it back and park it. This saves the cart person from the chore.  😏

[dave2013 1,130]

3 hours ago, birdguy said:

Where do I put my groceries Martin?  In the back seat?

At the very end of the video they show the rear hatch that lifts up with a small storage area.  So it's a hatchback, albeit a tiny one.

It's a neat little car, but too pricey for its size IMO.

It's small size and light weight is a big reason why it can have such a long range.

On another note, I've been reading about the solid state battery technology for electric vehicles and it looks very promising, albeit expensive.  They are safer, have higher energy density, and can charge faster - just what we need.

Now we need a *lot* more charging stations, and not just the little 50KW ones but the big 200KW ones that can charge the batteries a lot faster.

I'm not going to be an EV adopter any time soon for a variety of reasons, not least of which is I need a truck to tow my travel trailer, but I will get one eventually.  Are there EV trucks that can tow 6,000 lbs(2,700Kg)?

Dave

[birdguy 3,943]

Fr Bill, Walking the aisles of the super market is needed exercise.  I have a handicapped parking sticker so I am close to the door.  I walk to the lobby with my cane.   Then I get a shopping cart and hang onto it for balance.  I do a lot of walking up and down the aisles, even the aisles that have things I don't intend to buy like pet food, baby things and women's hygiene products.  It's great exercise for someone who has a balance problem and needs the exercise.

As soon as the weather warms up a it more I'll be walking in the park with my walker.

They don't have motorized walkers yet.  I think with the batteries they have now they will be out shortly.  If I can get one with a four or five mile range I'll think of buying one.

That last paragraph is for you Charlie to bring the thread back to the subject of electric vehicles.

Noel 

Edited March 24, 2022 by birdguy

[harrry 322]

On 3/10/2022 at 1:31 AM, birdguy said:

Electric motors have more torque than internal combustion engines.

Noel

More talk too

[goates 576]

4 hours ago, dave2013 said:

I'm not going to be an EV adopter any time soon for a variety of reasons, not least of which is I need a truck to tow my travel trailer, but I will get one eventually.  Are there EV trucks that can tow 6,000 lbs(2,700Kg)?

Yep, there are. The problem isn't towing capacity, however, but range while pulling the trailer.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/electric-truckshow-much-can-they-tow-and-how-far-11645125821?mod=mw_latestnews

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a28482314/electric-ford-f-150-prototype-million-pound-payload/

The torque from the electric motors comes in quite handy.

https://www.inverse.com/article/44847-tesla-model-x-pulling-boeing

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by goates

[jcomm 5,939]

Talking about Electric "Cars"...

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