I've Got My Electric Car

[oracle]

Nice :-)

I am seriously tempted by this car (if only I had the money)

321 mile range

0-60 4.2 seconds

130mph top speed

free recharging across the UK

http://www.teslamotors.com/en_GB/models/design

impressive

...the 321 mile range is pretty good.

I think I'd still prefer a combi.(using lpg/diesel engine as a generator, with smallish battery back-up)

if it can get 500 mile range and is good for a cruise at (ahem) 70mph on the motorway for 5 hours I'd be interested if the price is right.

£50k is still a bit on the high side but circa £30k i would be very tempted.

[R K]

And, of course, silent.

I find myself strangely fascinated by this technology and can't readily identify why that's the case. Perhaps partly 'cause I couldn't give a stuff about how an internal combustion engine works and find it very strange that anyone could be remotely interested either.

Anyway, this silent thing still concerns me. So I'd be interested to know how you get on with that around town and in supermarket car parks etc. Not from inside the car, but from the perspective of people not knowing you're coming and expecting to hear a ton of metal coming before they see it.

Does it not have a fake exhaust note or something to warn people? All this bother about permanent driving lights but no sound really doesn't make much sense to me.

[MarkG]

The lane width on a Californian freeway is pretty much the same as it is on a UK motorway. There are typically more lanes in densely populated areas (up to five in each direction) and fewer in more rural ones (usually two) than there are on British motorways, most of which have three throughout their length, but that's the only real difference I've noticed.

Actually, it seems to be pretty simple. Every time you buy an American car, you're paying a few thousand dollars of benefits that non-US companies don't pay, so that money goes into the car, not an auto worker's pension,.

My girlfriend's Buick is OK if you don't mind driving a sofa on wheels, but some parts just repeatedly break and have to be replaced every few years. I think it's on about the sixth water pump, for example.

[SHERWICK]

No no! You should have had a Ford Mustang! I'm a bit disturbed you find an auto-box hard to work! Are you older than my mate Stan?

When I went to America once, I got a Ford Taurus, just like Robo-Cop! It was like a fat Mondeo!

When I lived in the US I once hired a Ford Mustang 3.7 litre. What a rubbish car that was! As well as having the handling of a drugged elephant on a snowboard, the acceleration was pants. I remember flooring it and keeping my foot down on the accelerator, but it barely moved for about 10 seconds. That was about 10 years ago so maybe they've improved or maybe I should have got the 5.7 litre one?

[fluffy666]

No no! You should have had a Ford Mustang! I'm a bit disturbed you find an auto-box hard to work! Are you older than my mate Stan?

When I went to America once, I got a Ford Taurus, just like Robo-Cop! It was like a fat Mondeo!

The thing about the Auto box is that you couldn't do anything on a slope unless the brake was down.. took a while to work that one out.

[swissy_fit]

Anyway, this silent thing still concerns me. So I'd be interested to know how you get on with that around town and in supermarket car parks etc. Not from inside the car, but from the perspective of people not knowing you're coming and expecting to hear a ton of metal coming before they see it.

Does it not have a fake exhaust note or something to warn people? All this bother about permanent driving lights but no sound really doesn't make much sense to me.

The upside is that more cats will get squashed.

More seriously I would imagine the full electric cars are very quiet indeed, there's been talk of fitting them with something to ensure people hear them but I don't know if it has happened.

OP - does your BMW have anything?

[Kurt Barlow]

Actually, it seems to be pretty simple. Every time you buy an American car, you're paying a few thousand dollars of benefits that non-US companies don't pay, so that money goes into the car, not an auto worker's pension,.

My girlfriend's Buick is OK if you don't mind driving a sofa on wheels, but some parts just repeatedly break and have to be replaced every few years. I think it's on about the sixth water pump, for example.

That was the description given to the Crown Victorias we had as company cars in the Middle East

Despite their 1980's appearance they were nice to drive on long runs through the desert (on roads obviously)

[Bloo Loo]

The upside is that more cats will get squashed.

More seriously I would imagine the full electric cars are very quiet indeed, there's been talk of fitting them with something to ensure people hear them but I don't know if it has happened.

OP - does your BMW have anything?

so, its beep beep beep all through the day...oh wait a minute, theyll need them at night too...elf and safety are going to twist themselves into a knot on this one.

[swissy_fit]

so, its beep beep beep all through the day...oh wait a minute, theyll need them at night too...elf and safety are going to twist themselves into a knot on this one.

There was talk of directional sounds so that only pedestrians next to or in the road in front of their direction of travel would hear.

As you say, a legal minefield, imagine if there's an accident and your sound thingy wasn't working, but you weren't aware it wasn't working....

[snowflux]

The upside is that more cats will get squashed.

More seriously I would imagine the full electric cars are very quiet indeed, there's been talk of fitting them with something to ensure people hear them but I don't know if it has happened.

OP - does your BMW have anything?

The Nissan Leaf doesn't:

Nissan Leaf facing delay

An intermittent beeping noise is fitted as standard to commercial vehicles such as buses and lorries, but UK law states that the sound must be capable of being disabled between 11.00pm and 6.00am. The audible system on the Leaf did not allow for that to be done, so the beeping sound is being removed entirely before the cars can be driven on roads in this country.

From what I gather, the lack of engine noise is only a problem at low speeds. Tyre noise dominates at higher speeds.

[justthisbloke]

Silence was/is my big worry. The i3 makes no fake noises; above 30mph or so, I reckon the road and wind noise predominates on all cars so I suspect the i3 not much quieter. However at 20 and under it is absolutely silent. And that's the sort of speed you're driving through pedestrian filled spaces.

You just have to drive carefully. When you think about it, whatever you're driving you shouldn't be toot-tooting people out of your way with either a horn or engine noise. There's a lot of deaf people out there so you can't even assume your toot-tooting works.

However, a lot of people have got used to jumping aside when they hear a car coming so you have to make allowances for that and drive *extra* carefully, I'd say. It sort of enforces a better standard of driving on you. I've had a few times when I've been driving sedately along a road with someone walking or cycling ahead of me, blissfully unaware that there's a car behind them. Not a problem - the road usually becomes wide enough to overtake safely soon enough.

My other worry is animals. I've already hit a magpie - and I thought those evil creatures were under some sort of satanic spell rendering them immune to motor cars. He just flew down and landed 5 feet in front of me to peck at some roadkill. Poetic justice, I guess. Observations of my cats indicates that they too have no clue that a car without sound can still kill them. Firing up an ICE makes them stroll off. "Firing up" the EV and they stay rubbing themselves against the wheels and have to be driven off with sticks and stones.

[StainlessSteelCat]

The upside is that more cats will get squashed.

More seriously I would imagine the full electric cars are very quiet indeed, there's been talk of fitting them with something to ensure people hear them but I don't know if it has happened.

OP - does your BMW have anything?

I really hope they don't. As someone who can't abide traffic noise, one of the appealing things about electric cars is the reduction in noise.

[Goat]

From what I gather, the lack of engine noise is only a problem at low speeds. Tyre noise dominates at higher speeds.

Such as in built up areas?

[justthisbloke]

I really hope they don't. As someone who can't abide traffic noise, one of the appealing things about electric cars is the reduction in noise.

Quite. It would be insane to artificially and deliberately fill our streets with din.

Just drive an EV as you *should* drive any car and you'll be fine.

[MrPin]

When I lived in the US I once hired a Ford Mustang 3.7 litre. What a rubbish car that was! As well as having the handling of a drugged elephant on a snowboard, the acceleration was pants. I remember flooring it and keeping my foot down on the accelerator, but it barely moved for about 10 seconds. That was about 10 years ago so maybe they've improved or maybe I should have got the 5.7 litre one?

Oddly enough, I was looking for a Ford Mustang on Autotrader today. Nearly all were the V6 you probably hired! I think people believe they are saving money, but it's already 3.7 or 4.0 litres, so the V8 4.6, or the 5.0 like I had, doesn't use more fuel, and they sound excellent! If you buy the "economy" engine, you have missed the whole point! The whole point is the V8!

Despite the looks, they are no "sports car", but they are fun! Think of a 1970's Capri, with enough engine!

[19 year mortgage 8itch]

Oddly enough, I was looking for a Ford Mustang on Autotrader today. Nearly all were the V6 you probably hired! I think people believe they are saving money, but it's already 3.7 or 4.0 litres, so the V8 4.6, or the 5.0 like I had, doesn't use more fuel, and they sound excellent! If you buy the "economy" engine, you have missed the whole point! The whole point is the V8!

Despite the looks, they are no "sports car", but they are fun! Think of a 1970's Capri, with enough engine!

I want a car like Snoop Dog's in the advert or Denzil's in Training Day.

[R K]

Silence was/is my big worry. The i3 makes no fake noises; above 30mph or so, I reckon the road and wind noise predominates on all cars so I suspect the i3 not much quieter. However at 20 and under it is absolutely silent. And that's the sort of speed you're driving through pedestrian filled spaces.

You just have to drive carefully. When you think about it, whatever you're driving you shouldn't be toot-tooting people out of your way with either a horn or engine noise. There's a lot of deaf people out there so you can't even assume your toot-tooting works.

However, a lot of people have got used to jumping aside when they hear a car coming so you have to make allowances for that and drive *extra* carefully, I'd say. It sort of enforces a better standard of driving on you. I've had a few times when I've been driving sedately along a road with someone walking or cycling ahead of me, blissfully unaware that there's a car behind them. Not a problem - the road usually becomes wide enough to overtake safely soon enough.

My other worry is animals. I've already hit a magpie - and I thought those evil creatures were under some sort of satanic spell rendering them immune to motor cars. He just flew down and landed 5 feet in front of me to peck at some roadkill. Poetic justice, I guess. Observations of my cats indicates that they too have no clue that a car without sound can still kill them. Firing up an ICE makes them stroll off. "Firing up" the EV and they stay rubbing themselves against the wheels and have to be driven off with sticks and stones.

Really interesting thanks.

Agree with your sentiments on road sharing in pedestrian areas. I hope in time we move away from street furniture, steel barriers, bollards etc and nobody has a right of way, least of all the car, so it's positive in that regard.

Must admit I find myself taking extra care in Manc with the trams although accidents do happen they're thankfully few and far between and the trams do use their toot/toots quite regularly. People do simply cross in front of them. Obviously a tram takes a bit more stopping and is less forgiving.

Good points re birds and cats, depending on one's animal affiliations I suppose.

I'd expect we're going to see an awful lot more of these in next year or two as VW models launch and infrastructure builds out. It's going to be a fascinating time.

[MrPin]

I wouldn't worry about noise! I either buy cars you can't hear coming, or ones you certainly can! Actually you should LOOK! The deaf do this, but it must be a bugger for the blind!

[gadget]

Think the noise issue is overblown.

At high speeds the cars make noise and at low speeds it's not really any different to a bicycle.

[dinker]

Amazing acceleration. I'm not sure that, technically, the 0-60 is anything stunning

0-60 time is 7 seconds. I.E. It`s crap

[swissy_fit]

0-60 time is 7 seconds. I.E. It`s crap

Not long ago that was hot hatch territory, it's more than enough for the majority of drivers to handle.

[MrPin]

Not long ago that was hot hatch territory, it's more than enough for the majority of drivers to handle.

Nobody should be driving at those speeds!

[justthisbloke]

0-60 time is 7 seconds. I.E. It`s crap

For a city run around it's not that much of a sloth.

I think part of the whizz effect comes from the fact that there's so much of the acceleration in the "off the lights" 0-30 patch and it's there *instantly* from zero.

Not that I'm bothered by the acceleration anyway (I've had to turn it down). But I'm loving not putting petrol in. I've done almost a thousand miles and not visited a stinky petrol station. That's brilliant.

[Jason]

For a city run around it's not that much of a sloth.

I think part of the whizz effect comes from the fact that there's so much of the acceleration in the "off the lights" 0-30 patch and it's there *instantly* from zero.

Not that I'm bothered by the acceleration anyway (I've had to turn it down). But I'm loving not putting petrol in. I've done almost a thousand miles and not visited a stinky petrol station. That's brilliant.

Did you get a range extender with yours?

I assume you have an adapter to plug it in any 240volt socket? I.e. if you needed a quick charge up when you visit someone.

[MrPin]

For a city run around it's not that much of a sloth.

I think part of the whizz effect comes from the fact that there's so much of the acceleration in the "off the lights" 0-30 patch and it's there *instantly* from zero.

Not that I'm bothered by the acceleration anyway (I've had to turn it down). But I'm loving not putting petrol in. I've done almost a thousand miles and not visited a stinky petrol station. That's brilliant.

I am glad you are happy with your purchase! We shall reach Heaven in different vehicles! That is all!