EV alternatives

[Kenfuego]

Wish i knew Ken . No doubt we have to go electric in some for or another even if hydrogen storage/transport becomes economically feasible

Seems to me the problem lies in the political speed chart of achieving net zero and the cost, the cost of social hardship for transferring wealth from the haves to the have nots unless there is a significant change to current policies (e.g. look at housing, on average each ferral politician has two investment properties, most likely in existing buildings which is key) which of course are tax deductible (got no problem with tax deductibility from new build as long as it's not for pulling down existing houses and simply building a new one in most cases)

It's deeply concerning when an expert policy maker, given the cost and turmoil, can't even say what impact net zero has on global temperature rise
Go to about 4:20 and witness the struggle to answer:

In all the years of asking no one, scientist or otherwise will give a data backed definitive answer as there is to many unknowns in that field of science, but a lot of assumptions based upon belief, and you won't even get that level of debate/questioning in Australia and Banana (1) here isn't capable of giving that question any time at all.

But you and the questioner are right, IF the world is going to take a leap into the unknown of Net zero there needs to be a compelling reason and result in the known data that can be trotted out for open mature debate.

In my own experience that will not happen as us ordinary folks wont be allowed to ask or query and in the case of this forum, the entrenched ideas one way or the other will not be openly discussed, more like shunned or put aside in a veritable too hard basket to handle case, lest some of us get angry at the other and common sense goes out the window.

So I guess at some time we may look back and say I told you so but we will still be waiting for answers to vital questions that may determine our preference to buy/own or avoid EV's

Ken

 

[Greenpeace]

Remember 2 years ago when Bowen said if we had vehicles like the F150 Lightning available in Aus, the tradies would have no excuse not to buy an electric ute?
Well the F150's here!!!
Yours for between $230K and $280K drive away, depending on the spec level.
C'mon tradies, forget about that new diesel dual cab Hilux at a 1/4 of the price, it's time to save the planet.

 

[Russell Hall]

The LDV two wheel drive electric ute is a best seller at $95000 plus ORC. They sold one in Feb. The standard LDV ute has a life span of about five years if you're lucky and a trade in value of pennies.

 

[JoBo]

Toy Li battery fire - that would brown one's undies, even more so if one had a huge battery storage (doesn't even have to be an LG) or a car with one of these batteries in the garage (unless the garage is fire proof)

 

[Greenpeace]

The LDV two wheel drive electric ute is a best seller at $95000 plus ORC. They sold one in Feb. The standard LDV ute has a life span of about five years if you're lucky and a trade in value of pennies.

This is an excerpt from a 2024 article on the upcoming "Ranger style" LDV ute.
It describes the current electric LDV offering as selling in "small numbers".
LDV don't split the their T60 sales numbers, but the majority of their 9000 2023 T60 sales were ICE.

There's a recent article on that EV Muppets site "The Driven" that headlines "50% of new car buyers considering buying electric next year".
But when you get into it that 50% figure also includes hybrids, and the survey was only on a cohort of 2000 people.
Funny how these EV sites adopt hybrids when it suits, and disowns them when it doesn't.
The article also claimed 50% of all Australian drivers were considering buying a new car next year. Given there are 18 million licenced drivers (x the claimed 50%), means apparently there are 9 million planning on buying a new car next year out of the 1.2 million new car imports.
Someone is missing out.
I think reading that article was a few minutes of my life I will never get back.

 

[Russell Hall]

Chinese stuff works ok but they don't do long life. Our CFMoto four wheeler was fine for two years but the third is too much. The dealer says ok, it was crap but they're a lot better now. Which is probably true. Their cars are probably getting better. I don't know how the Dong Feng Citroens will go. The LDV is about $15k cheaper than an Isuzu. LDV don't do a tray.

 

[Greenpeace]

Chinese stuff works ok but they don't do long life. Our CFMoto four wheeler was fine for two years but the third is too much. The dealer says ok, it was crap but they're a lot better now. Which is probably true. Their cars are probably getting better. I don't know how the Dong Feng Citroens will go. The LDV is about $15k cheaper than an Isuzu. LDV don't do a tray.

I've had a few Chinese motorcycles which have all been poor quality overall. Paint always seems to last well, plastics and chrome are another story, mechanicals are hit and miss.

However my wife bought a J3 Chery brand new in 2011 and my youngest daughter is still driving it.
Other than normal maintenance/wear items, it's had one front wheel bearing, a coolant tank and a (2nd hand) driver's door P/W regulator. Grand total of $180. It's never broken down or failed to start.
Other than the clear coat on the tops of the mirrors, the red paint is excellent, and the leather interior is still as new, and it's never needed any brake pads or discs replacing. AC has never been touched and is still ice cold.
My wife and daughter both care for their vehicles though, it may not have fared so well with more abusive owners?

 

[lowpugV2]

I've had a few Chinese motorcycles which have all been poor quality overall. Paint always seems to last well, plastics and chrome are another story, mechanicals are hit and miss.

However my wife bought a J3 Chery brand new in 2011 and my youngest daughter is still driving it.
Other than normal maintenance/wear items, it's had one front wheel bearing, a coolant tank and a (2nd hand) driver's door P/W regulator. Grand total of $180. It's never broken down or failed to start.
Other than the clear coat on the tops of the mirrors, the red paint is excellent, and the leather interior is still as new, and it's never needed any brake pads or discs replacing. AC has never been touched and is still ice cold.
My wife and daughter both care for their vehicles though, it may not have fared so well with more abusive owners?

Maybe the j3 chery was a good one or based on another solid platform and mechanicals. I see quite a few of them still driving around here in Sydney, mostly black and red. But then you get this, so maybe luck of the draw

2011 Chery J3: Owner review

Please do not buy this car. I was one of the first people to buy a Chery J3 in 2012 and I was truly excited when I got it.

www.drive.com.au

 

[lowpugV2]

So back onto realistic EV alternatives for city dwellers needing no more than urban range but space and safety for a young family it seems that you either go full BEV but if you have no charging at home then it has to be a hybrid in some kind of SUV format. We're looking for a new family car now as the Audi has a drinking problem and maintenance is getting spendy as it's just ticked over 100,000 Kay's.

I'm in two minds, keep the Audi as I know the history and it's a solid car. Keeping it is in its own way environmentally responsible and apart from fuel usage it is perfect for what we need (A4 wagon).

The option is go for a hybrid Toyota of some kind... Ugly and generic. RAV 4 ... Puke. Although, I bloody wish the Camry came as a wagon, I'd probably go for that!

I'm actually considering importing a 2022 corolla hybrid tourer from Japan. Around $30k gets you a nice one. Apparently around 3.9 litres per hundred. Presumably low emission too.

But then my neighbour was just complaining that both their Lexus hybrids use too much fuel. In mostly local running they're still using 6-7 litres per 100 which is not amazing. Not sure what models they have, but they are grey SUV boxes... One small one medium.

So who knows!

 

[Russell Hall]

The future of the electric is probably going to be Chinese. As Greenpeace says, their cars can be ok. We're not looking at twenty year cars anymore, the future will be seven to ten years and ditch it. Only this morning the owner of an engineering business who runs Hi-Luxes said he was sick of Toyota rip off servicing and was considering Great Wall. Seven years warranty, lower purchase and operating cost, he reckons he'll be in front. When you look at the efficient new Chinese factories producing electrics it's no wonder the European makers are worried. I'd hold off a couple of years if possible.

 

[Greenpeace]

I haven't had anything to do with the newer GWM products.
My daughter and her husband bought a 1 year old 2014 model GWM, turbo diesel dual cab, 6 speed, 1 elderly owner, 16,000 kms on the clock.
Nice looking thing in silver, with lots of options, and it drove nicely too.
Just before it hit 60K it started losing coolant, it was just inside warranty (3y/60k). Turned out to be the head gasket, but for whatever reason they replaced the turbo as well. It had also developed a bit of a whine in 5th and 6th gears. So I said to my daughter to ask them about that while they had the vehicle in the workshop. Turned out it was a known problem, so the gearbox got rebuilt too, all under warranty.
I guess it begs the question what would that have cost if it all went wrong at 70K kms?
A friend bought a big petrol GWM wagon around the same time (X240?). They had it for about 3 years and had no major mechanical issues, but they were forever taking it back for little things, broken door handles, windows not working, switches not working, trim falling off, sh#t like that.

 

[Kenfuego]

The hardest thing will be affording whatever we choose, then can we afford to insure it for at least replacement cost. It seems all the insurers are upping their rates in anticipation of possible trends and future costs. A litigation nightmare I think.

Ken

 

[Greenpeace]

Meanwhile in QLD.
I'm not a CM subscriber so can't read the article, but I heard somewhere else that the fire got put out and reignited again later on.
Fortunately it doesn't appear the garage was part of the house.

 

[Greenpeace]

More reasons to buy an electric F150, apparently.
You can save $32K over 5 years if you don't buy the petrol version (if your charging cost is around 10c per kW/hr mind).
Not bad considering the top of the range Lightning is only $140K more than the range topping petrol version.
Yep one of these electric Fords would be perfect for someone who skipped maths class.

 

[Greenpeace]

I was going to put this on the "Weird and Unusual" thread, but I thought might be of more interest on here.
2023 GWM Ora EV with less than 200 kms on the clock.for $29,990.
Now the owners say it was an impulse buy "because it was cute", but now they've decided it's too small so they've ordered a BYD Atto 3. Assuming they bought it this year between Jan 11 and March 31, (when GWM discounted the 2023 models), they would have paid $36,638 for it. They say "no offers" as a dealer has offered "close to the asking price".
Somehow I doubt it was too close an offer, as who wants to f#ck around with private buyers for a few hundred bucks?
Thing is with the $6K government rebate you can now buy a brand spanker 2024 model for $29,990.
As soon as the 2023 run out "special" finished GWM discounted the 2024 ones down to an even lower drive away price of $35,990.
Either way I reckon this example will be going to the dealers, and knowing car dealers, I reckon for around $25K.
Way to lose 11 thousand odd bucks in just 200 kms, even if half of that was taxpayer's money.

 

[Russell Hall]

Saw my first Tesla! Heading to Mil Lel. A tiny cheese making town that once prospered making cheese Australians enjoyed until taken over by the ever so politically correct Canadian Saputo. Now a much reduced operation and looks like its closing. The perfect vehicle for a Saputo exec. How can cheese be politically incorrect? Well it was, an established brand was ditched and sales went with it.

 

[DoubleChevron]

Saw my first Tesla! Heading to Mil Lel. A tiny cheese making town that once prospered making cheese Australians enjoyed until taken over by the ever so politically correct Canadian Saputo. Now a much reduced operation and looks like its closing. The perfect vehicle for a Saputo exec. How can cheese be politically incorrect? Well it was, an established brand was ditched and sales went with it.

I see Teslas pretty much everytime I leave the house. They are not uncommon in cities and towns.... That GWM .... that is where the electric car should be ... make it boxier and more functional. Think Honda Jazz like interior space

 

[lowpugV2]

I see Teslas pretty much everytime I leave the house. They are not uncommon in cities and towns.... That GWM .... that is where the electric car should be ... make it boxier and more functional. Think Honda Jazz like interior space

I want these... The Renault is real, who knows with the rivian

 

[Greenpeace]

I see Teslas pretty much everytime I leave the house. They are not uncommon in cities and towns.... That GWM .... that is where the electric car should be ... make it boxier and more functional. Think Honda Jazz like interior space

My oldest lad said to.me "gee there's a lot of Teslas getting around town".
I said "are they all white ones"?
He said "yes".
I said "its the same car".
(I noted the rego number) "I think the woman that owns it must be homeless, she's never out of the f#cking thing".

It's the only BEV I've seen in our town of 2000 residents.

 

[pugrambo]

Stupidly i see teslas and quite a few of them go through town here everyday
Must cost them a fortune in time to get where they're going to as most seem to have interstate plates on them