Random EV thoughts.....

Given most current EVs are getting in/around 12-18 kWh / 100km .. the above suggesting 6kW / 100km seems ambitious, even for Tesla!

Has any manufacturer dropped below 10kWh / 100km in the real world, as opposed to on twitter?

It was just a bit from a vid yesterday by Teslanews.

Agree, a bit farfetched and with current technology probably impossible.

Anyone any idea what this car or make is that was seen testing in Dublin today?

Nio ES6 / ES7?

They did find one and plugged in but then a Leaf rocked up and their charge stopped when the Leaf owner plugged the CHAdeMO in 😂

I pretty much agree with that assessment. However, on raw efficiency numbers, the FIAT 500 electric is more efficient than any of the cars you mention, at 12.53 kWh/100km on WLTP (320 km combined range, 42 kWh gross battery capacity). If you loosen the definition of “EV” a little, you have the Citroën Ami clocking in at a pretty spectacular 7.85 kWh/100 km (70 km WLTP from 5.5 kWh), but that’s on a modified WLTP test due to the very low top speed. There’s a good handful of cars on the market now that are under 14 kWh/100 km WLTP - I wouldn’t consider it to be a spectacular figure.

If you don’t put a lower limit on size, the weight target is only just reachable, but not with any great range. That 500e weighs 1365 kg, which is light for an EV, but in “car” terms, it’s really not (it’s about the weight of a diesel 4-door hatchback). There is a smaller EV, though: The Smart EQ ForTwo weighs 1125 kg, which might not be half the weight of a Model 3, but it’s near enough 60% of the typical figure. That car turns out to not be very efficient, though, at around 16 kWh/ 100km - but that’s a mix of the penalty of retrofitting an EV into an ICE platform, and the aerodynamic penalty of such a short vehicle - which brings up the other problem...

The WLTP test has two distinct parts: the urban cycle has lots of stops and starts, a pattern which really rewards cars with low kerb-weight; while the extra-urban cycle is constant high-speed driving that rewards vehicles with lower aerodynamic drag. Those are conflicting goals: short cars weigh a lot less but have high drag; long cars are more aerodynamically efficient but a lot heavier.

LiFePO4 can't explode or go on fire. That's the #1 reason I'm a fan. Unfortunately so far only EVs made in China have them (including Teslas)

From original planning granted in 2020...

I believe part of the hickup in original plans were that there were submissions from public in support of supermacs which turned out to be fake people. Hopefully the chargers are not fake. In Donegal town the planning stated chargers for supermacs and 2+ years after completion all that exists is one marked space and a duct. No charger ever installed.

I heard in the UK they're testing out a folding tank that they deploy beside a burning EV and then chuck it in and fill it with water. They then just leave it there to eventually burn out

Presumably they'd need to cover the car in foam first, I can't imagine moving a car while it's on fire is a good idea

Also not sure how that'll work in a confined space like a multistorey car park

My guess is they'll get planning permission for lots of chargers but only install a few at first

Not really sure why since they don't need planning for more chargers, but maybe it's to justify getting a higher power grid connection

Or perhaps it's to make the application look good for planners, I guess we'll find out

IIRC the Plaza group own both Tuam and Kinnegad, both of which have multiple DC chargers (Tuam having the best setup ESB ever managed to install) then I think they get the idea that DC chargers are the way to go

My main worry would be that they just put 50kW units in, which are a bit weak for a service station

Supermacs in kinnegad supported the dual 50kW easygo units and supermacs actually paid the fees for 6+ months of free to use until fees came in. The chargers may be owned by supermacs with easygo repairing them, although easygo have a model of revenue sharing where easygo fund charger and site owner gets no or little rent and gets a cut of charging fees.

I would like to see a bank of 75kW easygo units with dual ccs cables so multiple cars can share power. I know 75kW is obsolete or legacy peak but easygo argue that higher power does not make financial sense and I would prefer 3 or 4 cars to charge than a high profile high power set up where when you arrive they are all in use already. I would prefer 40kW+ shared than a queue of unknown time.

“People who misuse disabled parking permits and illegally park in an electric charging bay are set to be fined from 2023, Ms Naughton said.”

Sounds like some good ideas, but how will this be enforced? Only 2 traffic wardens in Galway city , you hardly ever see them around…