Random EV thoughts.....

The engine will turn off driving along if there is no need for it, you would hardly notice it turning off and on, its automatic, if you ease off on the accelerator it would just glide along at 100 kph, it was the start of the one foot driving way before EVs, pulse and glide, its not hard to do,

but everyone is used to ice driving, so its accelerate till the next bend and then brake and accelerate some more, with EVs and hybrids its accelerate, glide/regen and accelerate.

Yes and Ive had a few priuseseses in my time I know how it works. Not a hope of doing 75% of any journey in EV mode.

The typical answer I used to get from their various dealers on Facebook before they all blocked me was that it came from regen… but when I pointed out to them that regen was just simply a way to capture some energy that had already been expended, they’d hit that block button on me….

Just in case you weren't fed up of me talking about boats:

Points for having an awesome looking render, I really like the Titanic style stacks that are actually fold out rigid sails covered in solar panels

Has some cool ideas, for example the azipods on the rear can retract into the ship to streamline the hull. And it has a sort of air curtain thing on the bow which creates a "lubricating" surface of air bubbles along the ship so it basically KY gels it's way across the sea

At around 400 passengers this ship is a far cry from the largest cruise ships, but it's possible the ideas here can be scaled up to bigger ships

Of course the biggest drawback is that they haven't actually built it 😕

It'd be nice if they put some more effort into the construction rather than making some nice renders

True, but the only way to start with a full battery is to have charged it from the petrol engine. So EV mode is really just using petrol that was burnt earlier

I have an even better idea, why not attach some aerofoil shaped material onto those masts. And travel under wind power..😁

I think the giant wing thingy also functions as an airfoil

But yeah I kinda wonder why they need to reinvent the sail

New chargers promised for Galway

That was interesting. Using Ireland as a test case is concerning as its been flagged before that the agency model may breach European antitrust laws. Car makers can choose what vehicle distribution model they want to impliment. But they cannot combine different models and to take advantage of the benefits of both to the detriment of the consumer.

The other point of interest in that article was the acknowlegement of importance of software. R&D used to be focued on the hardware, but these days software is just as critical and as costly. This is where the likes of Tesla and BYD are ahead of the game.

I did find this concerning:

Or in otherwords, in an autocracy, human life is worth less than in a democracy.

Im on the roads all over the country a lot for work and already see enough scary shite on our roads - I'd rather Ireland isnt used as a proving ground.

Most of that article is yada yada yada, he got that article published because the boss above him was questioning why he wasn't living in Germany to be at their beck and call 24 seven. Such a load of self serving bullshite, none of which will come to fruition.

Dealers make very little margin on new cars, as much as a couple of hundred euro. The main profit comes from selling accessories, upgrades & finance. Also, what you don't pay in a transparent dealer charge will be offset somewhat by a commission thats hidden in the fixed sale price.

It also means no dealers competiting with each other for your custom, so no more comparison shopping. Most people are propbably ok with this, but those of us whom like to negiotiate will lose out. Im in the latter camp and hence have a bias against the agency model.

Also if you have a difficult issue to resolve, you wont neccessarily be able to force your local agent to deal with it, as they didnt sell you the car.

Be in no doubt, this is not being driven by a desire to bring cheaper cars to market, its about increasing the profit margin for the manufacturer, regardless of how it is dressed up.

Legacy dealers will most likely end up as new car collection depots, service depots, and the used car market will be their cream on top...

I don't really get the max a couple of hundred euro margin with the ability to bargain. Surely if they have only have a couple of hundred to play with there is no scope for bargaining? Of is it the case they may only have a couple of hundred in the minority of cases where they come up against a hardened bargainer.

In a normal times, dealers would discount for a number of reasons. Often its all about timing. Excess stock, new model runouts, end of the month/quarter/year targets. Its all a numbers game. The negotiation on a new car is less about price and more about getting extras thrown in. Although in the case of a new EV, getting a fully charged battery doesnt quite feel like the same win as a full tank of fuel.

My point is that I think that the Agency model is not necessarily whats best for consumers - its whats best for the manufacturers bottom line.

And before anyone gets the wrong idea, Im no fan of car salesman in the slightest. I rate them with parking inspectors.