I don't think the obsession of how long it takes to charge an eletric car is a "fossil fuel era" way of thinking. I simply think it's a way of life that we drive, we pull up, we we fill the tank and drive on. Anything less or inconveniant than this is a step backwards.
I understand that for people that live in the city, or don't drive that many long journeys in a day, I get it, it wouldn't be a big deal. I'm all for electric motors, but where the power comes from is the challenge.
I wonder which stupid marketing department came up with this answer. let me see you drive that thing after 9 seconds of charge (after a complete discharge of course)!
@Tikmondo I think it was me. No one told me to say it, it is literally my experience. The car is charging at the moment, I'm not using it. When I get in it in a few minutes I know it will be full. The whole obsession with 'how long does it take to charge' is purely because of the fossil fuel mindset we all have. How long does your phone take to charge. I have no idea. I just plug it in. The car is the same.
@GearlessUK don't get me wrong...i'm all for wise use of electric vehicles...but to compare a phone to a cars in that sense is ridiculous.
FIrst, phones require much less time to charge and take longer to discharge compared to E. cars. second, phones can be charged almost anywhere you go: in the car while driving, in the office and at home. Or could be used with the power coming directly from the outlet. or you could comfortably carry a backup battery with you everywhere. Can a eCar do that?
The only problem with having 'places to go' is that they might be driving distance away. I (like Robert, in fact) live in the rural middle of nowhere, and depend on having a working car to get to civilisation.
I hope (and expect) the battery technology improves so that the actual charging process is quicker than it currently is.
Yes, only 9 seconds. Another video on You Tube boasts he can do it in less than 2 seconds. This guy is slow. The point is, that once the car is plugged in you can go inside watch TV, eat dinner or make margaritas.
Or you could do it the quick way and just drive off and rip the plug out the way, that does tend to get costly after a while (replacing the wire and sometimes the charging socket). :P
my problem with electric cars at the moment is that i live in a flat, with an off road parking space. My flat is a hell of a long way away from my car, so charging even "at home" would be a problem... :(
The more people who have electric cars, the more charge points will be installed. It's essentially just a stick with a plug socket on it. If there are street lights there are wires underground. Anywhere you can park a car, we need a charge point. It's not expensive infrastructure.
thanks for replying! well that would bring me to the small matter of parking charges. i think we should be savvy when the day comes and councils start adding to car parking charges for electric cars. but think they would be stupid not to make it cheaper to start with.
It's so much cheaper it's embarrassing. The iMiev (the car I'm driving in the video) costs under £1 to charge, and will go over 80 miles on that charge. A super economy diesel will cost a minimum of £5 to go that far, and a regular 4 seater will cost £10-£15. A Porsche Cayenne will cost about £35 to drive 80 miles.
All this is fine and well but all us everyday folk working for Minimum wage or thereabouts while swimming in debt and suffering a recession will never be able to afford and Electric car or Hybrid.
Its the same as food, all the good healthy fresh stuff is more expensive then the nasty more filling stuff from the takeaway or freezer...
@GearlessUK I've just had a revelation. I can't think of a situation where I'm really likely to do more than 80 miles a day (and there are days when I don't drive anywhere which would balance that out) so at one charge per day thats £365 per year. At the moment I'm probably putting £70 of fuel in my tank per month x 12 months = £840 so worst case I would still be saving £475 on fuel per year, and then another £200+ on tax. It really starts to add up. I just wish I could afford to buy the EV.
@VimtoUK 80% of the journeys made in the world each day are less than 30miles, so an electric car will suit most people, and dont forget most will be charged overnight using electricity which is unused normally, power stations run 24 hours so its a good use of spare energy to charge at off-peak times
The average user, I expect, will charge his vehicle overnight, while it's at home. Since he's not going anywhere anyway, the charging time isn't really relevant.
Of course, the real question is how long does it take to get enough juice in it to get home when you run out on a remote country road in the dark. Should've charged up before you set off, silly. :D
Range could be a problem, but for the majority of trips (to the shops, commute, around town) people will only need to charge overnight.
That's the exact same problem as petrol cars. If you run out of fuel on a remote country road in the dark, it would take a long time to either go get fuel or get someone to come to you.
@svivian Yes, but with a petrol car, it just takes a minute or so to pour the petrol into your tank once rescue arrives. With an electric vehicle, I expect it might take quite a while to get enough charge in the cells to get you home (or to a more convenient charging location).
The iMiev looks fantastic. Wish I had one to test drive, too. :D
If you are going to be really pedantic, yes, okay. But effectively, I plug it in, go and do what ever it is I'm doing, sleep, get up, it's charged. It's always full when I get in it.
@alf230202 I think your missing the point, what he's saying is it takes 9 seconds to plug in then you can walk off, do other things and come back a couple of hours later, it's not like your driving your car 24/7 there is plenty of time you are noting using it when it could be charging - that's his point, it takes 9 seconds to start to charge then you can do other things and come back.
@Lordzope Yes, not being a complete and utter zombie caveman who knows nothing of the modern world I am fully aware of that and didn't miss the point at all. It is much like a mobile phone, you put it on charge when you are not going to use it. AND much like a mobile phone If you DO need to use it 9 seconds of charge is not of much use, that was the point I was attempting to make that you managed to miss!
@alf230202 I got that but why on earth would you need to use it on 9 seconds charge, I can't see any really world situation were you would.
Secondly he didn't charge it for 9 seconds in the video he set it up to charge in 9 seconds most of that time the car was not charging - so your 7 inches comment it pointless.
Lordzope, you are either mentally deficient or being deliberately obtuse, but I'll humour you.
If you had really got the point of my orig post you would have realised that I did point out that a 9 second charge would be pointless for bopth phones and cars, hence the 7 inches comment. Presumably you are now applying for pedant of the year in which case i'm sure you will be busy pointing out to the orig poster that he is not using the whole 9 seconds to charge the car!
@alf230202 The POINT of the video is that he isn't using the full 9 seconds to charge the car, in fact the car is only charging for the last fraction of a second in the video and wouldn't go anywhere on that charge let along 7 inches.
The point I was making is ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD CHARGE A CAR FOR 9 SECONDS! Answer me this, when would you ever try to charge a car for 9 seconds.
Your logic is soo baffling and this argument is so pointless I give up!
Well, I thought it was quite amusing. 'How long does it take to charge' is a question that once you've driven an electric car for a while makes no sense. All you do is what I do in this video. I don't stand around for hours holding the wire. You have to think of it like a phone. Whenever I use it, it has a 'full tank.'
Whilst that is true, your preaching to the choir. I thought the whole point of u getting the car and doing these videos was to do what Top Gear doesnt do and promote electric cars to a wider audience. Being flippant about it wont change the minds of the majority, at most it will give a chuckle to those like yourself who are already converted to the cause.
That is a very good point and I will bear it in mind. It's a difficult balance between being brutally factual and thereby possibly a little dull, and being 'entertaining' and thereby glossing over and dumbing down what is quite a complex and challenging subject. I will think on what you said. Thanks for responding.
@ajayrious How is it an issue? When you're not using it; you're charging it. The only time petrol has the advantage is when you're doing a 400 mile journey and then it does matter because you do have to wait that time. But for motorists who go regularly on journeys not longer than an hour the electric car is perfect. And I'm gonna be bold and say that around 80% of car journeys don't last longer than an hour.
he said charge not fully charge the batteries
toyotaprius79 1 year ago
Yes never gain need you be stuck behind old doris at the petrol station while she buys a loaf of bread
thinfourth 1 year ago
I don't think the obsession of how long it takes to charge an eletric car is a "fossil fuel era" way of thinking. I simply think it's a way of life that we drive, we pull up, we we fill the tank and drive on. Anything less or inconveniant than this is a step backwards.
I understand that for people that live in the city, or don't drive that many long journeys in a day, I get it, it wouldn't be a big deal. I'm all for electric motors, but where the power comes from is the challenge.
Gr33nMamba 1 year ago
I wonder which stupid marketing department came up with this answer. let me see you drive that thing after 9 seconds of charge (after a complete discharge of course)!
Tikmondo 2 years ago
@Tikmondo I think it was me. No one told me to say it, it is literally my experience. The car is charging at the moment, I'm not using it. When I get in it in a few minutes I know it will be full. The whole obsession with 'how long does it take to charge' is purely because of the fossil fuel mindset we all have. How long does your phone take to charge. I have no idea. I just plug it in. The car is the same.
GearlessUK 1 year ago 2
@GearlessUK don't get me wrong...i'm all for wise use of electric vehicles...but to compare a phone to a cars in that sense is ridiculous.
FIrst, phones require much less time to charge and take longer to discharge compared to E. cars. second, phones can be charged almost anywhere you go: in the car while driving, in the office and at home. Or could be used with the power coming directly from the outlet. or you could comfortably carry a backup battery with you everywhere. Can a eCar do that?
Tikmondo 1 year ago
@Tikmondo Wow you're an idiot...
Jazket 1 year ago
The only problem with having 'places to go' is that they might be driving distance away. I (like Robert, in fact) live in the rural middle of nowhere, and depend on having a working car to get to civilisation.
I hope (and expect) the battery technology improves so that the actual charging process is quicker than it currently is.
alexvegas 2 years ago
It's not just that the technology involved with charging speed will get better, it's also that the battery technology itself will get better.
More capacity, longer lasting, and less time to charge are all inevitabilities of future battery tech.
angrygreek1985 2 years ago
Yes, only 9 seconds. Another video on You Tube boasts he can do it in less than 2 seconds. This guy is slow. The point is, that once the car is plugged in you can go inside watch TV, eat dinner or make margaritas.
randycarter2001 2 years ago
/watch?v=shk_JEXShzE
:-)
AndY1ksi 2 years ago
Nooooo it takes 9 seconds to plug it in...
luked48 2 years ago 2
You forgot the 9 seconds it takes to unplug it when you want to drive the car the next morning ;p
svivian 2 years ago
Or you could do it the quick way and just drive off and rip the plug out the way, that does tend to get costly after a while (replacing the wire and sometimes the charging socket). :P
LordZope 2 years ago
my problem with electric cars at the moment is that i live in a flat, with an off road parking space. My flat is a hell of a long way away from my car, so charging even "at home" would be a problem... :(
snarevandamm 2 years ago
The more people who have electric cars, the more charge points will be installed. It's essentially just a stick with a plug socket on it. If there are street lights there are wires underground. Anywhere you can park a car, we need a charge point. It's not expensive infrastructure.
GearlessUK 2 years ago
thanks for replying! well that would bring me to the small matter of parking charges. i think we should be savvy when the day comes and councils start adding to car parking charges for electric cars. but think they would be stupid not to make it cheaper to start with.
snarevandamm 2 years ago
As someone who is very interested in electric cars, I have one on my 'to buy' list.
My main query is how much it costs per day to charge the car - if you completely empty the battery, how much does it cost to refill it?
Obviously, with petrol prices soaring (up to 110p per litre), it must be cheaper, but by how much?
pp0u20e8 2 years ago
It's so much cheaper it's embarrassing. The iMiev (the car I'm driving in the video) costs under £1 to charge, and will go over 80 miles on that charge. A super economy diesel will cost a minimum of £5 to go that far, and a regular 4 seater will cost £10-£15. A Porsche Cayenne will cost about £35 to drive 80 miles.
GearlessUK 2 years ago
All this is fine and well but all us everyday folk working for Minimum wage or thereabouts while swimming in debt and suffering a recession will never be able to afford and Electric car or Hybrid.
Its the same as food, all the good healthy fresh stuff is more expensive then the nasty more filling stuff from the takeaway or freezer...
TheIceP 2 years ago
Comment removed
pp0u20e8 2 years ago
@GearlessUK I've just had a revelation. I can't think of a situation where I'm really likely to do more than 80 miles a day (and there are days when I don't drive anywhere which would balance that out) so at one charge per day thats £365 per year. At the moment I'm probably putting £70 of fuel in my tank per month x 12 months = £840 so worst case I would still be saving £475 on fuel per year, and then another £200+ on tax. It really starts to add up. I just wish I could afford to buy the EV.
VimtoUK 1 year ago
@VimtoUK 80% of the journeys made in the world each day are less than 30miles, so an electric car will suit most people, and dont forget most will be charged overnight using electricity which is unused normally, power stations run 24 hours so its a good use of spare energy to charge at off-peak times
rog271 1 year ago
The average user, I expect, will charge his vehicle overnight, while it's at home. Since he's not going anywhere anyway, the charging time isn't really relevant.
Of course, the real question is how long does it take to get enough juice in it to get home when you run out on a remote country road in the dark. Should've charged up before you set off, silly. :D
Range could be a problem, but for the majority of trips (to the shops, commute, around town) people will only need to charge overnight.
tjdrico 2 years ago
That's the exact same problem as petrol cars. If you run out of fuel on a remote country road in the dark, it would take a long time to either go get fuel or get someone to come to you.
svivian 2 years ago
@svivian Yes, but with a petrol car, it just takes a minute or so to pour the petrol into your tank once rescue arrives. With an electric vehicle, I expect it might take quite a while to get enough charge in the cells to get you home (or to a more convenient charging location).
The iMiev looks fantastic. Wish I had one to test drive, too. :D
tjdrico 2 years ago
fantastic!!! lol
honestly made me laugh out load and a odd look from the missus. :-)
d3r3k08r13n 2 years ago
Shouldn't that be nine seconds to PUT ON Charge ;-)
londonbackpacker 2 years ago
If you are going to be really pedantic, yes, okay. But effectively, I plug it in, go and do what ever it is I'm doing, sleep, get up, it's charged. It's always full when I get in it.
GearlessUK 2 years ago
And you can travel approx 7 inches on a 9 second charge
alf230202 2 years ago
@alf230202 I think your missing the point, what he's saying is it takes 9 seconds to plug in then you can walk off, do other things and come back a couple of hours later, it's not like your driving your car 24/7 there is plenty of time you are noting using it when it could be charging - that's his point, it takes 9 seconds to start to charge then you can do other things and come back.
LordZope 2 years ago 2
@Lordzope Yes, not being a complete and utter zombie caveman who knows nothing of the modern world I am fully aware of that and didn't miss the point at all. It is much like a mobile phone, you put it on charge when you are not going to use it. AND much like a mobile phone If you DO need to use it 9 seconds of charge is not of much use, that was the point I was attempting to make that you managed to miss!
alf230202 2 years ago
@alf230202 I got that but why on earth would you need to use it on 9 seconds charge, I can't see any really world situation were you would.
Secondly he didn't charge it for 9 seconds in the video he set it up to charge in 9 seconds most of that time the car was not charging - so your 7 inches comment it pointless.
LordZope 2 years ago
Lordzope, you are either mentally deficient or being deliberately obtuse, but I'll humour you.
If you had really got the point of my orig post you would have realised that I did point out that a 9 second charge would be pointless for bopth phones and cars, hence the 7 inches comment. Presumably you are now applying for pedant of the year in which case i'm sure you will be busy pointing out to the orig poster that he is not using the whole 9 seconds to charge the car!
alf230202 2 years ago
@alf230202 The POINT of the video is that he isn't using the full 9 seconds to charge the car, in fact the car is only charging for the last fraction of a second in the video and wouldn't go anywhere on that charge let along 7 inches.
The point I was making is ONLY AN IDIOT WOULD CHARGE A CAR FOR 9 SECONDS! Answer me this, when would you ever try to charge a car for 9 seconds.
Your logic is soo baffling and this argument is so pointless I give up!
LordZope 2 years ago
Hmmm, seems the mentally deficient tags fits best then!
alf230202 2 years ago
By the way I did like the video, very funny and a good point well made.
alf230202 2 years ago 2
A very Top Gear way of avoiding the issue bobbyllew.
ajayrious 2 years ago
Well, I thought it was quite amusing. 'How long does it take to charge' is a question that once you've driven an electric car for a while makes no sense. All you do is what I do in this video. I don't stand around for hours holding the wire. You have to think of it like a phone. Whenever I use it, it has a 'full tank.'
carpoolUK 2 years ago
Sorry, replied from the wrong account. But the point still stands I hope.
GearlessUK 2 years ago
Whilst that is true, your preaching to the choir. I thought the whole point of u getting the car and doing these videos was to do what Top Gear doesnt do and promote electric cars to a wider audience. Being flippant about it wont change the minds of the majority, at most it will give a chuckle to those like yourself who are already converted to the cause.
ajayrious 2 years ago
That is a very good point and I will bear it in mind. It's a difficult balance between being brutally factual and thereby possibly a little dull, and being 'entertaining' and thereby glossing over and dumbing down what is quite a complex and challenging subject. I will think on what you said. Thanks for responding.
GearlessUK 2 years ago
@ajayrious How is it an issue? When you're not using it; you're charging it. The only time petrol has the advantage is when you're doing a 400 mile journey and then it does matter because you do have to wait that time. But for motorists who go regularly on journeys not longer than an hour the electric car is perfect. And I'm gonna be bold and say that around 80% of car journeys don't last longer than an hour.
dfoggin 2 years ago