Buying the Best Electric Vehicle - for your needs

From my understanding this depends on the manufacturer. If you have an iPhone you may notice your battery stopping charging at 80%. The phone learns when you take it off charge, and holds charge at 80% until a short time before it knows you take it out, thereby not degrading the battery by overcharging. Some electric vehicles have similar limits on the battery charge/discharge I believe.

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A less exciting article regarding EV manufacture.

A perhaps interesting addendum to that article would be how much the emissions during creation of either type of car compare with emissions emitted by the car in each year of use.

If manufacture produced emissions are equivalent to the following decade of car use, then +70% is substantial. If it’s equivalent to a single year of use, then +70% is only a matter of months.

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Unfortunately however the way our development cycle works means technology has to fund its own development. If governments around the world committed to more research funding we could likely reduce this discrepancy before the transition to EVs begins. Instead auto makers must make profit on their EVs to fund the research to make them more efficient.

When profits and the planet collide

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There is no single best answer. It’s poor reporting to tease a single figure without the content that which would give it context.

The following might be heavy going but offers a range of results for different scenarios.

The difference in the manufacturing carbon footprint of a BEV compared to a modern ICE vehicle is noted as being due mostly to the manufacture of the battery. Approx 50% of the added footprint is due to electricity used to manufacture the battery. Tesla has put an emphasis on increasing it’s use of renewable energy. Other manufacturers are still reliant on coal power. It largely depends on where the battery is manufactured. There is a range of assessments in the linked report.

The second major source of ongoing carbon cost for a BEV depends on the source of the electricity used to recharge the vehicle. For Norway which is largely renewable powered the impact is negligible.

The Fact Check looked at two BEV examples and compared their pay back in carbon relative to older and new EU emissions standard vehicles. The two BEV vehicles considered are a Nissan Leaf (40kWh) battery and a Tesla Model 3 (75kWh).

Given the option of purchasing a modern ICE new or a Nissan Leaf charged from the UK’s grid (gas + nuclear + renewables) the Leaf is ahead after 2 years. Where the choice is against keeping an older ICE where the prior manufacturing carbon cost is not counted the payback is approx 4 years. If the BEV is recharged from a 100% renewable source (EG Norway) the pay back in cost of carbon is sooner.

Hence there is no one precise answer. For Australia there is no requirement for vehicle suppliers to put a carbon cost on the manufacture of new vehicles. Looking to the EU analysis over a 150,000km life cycle the BEV emits approx 1/3rd of the total emissions of a modern ICE charged from the UK grid. Compared to Australia which has a dirtier grid YMMV depending on how a vehicle might be charged in Australia.

There is an added bonus with BEV’s in that they do not emit any exhaust particulates, nitrous oxides, carbon monoxide etc. If replacing a diesel vehicle which has much greater levels of unhealthy exhaust emissions the BEV will pay back in less time with greater other benefits.

At end of life BEV batteries can be repurposed or recycled reducing the environmental impact of choosing the technology.

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For anyone hopeful of purchasing a new top end Tesla in Australia, the options are now limited to the Model 3 or nothing.

Gizmodo Australia was promoting all 3 Tesla models alongside the pricing of the different versions of each less than a day prior.

The suggestion is demand elsewhere on the planet is outgrowing production capability. One likely consequence will be other prices for EVs.

For Australia?

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A new entry startup in the EU. The integrated PV system should make a good match in our environment.

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One more BEV option, now available to order, supply limited. Kia EV6.

An interesting comparison with the Tesla Model-3 in the linked article.
Whether the EV6 base RWD 0-100kph in the low 7’s should be a concern? It’s as least as quick as a Toyota Camry or Mazda CX-5. There are many other base model ICE vehicles those times will greatly embarrass. Unlikely a sound reason to choose one vehicle over any vehicle these days, personal needs excepted.

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BYD are known in Australia for batteries and electric buses. Not so as a car manufacturer, although they are established in the market in China. The BYD Atto 3 has been announced with pre-orders being taken for the local market.

Prospective buyers may find the range appealing, (BYD Is Bringing Its Cheap Electric SUV With up to 480km Range to Australia.

7 year 160,000km warranty on the vehicle and battery are about as good as it gets.

The Atto 3 is still to be NCAP crash tested. And some background,

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The cars are certainly getting better BMW has released a car that can go 598km per charge.The current government does nothing to encourage the consumer to take up electric cars.A change in government would make a difference.Can’t stop the future

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Selecting the best electric car might be fun but buying one and having it in your garage (or on your street) may be a different matter.

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The Qld Government have introduced a subsidy of $3,000 on some BEVs. The rules are that the car must retail for $58,000 or less…only a few fit under this cap at the moment.

[Queensland’s electric vehicle subsidy scheme has been announced. Here’s what you need to know - ABC News](Queensland's electric vehicle subsidy scheme has been announced. Here's what you need to know - ABC News

The following is also worth a read about opportunity or the loss of it:

How Brisbane EV-charger company Tritium made it to the White House, selling ‘picks and shovels to the gold rush’ - ABC News

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The BEV world is not just for Tesla?

Polestar 2 (by Volvo). Not so boring, cost competitive with a Tesla Model 3, and also available in a long range version. Note the review including test drive makes useful comments on the expected range, common to all models of BEV.

The observation that navigation uses Google Maps and is visible from within the dash is off interest. It’s also useful to see a non traditional motoring publication offering up content relevant to BEVs.

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This article is an advisory on the experience of travelling in an EV.

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Kia have added 2 new Neo models. A Hybrid and notably a BEV with a substantial 64.8 kWh battery, 480km nominal range. The real world test drive around the Adelaide Hills by the reviewer suggested slightly less.

No preference of review source. This one makes some useful comparisons on value relative to other choices around the same price point.

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Bank Australia will be making it a bit easier for their customers to decide on ICE or EV models from 2025.

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This is a little bit of a concern as there are many in the community that can’t afford EVs nor have the cash to pay for them outright. The decision may discriminate against those customers who can least afford it (such as those who can only afford to borrow for a used ICE vehicle).

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Perhaps by 2025 the prices will have come down somewhat?

Unlikely. While battery prices have decreased by about 80% in the past decade or so, EV prices have increased by similar amounts. The media, governments and consumer have been listening to marketing teams of EV manufacturers, rather than looking at price data. The same has been said of home battery systems. If one believed the media hype of a few years ago, they should be significantly less than their current prices (prices are similar to or greater to when such predictions were made)

This is due to a number of reasons. Supply constraints, EVs having increasing amount of technology, costs of production etc. There has been regular press about cheaper models being released, but after a vehicles launch, the purchase price continues to be 50%+ higher than comparable ICE vehicles. There has been a hope they will become cheaper, but it is unlikely unless there are substantial government subsidies to reduce prices. Countries such as Norway have realised this and have programs (such as using wealth reserves from selling mining and petroleum resources - which are about US1.3 Trillion) to subsidise EVs into the long term to make them more affordable.

With the enormous cost to build infrastructure to handle EVs (network, generation and charging infrastructure), the indirect costs to the community/taxpayer will be significant. Government will be challenged to determine how best to use the limited resources they have, and even if they provide support for EV uptake, we will all pay for it.

The risk exists that moving towards EVs (hydrogen or plugin) will create a society of haves and have not…the haves being those who can afford EVs. Unfortunately with government subsidies, there is a high chance the have nots will also be paying for the EV support.

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From an MRSP of $44k up to $65K eleven models to choose from.
https://www.carsguide.com.au/ev/advice/cheapest-electric-car-in-australia-83651

An old adage is the more you drive the more you save. BEV’s are particularly energy efficient, especially around town in traffic. 20kW for 100km at the lesser end of performance. At 30c per kWh for electricity, less off peak or on solar, that’s around $6 or less to go 100km. The same with fossil fuel might need 7-15 litres of fuel at more than twice the cost.

None of my Grand Parents owned a car or ever drove. It’s likely none of my Grand Children will ever know the smell of a car powered by fossil fuels. We are well on the way to the second of these visions.

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