I wonder if they have their region locks in place yet. Maybe the car’s electronics (and thus the car) will only operate when the driver has a compatible country driver license to keep (eg) US, AU, and AS drivers faced with the respective proper units and spellings, and the rationale wouldn’t have anything to do with the significant cost differential and territory protection - certainly not. Country pricing is important you know!
(Sony was one of the prime movers for DVD region locks to protect and control their content.)
Hopefully it will not be possible to inadvertently activate the built in Play Station from the electronic drivers controls, and emulate a Grand Turismo session instead of the drive to the school pickup?
Progress?
An annual reported 43% increase in global sales of PHEV’s & EV’s.
IE A doubling of production every 2 years, that will accelerate given the rush by key Manufacturers to introduce more BEVs to the market in 2021.
Australia also reported significant increases in sakes of hybrids (PHEVs). More than 60,000 out of 900,000 new vehicles sold. This was nearly double 2019 sakes of PHEVs. Sales of put pressure electric (BEV) also increased significantly. But with high relative costs and few incentives totalled only approx 4700.
Note:
If only the reported costs of lithium battery packs of US$200 per kWh transferred to the costs of home battery storage systems.
Assume you are suggesting Vehicle to Grid (aka V2G) technology.
It has not been a big selling point for the BEV market, more a future promise. Musk was all against it. But! Tesla had a change of direction commencing with the Model 3 in 2020.
It looks to becoming a more common option for BEV’s. In a 365 day year a BEV might drive an Aussie average 12000-14000km. Based on current vehicle ranges of 200-400km per charge the EV battery will only cycle the equivalent of 40-60 times each year. Less than 20% utilisation. Using a little bit each night to run the home has plenty of upside.
Note:
Even for a daily commute plugging in at work to charge might be enough to carry a surplus home to run the household after dark.
That might depend on how far the car park is from the office window? FBT implications if the extension lead can reach that far.
There is an opportunity for other employers to arrange with commercial operators to install charging stations in the employee car park. The return a percentage of the turnover.
It’s not a solution that will suit every BEV owner. V2G is simply another opportunity to get an additional benefit from a BEV (reduced GHG emissions from the NEG included).
Yes V2G as one option but if vehicle batteries are becoming cheaper to buy than built to household purposed ones, then buying the Car battery may be a cheaper option even including the electrician to install it and the inverter etc
I read a few articles a while ago about some people who have bought salvaged cars just to utilise the battery for household storage.
BYD already has a presence in Australia with home storage batteries and Battery Buses. Manufacture of an updated battery package using LFP (lithium iron phosphate) technology commenced in June 2020. The technology offers safer battery packs than Tesla’s Lithium NCA chemistry.
BYD are looking to compete against Tesla for battery costs, and cars. Already available in China is the Han sedan using the blade batteries for a 605 km range. LHD sampler now in Australia.
As good as a Tesla Model S?
The production model was released to market in China in July with a 0-100kph time of 3.9 seconds.
Like I said “Very sad!”. Missed opportunity? Not so much if we as a Nation take up the manufacturing. What has already been lost is history and can’t be regained but if we continue to stall/stutter on it yes it is missed into our future.
But our Governments have the answer …it’s called Coal & Gas and they keep looking for the Clean Carbon that hides under the bed…again Very sad! to be so short sighted and only looking to the Carbon Royalties.
Thinking outside the box - battery electric vehicles as a disruptive technology.
Aside from a means of transport, and one more way to power the home with V2G. Purchase your power cheaply while you shop and take it home stored in the car battery! Especially if the local shopping centre supplies it at a price the grid retailer can not match.
Potentially disruptive in other ways as the rest of the world has already decided.
Or buy the car use it and when home use it as the home’s battery.
