lf you live in North Queensland it floods and no EV will survive
Welcome to the forum Shanetbird.
Why is that?
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What you have stated appears incorrect.
Commercially manufactured EVs as required by design laws to be properly sealed for the drive system, they must at least meet IP67 and some are IP68 level of protection (some may even exceed these levels of protection and have IP69K ratings such as the MG ZS EV). All Commercially made EV batteries need to be completely sealed as are the electrical wire connections and the electric motors. Some have air cooling of components but this does not mean that the battery cells are exposed (to be clear, they are not exposed). If any component has damage then they may not still be sealed adequately, thus if an EV has been submerged it should be fully checked by a qualified person before being driven. If a converted vehicle it may use unsealed batteries (think lead acid batteries which need to vent). It also has lower expectations of IP ratings (IP2X and IP4X for many components) and may not be as safe as a commercially manufactured vehicle. X means “there is no data available to specify a protection rating with regard to this criterion”.
An ICE vehicle that has been submerged in almost all cases requires the engine at least to be replaced (or a total rebuild), and components like the differential and gear box because they have pressure relief valves and filling/checking tubes (breathers) they often too need repair or replacement. In both types of vehicles the things like interiors and similar will need replacement, repair, or cleaning to fix the issues of flooding. I think it is just a furphy passed around that EVs are not designed for water by the ICE enthusiasts, as evidence to the contrary is readily available.
IP69K
IP69K is currently the highest rating on the ingress protection (IP) scale in a motor vehicle (K indicates it is for vehicle rating) . The IP scale is an international system that gives products a rating based on their ability to withstand the intrusion of solids and liquids.
IP69 is testing from an IEC standard and is for electrical equipment while IP69K is testing from an ISO standard and is for electrical equipment mounted on road vehicles.
The first number of the rating indicates how dustproof a product is, ranging from 0 to 6. The second number indicates how watertight a product is, ranging from 0 to 9. The addition of a ‘K’ after the second digit signifies specific protection from high-pressure jets in vehicular mounted items. These ratings allow a company/consumer to choose equipment with the right level of protection for a given environment.
IP69K means a product is completely dustproof, and the K indicates that it is rated in regards to a vehicle. the 9 indicates it can withstand washdown at pressures of 80 to 100 bar/1,160 to 1,450 PSI, in phases of 14 to 16 l/min, and at temperatures up to 176°F/80°C.
IP67
The 6 indicates “complete protection against dust over extended time” as well as “protection against contact with objects greater than 1mm in diameter, such as a wire or a small tool.”.
The 7 indicates the system is “protected against short periods of immersion in water while under pressure between 15cm and 1m.” .
IP68
The 6 indicates “complete protection against dust over extended time” as well as “protection against contact with objects greater than 1mm in diameter, such as a wire or a small tool.”.
The 8 indicates they are water resistant in fresh water to a maximum depth of 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes.
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We bought a Polestar 2 in Feb last year. We love it and would never go back to buying another ICE car. We do have a Mazda shopping & “dog car” which we would love to trade in for a smaller zippy electric but unfortunately they are currently too expensive for what we need. Hopefully in 2025 there will be more ranges with cheaper versions.
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Welcome @BayKat
As close as I can get at the moment is a battery bicycle.
Elsewhere on the planet.
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No; I wouldn’t buy an EV, but I’ve owned hybrids for the last 10 years. My concerns are range anxiety confining use to populous areas, and resale value when approaching battery replacement age.
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Yes, we have just bought an LDV eDeliver7.
Our 2010 Peugeot Partner van is starting to cost more in repairs and my wife needed more protected space for her weekend markets, selling plants. Plants in the trailer were getting trashed bouncing along our very rough dirt road, plus covered in dust, so more internal space was needed.
Ive been researching electric vehicles for years, and this was the first suitable one to appear on the market. It’s the first new vehicle either of us has owned (in 45 years of car ownership for me), so is a bit of a novelty.
Realistic safe range in 100km/hr country driving is 250km vs WLTP range of 362km.
NRMA and Tesla chargers are 35km away, next closest are all over 100km distant, but we can charge at home. Off-grid here, so a bit weather dependent, but I am installing more PV panels and battery capacity to allow charging at night and in cloudier weather, as my wife often departs for markets well before sunrise.
My super has taken a big hit to do this, but I feel it is a good investment, and will greatly reduce our use of fossil fuels. The Peugeot is more fuel efficient (I managed ~4.5l/100km) than most new hybrids, so a new hybrid was not an environmentally sound option.
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Another twist to owning a BEV. The effects on insurance premiums might just be starting.
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Retired couple, late 60s. We want to replace the town runabout (2016 Kia Cerato, 7l/100km) with a more efficient vehicle for all our suburban driving (we will hang onto the 18 year-old petrol Prado for long country trips towing the camper…).
For most of our lives, we have had older cars. EV prices are still higher than they should be, but we think it’s time to act, so we’re prepared to cop a little higher cost than if we waited another 2-3 years.
We see EVs as the way of the future for suburban driving, particularly now cheaper models from BYD, GWM and MG have become available. We know our solar panels are returning 2-3kW excess to the grid for six hours a day (12-18kWh). We would use that excess power for charging the new runabout and cease buying petrol for suburban use.
It has nevertheless been a mental struggle deciding to go pure EV or PHEV or simple hybrid like a Corolla. However, the delta cost between a Corolla hybrid and a pure EV is now small enough to help decide that it’s better to take the option that will be the long-term right choice (pure EV).
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I’m holding off on EV’s due to Toyota and Bosch’s hydrogen cell vehicles that are in development . Toyota already has the Mirai available but it is overshadowed by their latest development in hydrogen fuel cell technology . Recently watched a program featuring a Toyota Corolla GR Racing car on the track using hydrogen fuel .
I’ve been looking for a new vehicle for over a year . Might just wait and see what our friends at Toyota and Bosch come up with .
