E-car SUV Nio and battery swap...

[cyprusmax47]

It looks like the Chinese are more advanced concerning e-cars than European companies. The idea with a battery swap in 3 min. is perhaps the way to solve the problem with short distance e-drive...but also the performance of their SUV is amazing...

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/12 ... 8-nio.html

and here a video about the battery swap...



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR4kvk89jlA

Max

[Uncle D]

This is the whole issue for me also.
I believe Devil has had a couple of hybrids over the last few years, and will be able to answer these questions.
My brother in law is an engineer, he has been in the field of Energy saving and the company that he owns in Vancouver, advises other companies on how to save energy. He is aiming to get a Tesla, when the more affordable model comes out.

[Devil]

This is the whole issue for me also.
I believe Devil has had a couple of hybrids over the last few years, and will be able to answer these questions.
My brother in law is an engineer, he has been in the field of Energy saving and the company that he owns in Vancouver, advises other companies on how to save energy. He is aiming to get a Tesla, when the more affordable model comes out.

Yes I've had two hybrids (I had to change because a fractured spine made getting in and out the Honda too difficult so I now have a Lexus). Except in winter, my petrol consumption on mixed journeys is about 4.3-4.8 l/100 km (it goes up to just above 5 in winter short trips because the full hybrid operation kicks in only after ~5-6 km as the engine warms up). An equivalent petrol-only car would consume about 8-12 l/100 km i.e. about twice the carbon emissions. In this country, a fully electric car of about equivalent size/performance (I'm talking, say, Nissan Leaf), usually charged at night (Cyprus does not have a smart grid or sufficient wind or sun at night), would produce much more CO2 from the power station than even a conventional petrol/diesel car. This truth is developed in a little more factual detail at
http://bnellis.eu/cyprus/cyeleccar.html

I'm convinced that, especially in Cyprus, a mid-sized petrol hybrid is the only type of private car on today's market that will limit the CO2 emissions to a reasonable level.

OTOH, this statement is not universally applicable, depending on how electricity is generated.

[Devil]

Devil, from the way you are speaking I assume your hybrid does not need charging, forgive me if this is a silly question as I don't own a hybrid and probably won't for many years to come

The battery of a true hybrid is charged from the excess energy that is wasted in a conventional car. E.g., when you go downhill or when you brake approaching traffic lights etc., the car generates electricity to charge the battery. When you go uphill or accelerate away from the lights, that saved energy is reused to help the car on its way. This is a simplistic explanation because there are a host of smaller features to conserve and reuse the wasted energy of the internal combustion energy. If hybrids became mainstream, the fuel consumption of countries like Cyprus would be roughly halved (this may apply also to buses, HGVs, vans, etc.); apart from halving the traffic-caused pollution (to the delight of the EU), it would please your wallet or purse. The only people who would complain are the filling stations and petroleum companies.

Note: these remarks apply only to most countries, like Cyprus, the UK, the ME etc., to the exclusion of Norway, France, Austria, Iceland, Switzerland etc. which all use almost no fossil fuels to generate electricity.

[Devil]

I suspect hybrid and electric cars will be out of reach of the ordinary working man or woman for some time to come.

Current prices start at about €16,000, depending on make and model.

[PaphosAL]

Devil, would you happen to have a year by year set of average diesel and unleaded pump prices for Cyprus, starting in 2001 to the present, say, please? I've googled for an hour, to no avail...

Thanks! AL

[Devil]

Devil, would you happen to have a year by year set of average diesel and unleaded pump prices for Cyprus, starting in 2001 to the present, say, please? I've googled for an hour, to no avail...

Thanks! AL

Sorry! Not a chance!

[ApusApus]

Neither will I be an early adopter; I'll wait until I see which way the future is going to go.

I agree, I will be in the market for a new car in a few years time but will be watching how things develop as there are several technologies on the go at the moment!


Shane

[PaphosAL]

Well, I was only thinking that pre-2004, in other words pre-EU, pump prices for diesel was something like CY£0-05 per litre. (Someone please correct me if I am wrong here).

This price was set by the Cyprus Government, as the whole transport infrastructure in the RoC depended upon buses and taxis, ie: cheap public transport, there being no train system...

After EU accession in 2004, Cyprus was forced by the EU to up its diesel prices to levels paid in W.Europe or even higher, via gov duty. Am I right, or am I right?

AL

[Uncle D]

I remember back in 2001 it was the equivalent to €0.68 per litre for petrol.
I would love a Hybrid, but not yet, diesels are being de valued in the UK and I think there will be a huge influx of them being imported over here.
My 14 year old CRV is rubbish on fuel but only has 50,000 miles on the clock, I wont be changing that for while.