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[Viral_Jim]

Currently killing time in the office while I wait for the AA man. Not as one might predict for him to come and fix the crusty terracan, oh no! Rather, its the shiny new golf that seems to be horse to combat...

https://ibb.co/DrY7cWY


So, on balance it seems that petrol cars are exactly twice as reliable as electric ones, being as the BMW lasted nearly 5000 miles before it suffered a failure to proceed, VW's effort, a mere 2250 miles.

Well, you've got to laugh haven't you 

[aaronjb]

Imgur link seems to be broken.. but d'oh, what's gone wrong with it (already)?

[Viral_Jim]

Fixed....


The link 

No idea, but it's off to vw

[Doctor Gollum]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

 

[Viral_Jim]

Funny you should say that. It was nearly most embarrassing (for me). When the AA bloke got in it, there was no issue  it started and ran like nothing had happened. But for the above image, I'd have looked like a total loon. 

Im sending it to VW anyway as, given my BMW experience, I'd rather not lose propulsion while bowling along at 70. 

[Varche]

Hopefully there will be a fault code stored.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Funny you should say that. It was nearly most embarrassing (for me). When the AA bloke got in it, there was no issue  it started and ran like nothing had happened. But for the above image, I'd have looked like a total loon. 

Im sending it to VW anyway as, given my BMW experience, I'd rather not lose propulsion while bowling along at 70.

Do EV's start and run?    Or is your Golf a hybrid? 

[aaronjb]

Do EV's start and run? 

Maybe that's what it was complaining about.. someone has gone and stuck an engine in there while Jimmy wasn't looking!*

Hopefully there will be a fault code stored.

I had a random electrical fault on the Superb once - fault code was an aux water pump and Skoda's response was "We cleared the code, see if it happens again" (it never did)


*It wasn't me, despite the fact that I clearly stalk him at his place of work.

[BazaJT]

So what have you done to upset ze Germans as they clearly don't like you

[tunnie]

Brexit to blame, it heard there was an extension. So it disagreed and said stop.

Seriously though, that's not good. 

Also goes to show EV's and such have to go to main dealer, can't see your local VW specialist looking at them.

[aaronjb]

Also goes to show EV's and such have to go to main dealer, can't see your local VW specialist looking at them.

For now.. but in 10-15 years time those specialists will have to "get with the times" if they want to continue to exist - there are already a few popping up stateside for Teslas as well as home-gamers.

I'm guessing back when the first Horseless Carriages came out, they were dealer only, too.. a few of our members probably remember those days 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Not known to be that great is the E-Golf, its to much of a compromise on a constrained platform plus the software is far from mature (probably the biggest issue).

That said, they also have major issues in the next Gen Golf, last word is that its delayed by 40+ weeks (so you can strongly expect that the resource is focused on this sadly)

[Viral_Jim]

Do EV's start and run?    Or is your Golf a hybrid? 

No, its a full milk float, no added fossils.

The starting up is actually the most odd thing about driving it. Usually you turn the key, there's a half second pause and it then makes a 'bing-bong' noise to tell you its on. No vibration or starter motor noise (obviously). Once you're on the move it feels a lot more like any other car, but initially its rather odd.

By way of an update, the issue didn't manifest again in the 120 mile return journey to the office. I also test-charged it on all 3 different standards that it supports (slow AC, Rapid AC, Rapid DC) and nothing, no problems at all  . VW technician is coming out this morning to plug it into a machine that goes 'ping'. We'll see if they know any more...

So what have you done to upset ze Germans as they clearly don't like you

I think I'm just lucky...

[aaronjb]

VW technician is coming out this morning to plug it into a machine that goes 'ping'.

A microwave?

[Viral_Jim]

Not known to be that great is the E-Golf, its to much of a compromise on a constrained platform plus the software is far from mature (probably the biggest issue).

That said, they also have major issues in the next Gen Golf, last word is that its delayed by 40+ weeks (so you can strongly expect that the resource is focused on this sadly)

The platform constraints are clear to see when you look under the bonnet or under the car, software doesn't surprise me. TBH the Leaf was my first choice, I figured they might be better as they've been in the business of building EVs for the best part of a decade but two things put me off: Seating position - lack of reach adjustment on the wheel made it uncomfortable for me (unforgivable on a £20k+ car), cost (£50pcm more than the golf).

[Doctor Gollum]

Not to mention that the Leaf would also leave you with range anxiety...

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

M42......pissing rain.....outside lane......pitch black .......then it will fail.

Sod's law I'm afraid.

[henryd]

Not to mention that the Leaf would also leave you with range anxiety...

Latest Leaf with 62 kw battery has good range,probably better than the Golf tbh

[Doctor Gollum]

Not to mention that the Leaf would also leave you with range anxiety...

Latest Leaf with 62 kw battery has good range,probably better than the Golf tbh

They don't do so well trundling around the airport. 80-90 miles on a charge...

Might be that they don't like being topped up every evening 

[Viral_Jim]

Not to mention that the Leaf would also leave you with range anxiety...

Latest Leaf with 62 kw battery has good range,probably better than the Golf tbh

In terms of cost Vs usability, I think 60kwh is about where it's at. If my experience is anything to go by, that will give you c250miles of real world (70 'ish' Aircon and heated seats on etc) driving.

Combine that with the 150kw charging technology which will add 100mile of range while you have a pee and I really don't think 99% of the public will want anything more.

As a daily commuter, I'm sold on electric. I find plugging in more convenient than filling up and the quietness outweighs the lost 'excitement'.

For toys though, I'm still firmly in the fossil camp.

[aaronjb]

Did VW tell you what the computer said, yet?

[Viral_Jim]

Did VW tell you what the computer said, yet?

Unhelpfully, it was a fairly generic charging error. It's off to Northampton VeeDub next week (I think they have a better machine that goes ping ). Considering that all the car was doing at the time was sitting charging, that seems fairly obvious.

Having had time to reflect, I do remember that the guy in my team who had the i3 last year stopped using that particular charge point after numerous problems, although all his did was throw an error and stop charging, it didn't 'fail to proceed'.

So there is a slim chance it's not the car's fault, but, on balance I'm still erring on the side of 'bloody useless sh!te' 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Sounds like SW, the charge system should be independent of the traction and allow you to go as long as there is enough electricity in the tank.

[Kevin Wood]

FTFY...

[TheBoy]

Combine that with the 150kw charging technology which will add 100mile of range while you have a pee and I really don't think 99% of the public will want anything more.

Fast charging does royally fruk up the batts.  Hence most manufacturers state something like only doing it once a week.

Doing so once a week will still shag the batts, but they know they have to appease people, in the same way they say that oil lasts 20k...   ...they know the outcome, but know if they are honest, sales will drop

[ronnyd]

Combine that with the 150kw charging technology which will add 100mile of range while you have a pee and I really don't think 99% of the public will want anything more.

Fast charging does royally fruk up the batts.  Hence most manufacturers state something like only doing it once a week.

Doing so once a week will still shag the batts, but they know they have to appease people, in the same way they say that oil lasts 20k...   ...they know the outcome, but know if they are honest, sales will drop

That,s the problem with the whole environmental debate, trying to get to the truth past all the scares and lies. Bit like Brexit really.

[Viral_Jim]

Combine that with the 150kw charging technology which will add 100mile of range while you have a pee and I really don't think 99% of the public will want anything more.

Fast charging does royally fruk up the batts.  Hence most manufacturers state something like only doing it once a week.

Doing so once a week will still shag the batts, but they know they have to appease people, in the same way they say that oil lasts 20k...   ...they know the outcome, but know if they are honest, sales will drop

Too early to tell I think. There's only a few ev's with enough miles on to tell.

There's a company called tesloop who run a shuttle service from LAX to Vegas and northern California, they have 3 Teslas (one s two x) that have cracked 300,000 miles, all 3 on their original battery and all they do is supercharge (so c140kw I think) from <10% to >90%. The two X's have managed this on their original battery packs, the 1st generation S had it replaced at 195,000. Range degredation over those mileages is about 10%.

So I don't think battery death is inevitable over the lifetime of the car.

[TheBoy]

Combine that with the 150kw charging technology which will add 100mile of range while you have a pee and I really don't think 99% of the public will want anything more.

Fast charging does royally fruk up the batts.  Hence most manufacturers state something like only doing it once a week.

Doing so once a week will still shag the batts, but they know they have to appease people, in the same way they say that oil lasts 20k...   ...they know the outcome, but know if they are honest, sales will drop

Too early to tell I think. There's only a few ev's with enough miles on to tell.

There's a company called tesloop who run a shuttle service from LAX to Vegas and northern California, they have 3 Teslas (one s two x) that have cracked 300,000 miles, all 3 on their original battery and all they do is supercharge (so c140kw I think) from <10% to >90%. The two X's have managed this on their original battery packs, the 1st generation S had it replaced at 195,000. Range degredation over those mileages is about 10%.

So I don't think battery death is inevitable over the lifetime of the car.

The battery technology is well known TBH, but the manufacturers don't want you to know that.  The 2 things that damage those batts the most is over discharge, and fast charging.  Hence the general recommendation from the batt manufacturers to only regularly half discharge, and rarely fast charge.

I'm sceptical of that Tesla claim, as even ignoring the electrics (the motors are shit), I doubt there is a Tesla alive that has survived more than 100k without falling to bits.  The design and the build quality is shocking .

[Doctor Gollum]

Yup, they're so badly built that the Model S is one of the safest cars ever crash tested 

Different/unconventional doesn't have to automatically mean shit.

I mean, your car has 4 £170 door handles made from Chinese cheese. My car is a fantastic piece of packaging but does require £900 labour to change the clutch. Vauxhall coated the interior of the Omega with plastic wax and forgot to rust proof the chassis... They all have issues.

 

[TheBoy]

Yup, they're so badly built that the Model S is one of the safest cars ever crash tested 

Different/unconventional doesn't have to automatically mean shit.

I mean, your car has 4 £170 door handles made from Chinese cheese. My car is a fantastic piece of packaging but does require £900 labour to change the clutch. Vauxhall coated the interior of the Omega with plastic wax and forgot to rust proof the chassis... They all have issues.

 

PMSL.

No electric car can be inherently safe in a crash.  Given your job, you know that.  Not that would stop Tesla, as they have a woeful history for ignoring the safety, because they want need to get a product/feature out there before its ready. But like a lot of new tech companies (which it primarily is, just trying to be a car manufacturer), it basically does what its not-all-dogs-on-one-lead leader/founder says, regardless of anything else.

The one good thing Tesla has done is shown that full EV cars might be viable for a small proportion of the population, which has helped other manufacturers sell full EV cars.  Actually, I'll be generous and add another - they have shown that there is insufficient charging facilities, and that's only a good thing if we all have to move over to milk floats.


There may have been a valid argument 5 years ago that Tesla was one of the best EVs, but everyone else has caught up, and done so properly, and have better safety records, and more conventional rather than for speccy eyed geeks.

[Doctor Gollum]

Credit where it's due, the Tesla gets three point belts and padding

My current equipment has a lap belt and no door. Or roof

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AQXQCSgkvojNdFRt6

That said it's diesel/hydraulic rather than electric and apparently weighs just over 5.1 tons...

[ronnyd]

Do you get to take it home Doc?

[Doctor Gollum]

No. Thank God 

It does about 15mph and has no suspension...

[dave the builder]

It does about 15mph and has no suspension...

so basically it's a ford focus with a conveyor  belt bolted to it, with white panels covering up the ugly ford parts 

[Doctor Gollum]

It does about 15mph and has no suspension...

so basically it's a ford focus with a conveyor  belt bolted to it, with white panels covering up the ugly ford parts 

It's worse...

It's built in Northern Ireland and uses a Deutz lump to run the hydraulics

[Sir Tigger KC]

Couldn't they afford the optional extra cab ffs? 

[Doctor Gollum]

Couldn't they afford the optional extra cab ffs? 

Apparently it cost over £100k without... So apparently not

[Sir Tigger KC]

Couldn't they afford the optional extra cab ffs? 

Apparently it cost over £100k without... So apparently not

Must be quite 'character building' driving that at times! 

[Rods2]

Credit where it's due, the Tesla gets three point belts and padding

My current equipment has a lap belt and no door. Or roof

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AQXQCSgkvojNdFRt6

That said it's diesel/hydraulic rather than electric and apparently weighs just over 5.1 tons...

Raise the ramp on that a bit & it looks like it would make a perfect fixed wing drone launcher.

[Doctor Gollum]

Credit where it's due, the Tesla gets three point belts and padding

My current equipment has a lap belt and no door. Or roof

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AQXQCSgkvojNdFRt6

That said it's diesel/hydraulic rather than electric and apparently weighs just over 5.1 tons...

Raise the ramp on that a bit & it looks like it would make a perfect fixed wing drone launcher.

Nah, far too slow. Drops to 5 mph with the belt raised.

[Rods2]

Some military fixed wing drones have a static launcher like a miniature V1 ramp.

[TheBoy]

Some military fixed wing drones have a static launcher like a miniature V1 ramp.

Surely its quicker to just dump them straight in the Bristol Channel, seeing as that's where they crash most of them...