Volvo to stop using conventional engines

[geared]

France is going to ban the production of fueled cars by 2040, other countries look like getting there before that. It's the beginning of the end of petrol and diesel.

 

Bold and very interesting move by France, a country thats heavily into Diesel cars.

 

If the entire country is to go electric only they really need to get cracking on infrastructure immediately.

Will be interesting to see how it pans out over there and how they seek to overcome issues like charging.

[El Cid]

Tesla is innovating the re-use of electric cars' batteries which have ended rechargeability, for installation in houses/flats in order to store energy unwanted at the time of production (e.g. solar).

 

I am perhaps being pedantic here, but there is no "unwanted" solar energy. If solar is being generated by rooftop panels, when not being used by the owner of the house, the energy goes into the national grid, and will be used by someone else. With the owner of the panels being paid.

[Andy1976]

I love the look of the Tesla Model 3, and am very tempted by one when they're released/available, but my concern is range. For example, I like Newquay (330miles from here), but I've yet to see a car with a range of 330 miles on electric only. Same applies when I drive to France.

 

Until range is addressed, I could at best cope with hybrid, but couldn't use full electric. I don't want to be stopping for hours on a long drive.

[Flexo]

I love the look of the Tesla Model 3, and am very tempted by one when they're released/available, but my concern is range. For example, I like Newquay (330miles from here), but I've yet to see a car with a range of 330 miles on electric only. Same applies when I drive to France.

 

Until range is addressed, I could at best cope with hybrid, but couldn't use full electric. I don't want to be stopping for hours on a long drive.

 

Stop at a Tesla supercharger en-route for a rest, some food and to stretch your legs. 30 minutes or so will be fine.

 

En-route to France there are superchargers both sides of the Chunnel and at ferry terminals.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Flexo

[Andy1976]

Stop at a Tesla supercharger en-route for a rest, some food and to stretch your legs. 30 minutes or so will be fine.

 

En-route to France there are superchargers both sides of the Chunnel and at ferry terminals.

 

Really?! I'd not heard about those! I'm more sold on that car than before then! I think I was looking at the older electrics, where charging takes hours.

[L00b]

I love the look of the Tesla Model 3, and am very tempted by one when they're released/available, but my concern is range. For example, I like Newquay (330miles from here), but I've yet to see a car with a range of 330 miles on electric only. Same applies when I drive to France.

 

Until range is addressed, I could at best cope with hybrid, but couldn't use full electric. I don't want to be stopping for hours on a long drive.

Snap.

 

Our 'usual' trip to France is 600 miles door-to-door (literally that, within .1 or .2 mile: A1, M25, M20, A26 and A4, with a dozen miles or so of B road at the end).

 

I'm waiting to see how the real life version of the TM3 compares to the on-paper/hyped version.

 

Flexo is right btw, there's been Tesla superchargers (3 or 4 IIRC) at Eurotunnel in Folkestone, right across from the food/rest court, for at least 2 years now. There's also Tesla superchargers on many motorway services in France already, see here

[geared]

Really?! I'd not heard about those! I'm more sold on that car than before then! I think I was looking at the older electrics, where charging takes hours.

 

Yep there's supercharger stations at quite a few motorway services now though.

Mind you if everyone buys a Tesla those stations are going to be rammed with cars on busy days :hihi::hihi:

 

30 minutes is still too long for a charge, needs to get down to the time taken to fill a car with petrol IMO.

[Andy1976]

Yep there's supercharger stations at quite a few motorway services now though.

Mind you if everyone buys a Tesla those stations are going to be rammed with cars on busy days :hihi::hihi:

 

30 minutes is still too long for a charge, needs to get down to the time taken to fill a car with petrol IMO.

 

Just looking at the superchargers now. 20 minutes would be fine on a long trip I suspect - cup of coffee, stretch the legs etc, although quicker would be nice.

 

They do say though that after the start of 2017, you'll get 1000 miles of 'quick charge' per year, then it's payable (at less than the cost of a tank of fuel though, so presumably £19.99 or something).

 

The whole concept is very interesting though. The Model3 is a very nice looking car indeed, and it's quite clear this is the way we're heading (electric). Once we're at the stage where range isn't an issue, or charging is very quick indeed, I suspect it will really take off.

 

Interesting point just raised from the desk across from me - we're keen campers and when we're camping we won't have anywhere to charge.

 

I suspect it'll take a lot more consideration/preparation, because if you run out of fuel, you just get a can from the nearest petrol station. Can't do that with electric.

[Flexo]

Interesting point just raised from the desk across from me - we're keen campers and when we're camping we won't have anywhere to charge.

 

It's possible to charge, albeit slowly, from a caravan hookup.

[geared]

I suspect it'll take a lot more consideration/preparation, because if you run out of fuel, you just get a can from the nearest petrol station. Can't do that with electric.

 

Bucket full of AA batteries??

 

:hihi::hihi:

 

---------- Post added 07-07-2017 at 13:20 ----------

 

It's possible to charge, albeit slowly, from a caravan hookup.

 

Bet the site owners will be dead keen on that one.

 

150 people show up on a bank holiday, then proceed to plug all their cars into the electric points and gobble the juice.