Post by Wyvern on Aug 28, 2008 17:09:31 GMT
I admit it, I'm coming out of the closet and declaring my interest in environmentally friendlier driving. I'm planning to look into various options and technologies. For my first little ramble, I found myself not-very-thoroughly researching electric cars. We all know they probably aren't the best answer, but we're all familiar with them and it seems like a good place to start.
I've been thinking about electric cars and how, although they probably aren't the long-term solution, they are a solution that is here now and wondering whether they're all boring, ugly, slow and very easy to squash. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to determine everything about squashability as not all the interesting stuff going on out there has been crash tested yet, but here are some of the developments that are happening at the moment. I plan to add to this as the field develops further and I would be interested to hear what other people on the board think of the more environmentally friendly driving options.
We all know what the most familiar of the electric cars looks like...
Mmm... lovely.
Reva's G-Wiz, a 2+2 hatchback, stalks the streets of London, but is rarely seen outside the capital in the UK. People who live in central London won't be taking them outside of the city as the earliest models have a maximum range of 40 miles and the newest ones of 48 miles. Maximum speed is 40mph for the older models and up to 50mph for the newer ones. In all fairness to the plastic deathtraps, there have been a lot of improvements in the latest model, but the car still can't go very far or very fast and is definitely one for urban use only.
(Me, being slightly twisted in the head, now wants to try off-roading in one...)
Anyway, there are some pros to the G-Wiz - it's small, and it can fit into tiny spaces, it has zero emissions in use (63gm CO2/km from charging from conventional electric suppliers) and it is cheap to run (a full charge costs about 88p at peak rates at the moment). It isn't that cheap to buy, however, and at around £10,000 for the newest models, it is possible to buy a very decent 'proper' car, rather than a quadricycle, and not have to have a second vehicle for long distance travel.*
Of course, as Top Gear fans, we've all seen this, though...
The crash test makes sobering reading, especially the mention of the government response, which may ultimately force reconsideration of the rules on quadricycle safety. (Please note, though, that these tests were done using previous models. The G-Wiz i, which hits the road in October, apparently has been independently frontal impact crash tested at 25mph - just in case Reva's lawyers are looking).
So while it works and it's out there and running, while it might not be the most attractive option, it is certainly the best known one.
But what if you like the environmental appeal of the G-Wiz but don't want to feel a raging desire to wash your eyes out with bleach every time you open the garage door?
Wouldn't you rather have one of these?
This is not a quadricycle, but it is still 100% electric. It's the Tesla Roadster from America's Tesla Motors, which is starting to make its way into the public conciousness, and it's a proper electric car.
Sharing around 7% of its components with the Elise, it is built by Lotus on behalf of Tesla. Their philosophy couldn't be further removed from that of manufacturers of vehicles like the G-Wiz and a quote from their website that nicely sums up their approach is "Most electric vehicles operate under the assumption that driving is merely a necessary evil if you need to get someplace you can’t reach on foot or bike. The result has been cars that are designed, built, and marketed in ways that refuse to glorify driving."
And I think, in that simple paragraph, they sum up why people who love cars generally do not love the G-Wiz. Working in conjunction with Lotus, Tesla have created something that looks like a car, performs like a car and yes - will have to be able to meet the safety standards for a car (although as the car does not officially go on sale in Europe until next year I have no NCAP results yet). Admittedly it will be rather more expensive than the G-Wiz, at €99,000, and it seems that there are no plans to make a right hand drive version - though reports are now surfacing that there will be a UK version, and it will cost IRO £70,000.
The two vehicles arent really comparable, as they are designed for different uses and different markets. However, what happens in the top end of any industry does eventually filter into the mainstream, and the Tesla Roadster doesn't represent what can be achieved in 5 or 10 years - it can be, and is being, done now.
But isn't it a bit galling for those of us in the UK that even though this car is being built here, it isn't available here yet?
Well, the Tesla Roadster will have some home-grown competition and holy moley it's a pretty thing.
If British cars are your thing but you want a greener option, the Lighting GT, by the Lightning Car Company, might be the way to go. It hasn't gone into full production yet, but after building a number of petrol-driven testbed models, and an electric prototype, the order book has been opened and all is looking good. Even better, the Lightning Car Company is that most British of institutions, a small-scale motor manufacturer that, like Bristol, is basically a couple of blokes and a shed. But even blokes in sheds need to pass safety testing requirements.
And talking of Bristol (as we weren't, but bear with me) the Lightning GT appears to have a similar design philosophy to the Bristol Fighter, especially around the rear end. The front reminds me of the current crop of Aston Martins (though without their "trout-pout" mouth) and the side view is even reminiscent of the Marcos GT of the 1960s.
And when we see electric vehicles make their way into endurance racing... don't be surprised if this is one of the first.
Until the first production models are delivered, it's always a bit of a concern that what might happen next. They are due in the early part of 2009, but with a price of £150,000 it's quite a big risk to take. But I hope they pull it off - the business of cars should be done by people who love them, and who want them to develop in a way that people can still enjoy driving when the oil runs out, men (and women) in sheds with a passion for what they're doing - not by environmentalists in offices trying to make us all feel guilty for needing to get from A-B. If a journey is necessary, it doesn't mean it has to be miserable... and if it can be done without environmental harm, where is the need to feel guilty?
More information on the G-Wiz - www.goingreen.co.uk
More information about Tesla - www.teslamotors.com/
More information about Lightning - www.lightningcarcompany.co.uk/home.php
Tech comparison
G-Wiz i (latest model):
0 – 60 n/a
Top Speed 50mph
Maximum range 48 miles
100 % charge time 8 hours
Recycling costs – not included, but battery and tyres are fully recyclable and GoinGreen states that prices are pretty standard across the country. They have yet to determine what happens at the end of the vehicle life as they only know of a few that have been taken out of service. Parts have been recycled within GoinGreen's own fleet, but they are unable to use second-hand parts in customer cars as this would affect warranty.
Price £10,000
Tesla Roadster:
0 – 60 3.9 seconds
Top Speed electronically limited to 125mph
Maximum range 220 miles
100% charge time – varies according to method and power source, but 3.5 hours using Tesla high power connector.
Recycling costs included in purchase price (consumables – battery and tyres – fully recylable)
Price €99,000/£70,000
Lightning GT
0 – 60 4 seconds
Top Speed 130+mph
Maximum range likely to be comparable with the Tesla Roadster
100% charge time - varies according to power source and connector, but probably comparable with the Tesla
Recycling costs – awaiting more information from Lightning Cars
Price £150,000 (£15,000 deposit – or 1.5 G-Wizzes – secures purchase)
I've been thinking about electric cars and how, although they probably aren't the long-term solution, they are a solution that is here now and wondering whether they're all boring, ugly, slow and very easy to squash. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to determine everything about squashability as not all the interesting stuff going on out there has been crash tested yet, but here are some of the developments that are happening at the moment. I plan to add to this as the field develops further and I would be interested to hear what other people on the board think of the more environmentally friendly driving options.
We all know what the most familiar of the electric cars looks like...
Mmm... lovely.
Reva's G-Wiz, a 2+2 hatchback, stalks the streets of London, but is rarely seen outside the capital in the UK. People who live in central London won't be taking them outside of the city as the earliest models have a maximum range of 40 miles and the newest ones of 48 miles. Maximum speed is 40mph for the older models and up to 50mph for the newer ones. In all fairness to the plastic deathtraps, there have been a lot of improvements in the latest model, but the car still can't go very far or very fast and is definitely one for urban use only.
(Me, being slightly twisted in the head, now wants to try off-roading in one...)
Anyway, there are some pros to the G-Wiz - it's small, and it can fit into tiny spaces, it has zero emissions in use (63gm CO2/km from charging from conventional electric suppliers) and it is cheap to run (a full charge costs about 88p at peak rates at the moment). It isn't that cheap to buy, however, and at around £10,000 for the newest models, it is possible to buy a very decent 'proper' car, rather than a quadricycle, and not have to have a second vehicle for long distance travel.*
Of course, as Top Gear fans, we've all seen this, though...
The crash test makes sobering reading, especially the mention of the government response, which may ultimately force reconsideration of the rules on quadricycle safety. (Please note, though, that these tests were done using previous models. The G-Wiz i, which hits the road in October, apparently has been independently frontal impact crash tested at 25mph - just in case Reva's lawyers are looking).
So while it works and it's out there and running, while it might not be the most attractive option, it is certainly the best known one.
But what if you like the environmental appeal of the G-Wiz but don't want to feel a raging desire to wash your eyes out with bleach every time you open the garage door?
Wouldn't you rather have one of these?
This is not a quadricycle, but it is still 100% electric. It's the Tesla Roadster from America's Tesla Motors, which is starting to make its way into the public conciousness, and it's a proper electric car.
Sharing around 7% of its components with the Elise, it is built by Lotus on behalf of Tesla. Their philosophy couldn't be further removed from that of manufacturers of vehicles like the G-Wiz and a quote from their website that nicely sums up their approach is "Most electric vehicles operate under the assumption that driving is merely a necessary evil if you need to get someplace you can’t reach on foot or bike. The result has been cars that are designed, built, and marketed in ways that refuse to glorify driving."
And I think, in that simple paragraph, they sum up why people who love cars generally do not love the G-Wiz. Working in conjunction with Lotus, Tesla have created something that looks like a car, performs like a car and yes - will have to be able to meet the safety standards for a car (although as the car does not officially go on sale in Europe until next year I have no NCAP results yet). Admittedly it will be rather more expensive than the G-Wiz, at €99,000, and it seems that there are no plans to make a right hand drive version - though reports are now surfacing that there will be a UK version, and it will cost IRO £70,000.
The two vehicles arent really comparable, as they are designed for different uses and different markets. However, what happens in the top end of any industry does eventually filter into the mainstream, and the Tesla Roadster doesn't represent what can be achieved in 5 or 10 years - it can be, and is being, done now.
But isn't it a bit galling for those of us in the UK that even though this car is being built here, it isn't available here yet?
Well, the Tesla Roadster will have some home-grown competition and holy moley it's a pretty thing.
If British cars are your thing but you want a greener option, the Lighting GT, by the Lightning Car Company, might be the way to go. It hasn't gone into full production yet, but after building a number of petrol-driven testbed models, and an electric prototype, the order book has been opened and all is looking good. Even better, the Lightning Car Company is that most British of institutions, a small-scale motor manufacturer that, like Bristol, is basically a couple of blokes and a shed. But even blokes in sheds need to pass safety testing requirements.
And talking of Bristol (as we weren't, but bear with me) the Lightning GT appears to have a similar design philosophy to the Bristol Fighter, especially around the rear end. The front reminds me of the current crop of Aston Martins (though without their "trout-pout" mouth) and the side view is even reminiscent of the Marcos GT of the 1960s.
And when we see electric vehicles make their way into endurance racing... don't be surprised if this is one of the first.
Until the first production models are delivered, it's always a bit of a concern that what might happen next. They are due in the early part of 2009, but with a price of £150,000 it's quite a big risk to take. But I hope they pull it off - the business of cars should be done by people who love them, and who want them to develop in a way that people can still enjoy driving when the oil runs out, men (and women) in sheds with a passion for what they're doing - not by environmentalists in offices trying to make us all feel guilty for needing to get from A-B. If a journey is necessary, it doesn't mean it has to be miserable... and if it can be done without environmental harm, where is the need to feel guilty?
More information on the G-Wiz - www.goingreen.co.uk
More information about Tesla - www.teslamotors.com/
More information about Lightning - www.lightningcarcompany.co.uk/home.php
Tech comparison
G-Wiz i (latest model):
0 – 60 n/a
Top Speed 50mph
Maximum range 48 miles
100 % charge time 8 hours
Recycling costs – not included, but battery and tyres are fully recyclable and GoinGreen states that prices are pretty standard across the country. They have yet to determine what happens at the end of the vehicle life as they only know of a few that have been taken out of service. Parts have been recycled within GoinGreen's own fleet, but they are unable to use second-hand parts in customer cars as this would affect warranty.
Price £10,000
Tesla Roadster:
0 – 60 3.9 seconds
Top Speed electronically limited to 125mph
Maximum range 220 miles
100% charge time – varies according to method and power source, but 3.5 hours using Tesla high power connector.
Recycling costs included in purchase price (consumables – battery and tyres – fully recylable)
Price €99,000/£70,000
Lightning GT
0 – 60 4 seconds
Top Speed 130+mph
Maximum range likely to be comparable with the Tesla Roadster
100% charge time - varies according to power source and connector, but probably comparable with the Tesla
Recycling costs – awaiting more information from Lightning Cars
Price £150,000 (£15,000 deposit – or 1.5 G-Wizzes – secures purchase)
;D
Then what was the inspiration for the G-Whizz? A night on the razz and you needed something quickly so you used this for inspiration! 
(850 and foot to the ground ;D)
I held you, you felt me, I touched you, you kissed me.......
