Electric cars.

[Chippy_Tea]

It will certainly help EV adoption if it happens.

They are going to have to do something to get the ball rolling, i have discussed BEV's at work and not one person is planning to get rid of their ICE car to buy one even in the future when their ICE needs changing, i imagined the younger drivers may be attracted as they have the cash to buy new but its not happening.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Are lower cost electric car loans on the way? Plans afoot to cut finance costs for EV buyers​

UK Government is in talks with finance industry over guarantees aimed at reducing interest rates​

Link: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/365772/are-lower-cost-electric-car-loans-way


My reading between the lines of this is that the government is asking finance companies to give EV buyers low/zero interest loans, and possibly in return they'll get let off the hook for compensation to car buyers for the non-disclosure of commission payments.

It will certainly help EV adoption if it happens.

This i can believe, so crime does pay

 

[jof]

Well what do you expect when all the incentives are removed.

It appears the government still needs to incentivise electric cars to keep the uptake momentum going.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Seriously you could not make this up, this another example of how f--ked up the Government is, firms are having to take their ev vans off the road and revert back to diesel and petrol why, because they can't get them MOT'D https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news...N&cvid=403ef877d9be4e91e0eebaea2ba610b4&ei=18

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I know you hate this government Rod but sometimes its not their fault, the weight limit categories for MOT have been around for years its not the governments fault EV Vans are over 3,000Kg and move into the higher class 7.

Anyone can drive a vehicle over 3,500 Kg and up to 7,500 Kg on a car licence but must hold a CPC card (grandfather/grandmother rights permitting) if they don't have one and drive class 7 they can be fined £1000 this will be giving fleet operators a major headache but i believe its a good thing judging by the standard of driving i see by white van man delivering parcels every day .

If you have a CPC card you are classed as a professional driver if you break the law the penalties can be much higher.

Electric versions of regular large vans often fall within the 4.25-tonne derogation rules. It means they are treated as a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) for the MOT. This requires them to be tested at one year old, rather than three.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I understand all that but someone at department of transport has seriously cocked up big time, they want us to go green it must have dawned on them that the heavy batteries would take these vans into the higher bracket and said listen we need more testing stations and testers it is not rocket sience and they are being good money, so now we have green vans stood idle because of idle sloppy work

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I understand all that but someone at department of transport has seriously cocked up big time, they want us to go green it must have dawned on them that the heavy batteries would take these vans into the higher bracket and said listen we need more testing stations and testers it is not rocket sience and they are being good money, so now we have green vans stood idle because of idle sloppy work

I will flip that and blame the manufacturers who must have known for a long time this was going to be an issue and should have consulted the DOT about it, its not the DOT's job to wonder if a vehicle made in the future may be too heavy to be tested at class 4 stations.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I will flip that and blame the manufacturers who must have known for a long time this was going to be an issue and should have consulted the DOT about it, its not the DOT's job to wonder if a vehicle made in the future may be too heavy to be tested at class 4 stations.

Thinking about it more, you are spot on

 

[Rodcx500z]

The big green bubble is leaking badly, so Shell have started up oil and gas production in the north sea, Equinor of Norway have abandoned putting 50% of it's earnings into the green dream after a massive drop in profits. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/oth...N&cvid=5d3182dcf8454c56f65352506dfee198&ei=21

 

[AlBrew]

The big green bubble is leaking badly, so Shell have started up oil and gas production in the north sea, Equinor of Norway have abandoned putting 50% of it's earnings into the green dream after a massive drop in profits. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/oth...N&cvid=5d3182dcf8454c56f65352506dfee198&ei=21

"The group said profit after tax fell 26 percent to $8.8 billion in 2024, becoming the latest energy firm to report slumping earnings as oil prices have fallen."

But the slump in their (already massive) profits is due to low oil prices not renewables, maybe they should have invested more in renewables? As they say they didn't invest 50% in it, it was just a plan to. Hopefully the renewables only companies are doing better.

 

[JockyBrewer]

I will flip that and blame the manufacturers who must have known for a long time this was going to be an issue and should have consulted the DOT about it, its not the DOT's job to wonder if a vehicle made in the future may be too heavy to be tested at class 4 stations.

The manufacturers have much bigger markets to think about than the UK. They’re not going to change their global strategy because we have a daft regulation.

The DOT know what’s being sold each year, it’s bananas if they can’t service their own regulations.

 

[old dog new tricks]

world wide the game is up with the loony in the white house now saying drill baby drill its clear that any reduction in ICE vehicles is dead in the water now he in encouraging US manufactures to stick with Oil.

I think EVs are going to become dinosaurs and this coming from a current EV owner!

Even the UK are making EVs unattractive its nuts offer zero or low interest loans to buy new EVs (from China mainly) but then after 1st year make them to expensive to run the residual value will tumble as no one wants a 3 to 6 year old car worth a fraction of its price with £600+ tax each year!

The knock on effect is the massive increase in pre 2017 ICE its bonkers my old Focus last year got £1200 back on it roughly the same as we buy anycar would give, same car now over £3000! its utter madness the market is all over the place

 

[Northern_Brewer]

world wide the game is up with the loony in the white house now saying drill baby drill its clear that any reduction in ICE vehicles is dead in the water now he in encouraging US manufactures to stick with Oil.

I think EVs are going to become dinosaurs and this coming from a current EV owner!

You're spending too much time looking at one country. Why not look at Norway, where 90% of new cars are electric, or China where it's nearly half? You can hardly use the US as a bellwether when they are way behind the curve internationally on this, let alone based on a president who doesn't know himself what he'll be saying next week.

The reason the US manufacturers will still invest in electric is because it's killing them not to do so - for instance Ford is down over 30% yoy in the UK because they don't have a credible electric offering.

 

[old dog new tricks]

You're spending too much time looking at one country. Why not look at Norway, where 90% of new cars are electric, or China where it's nearly half? You can hardly use the US as a bellwether when they are way behind the curve internationally on this, let alone based on a president who doesn't know himself what he'll be saying next week.

The reason the US manufacturers will still invest in electric is because it's killing them not to do so - for instance Ford is down over 30% yoy in the UK because they don't have a credible electric offering.

Very true but the US are still a major force in world economics and trends.

I fully agree countries with a robust and normally sustainable energy infrastructure can offer energy at usable prices, where as the UK is held to ransom by a money grabbing government that are killing the adoption to EVs but offer no other viable option.

Its clear that for many EVs just do not work Motability for example are happy to push EVs onto users that do not have home charging options for example, plus can we really see those who have reduced mobility wrestling with the weight and bulk of public chargers or trying to figure out the various apps. My dad in his late 70s now has refused to get a motability car as he stays in a flat no facility to home charge and as someone who does not own or want a smart phone, no way he would cope with public chargers, its bonkers!

Am not bashing EVs I like my little Kona and lucky enough to have home charging to make it worthwhile, but with current technology its simply not suitable for everyone and it seems like there is no other ideas being considered at present.

Needs to be a grown up conversation not just tax grabs and lies.

 

[stripeyjoe]

Even the UK are making EVs unattractive its nuts offer zero or low interest loans to buy new EVs (from China mainly) but then after 1st year make them to expensive to run the residual value will tumble as no one wants a 3 to 6 year old car worth a fraction of its price with £600+ tax each year!

Unless I misread it, after the first year, there's a flat rate of £195 a year for VED:

Electric, zero or low emission cars registered on or after 1 April 2025​

You will need to pay the lowest first year rate of vehicle tax set at £10 from 1 April 2025. From the second tax payment onwards, you will pay the standard rate. This will be £195.

Electric, zero or low emission cars registered between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025​

You will pay the standard rate. This will be £195.

Electric, zero or low emission cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017​

These vehicles will move to the first band that has a VED value. This will be £20.

Hybrid and alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs)​

The £10 annual discount for hybrid and AFVs will be removed, and the rate you will pay will depend on when the vehicle was first registered. If the vehicle was:

• registered before 1 April 2017 - this rate will depend on the vehicle’s CO2 emissions (check the current rates for these vehicles)
• registered on or after 1 April 2017 - you will pay the standard rate (this will be £195)

Looks like my 2008 Prius will still be £20 a year... Bargain!

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Very true but the US are still a major force in world economics and trends.

Not really when it comes to transport - otherwise we would all be driving round in 3-tonne pickup trucks with minimal public transport. Other than Tesla, they have pretty minimal influence on the EV scene - and in the most recent numbers, Tesla were only the 7th biggest seller of electric cars in the UK.

Its clear that for many EVs just do not work

Motability for example....as someone who does not own or want a smart phone, no way he would cope with public chargers, its bonkers!

But neither of those examples are fundamental to how EVs work, it's just Motability being a bit useless and reflecting a historic way of using chargers. The fact that Norway is at over 90% new cars being electric suggests there's nothing too fundamental about the technology for the vast majority of people, it's just about relatively minor changes to fix things, like the recent legislation on chargers having to offer contactless and have legal minimums for uptime.