That’s really not how it comes across. Batteries are safer than fuel.
That’s what the facts support. Are they completely safe? Of course not. But nothing is.
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Who has or is planning to get an electric car / EV Talk
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That’s what the facts support. Are they completely safe? Of course not. But nothing is.
An interesting program on ITV right now in the UK discussing whether now is the time to change to electric. The message is yes if you can afford it and want to test the early infrastructure but also no if you’re expecting it to be cheaper than an ICE vehicle to buy and run. A chap on the show who changed to a BMW i3 in December 2020 is being forced to change back to a petrol vehicle due to electricity tripling in the last 8 months. The lack of grants and incentives is also a major stumbling block and this program seems to be discussing many of the concerns shared on this thread. Worth a watch.
I’ll be sure to catch it later. Cheers. Especially if it features the beautiful i3. Mine is currently changing for free at the hotel I’m staying at. Meanwhile next door at Tesco.
I assume this is in the UK. things sound rough there right now. I can't imagine having that kind of rate increase on electricity. Seems crazy. I suppose the EU might be seeing higher rates too, due to the Ukraine situation causing havoc with energy markets.
It is not the battery itself nor the fuel that makes them unsafe. A battery is used to store electricity, but malfunctions and mishandling can make it unsafe. Contained fuel (gasoline, propane, natural gas, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, etc.) is relatively safe, but malfunctions, mishandling, etc., can make it unsafe. Propane, kerosene, fuels, batteries and so on, can be purchased at the local stores.
a. Just consider the following: if fuel is so unsafe, do you ever think about how unsafe is it to travel by air? The aircraft wings, and the fuselage of the aircraft contain large quantities of fuel. Also, which are the leading causes of aircraft fires?
b. Home: what are the most common fires that happen at home?
See, both fuels and electricity have associated dangers. That's the reason why EV makers continue improving battery construction: to make then safer.
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Yes but the EV is already safer than than the ICE car. Those are the facts.
I’m not one that worries about fires at all. But I rarely travel by plane. Outside of the odd work trip, I think I’ve only flown twice for personal reasons.
Our rates doubled last summer. People are complaining in our state Reddit over it. Some people have $600 - $1200 per month electricity bills and are trying to change their heating or supplement it to get their bills down.
I've had the wonderful experience of emptying a 5 gallon can of gas onto a burn pile in the midwest and then watching a relative (who tossed in the match) disappear in a fireball that threw me back. Relative was perfectly fine, minus some eyebrows and hair if I remember right. Gas isn't to be played with.
Batteries? While I haven't witnessed a battery shorted out and exploding, I've seen YouTube videos on it. I believe the problem they have is once these start failing, you just have to wait for them to burn out to stop.
I don't care what you drive, what scares me are people. People who floor it through intersections after 3-5 seconds of it turning red (meaning those of us who have a green have to slam on our brakes), those people who drive 100+ on the freeway without care of life, etc. Cars just keep getting heavier and heavier and a lot faster.
Someone in Victorville decided to commit suicide in a Tesla recently: https://www.vvng.com/fatal-tesla-cr...WlXaWSRonSLwgyU_N70gqTDMhtfLrQ0mc50dcvxpz_EIg - Amazing that didn't burst into flame - that battery pack had to have been damaged. I don't mean to be insensitive to the situation.
Batteries? While I haven't witnessed a battery shorted out and exploding, I've seen YouTube videos on it. I believe the problem they have is once these start failing, you just have to wait for them to burn out to stop.
I don't care what you drive, what scares me are people. People who floor it through intersections after 3-5 seconds of it turning red (meaning those of us who have a green have to slam on our brakes), those people who drive 100+ on the freeway without care of life, etc. Cars just keep getting heavier and heavier and a lot faster.
Someone in Victorville decided to commit suicide in a Tesla recently: https://www.vvng.com/fatal-tesla-cr...WlXaWSRonSLwgyU_N70gqTDMhtfLrQ0mc50dcvxpz_EIg - Amazing that didn't burst into flame - that battery pack had to have been damaged. I don't mean to be insensitive to the situation.
How is an EV safer than and ICE vehicle? One uses a fuel and an internal combustion motor for propulsion, while the other uses electrical energy stored in a battery and an electric motor for propulsion. Just look at FE versus F1 race cars, or just an eMini Cooper versus and ICE Mini Cooper. Is one safer than the other? Safety standards are followed in the construction of all vehicles, including aircraft, trains, ships, and so on.
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there's a bunch of Rivian R1Ts in my neighborhood now. in the past few months I've seen one that has been abandoned right in the middle of my road with the hazards on (Rivian roadside support picked it up a few hours later) and another guy had to send his back for a while for repairs so I can't say reliability is perfect from that perspective alone.
anyone in this thread get an R1S yet?
At this point I'm kinda leaning Polestar 3 over R1S but we'll have to wait and see real world testing. I like the smaller, sportier ethos of the Polestar and the interior looks great. Waiting for our assigned Polestar dealer to get a car in the showroom, can't wait to take a look in person. Also we're still a "no" on ever buying a Tesla again even though charging infrastructure outside of Tesla is not great for the most part.
We were thinking of also replacing our Tacoma with an EV truck but my opinion is it's always good to have a gas vehicle around; PG&E always find a reason to turn the power off so driving EVs exclusively is risky.
there's also the elephant in the room in the shape of a massive recession inbound so honestly buying new cars this year might be off the table completely. 80-90k+ on a car is already crazy tbh
anyone in this thread get an R1S yet?
At this point I'm kinda leaning Polestar 3 over R1S but we'll have to wait and see real world testing. I like the smaller, sportier ethos of the Polestar and the interior looks great. Waiting for our assigned Polestar dealer to get a car in the showroom, can't wait to take a look in person. Also we're still a "no" on ever buying a Tesla again even though charging infrastructure outside of Tesla is not great for the most part.
We were thinking of also replacing our Tacoma with an EV truck but my opinion is it's always good to have a gas vehicle around; PG&E always find a reason to turn the power off so driving EVs exclusively is risky.
there's also the elephant in the room in the shape of a massive recession inbound so honestly buying new cars this year might be off the table completely. 80-90k+ on a car is already crazy tbh
Think Ford Lightning EV - it can supply power to your home for days using the onboard Pro Power.
Came in handy last month when power went out for 8 hours - ran the extension cords to the space heaters, refrigerator, and lights.
$75K - you can buy mine going online this weekend:
Yeah, if you have or need a truck. A whole-house standby generator is probably an $8k expense to run the entire home.
Because the facts show us tgere are less EV fires per sale than there is per hybrid or IcE vehicle per sale.
It’s not just a bit safer. It’s MUCH safer. The numbers can’t lie. YouTube on the other hand….
Wow! What was the justification for such an increase? Is that due to higher natural gas prices?
Still, that doesn't mean that EV's are safer than ICE automobiles since it refers to fires, not to road accidents, damage, malfunctions, poor maintenance and construction, and so on. Not all fires are caused by gasoline alone, if that was the case, then the stores would be catching fire all the time since fuels (propane, kerosene, numerous types of petroleum-base products, and so on are placed on the store shelves). Also, if it was because of jet fuel alone, then aircraft would be catching fire day in and day out.
There are numerous reasons for vehicular fires (ICE):
Highway Vehicle Fires – Causes and Prevention
Vehicle fires kill 345 people a year and injure 1,300 more. Causes are often difficult to determine, but millions of cars have been recalled for fire risks.
www.consumernotice.org
About EV fires: my advise is to search for what measures the UK and other Europeans nations are taking to combat EV fires. While you feel that EV's are safer than ICE automobiles, it does not hurt to become aware of what must be done in case your EV or ICE automobile catches fire. An EV battery fire is not as simple to combat as a gasoline fire. Another good idea is to follow the manufacturer's instruction about charging your EV. ICE automobile drivers have to take another set of precautions to avoid causing fires when refueling their vehicles. But fuel by itself is not more dangerous the electrical energy.
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I don’t need to. I’ve never worried about a fire in my EV. It’s a non issue.Still, that doesn't mean that EV's are safer than ICE automobiles since it refers to fires, not to road accidents, damage, malfunctions, poor maintenance and construction, and so on. Not all fires are cause by gasoline alone, if that was the case, then the stores would be catching fire all the time since fuels (propane, kerosene, numerous types of petroleum-base products, and so on are placed on the store shelves). Also, if it was because of jet fuel alone, then aircraft would be catching fire day in and day out.
There are numerous reasons for vehicular fires (ICE):
Highway Vehicle Fires – Causes and Prevention
Vehicle fires kill 345 people a year and injure 1,300 more. Causes are often difficult to determine, but millions of cars have been recalled for fire risks.
About EV fires: my advise is to search for what measures the UK and other Europeans nations are taking to combat EV fires. While you feel that EV's are safer than ICE automobiles, it does not hurt to become aware of what must be done in case your EV or ICE automobile catches fire. An EV battery fire is not as simple to combat as a gasoline fire. Another good idea is to follow the manufacturer's instruction about charging your EV. ICE automobile drivers have to take another set of precautions to avoid causing fires when refueling their vehicles. But fuel by itself is not more dangerous the electrical energy.
The original question that brought up the subject of fires was is the much publicised fires that happen hysteria. The facts support that evidence as the anti EV brigade make a lot of noise about the very few fires there are.
As for following my manufacturer’s advice for charging, what else would one do. You just plug it in and charge. It’s not rocket science.
Now you are bringing up other issues that might make EV’s less safe like accidents. They are no more or less likely to crash.
You clearly are very anti EV’s. It’s so obvious in what you post. I appreciate your situation might be different from mine living in a colder environment, but for the vast majority of the people they work fine.
EV’s are the future. Some of us embrace change quicker, some of us look for reasons to stick with what we know. Personally like any EV driver I’ve met or talk to, they are really happy they have made the switch.
The sooner the planet stops relying on gas and diesel to move around in 2 ton trucks the better. Then perhaps we might not lose the polar bear, penguins or the Maldives.
There is a strategy used to influence public perception of an issue that has risen in prominence in the last 6-7 years call “just asking questions”. It involves repeatedly asking questions, often in variations, while ignoring answers to those questions and then repeating those questions. It is a way to confuse the discussion and to instill distrust in listeners/readers while pretending to be objective. It was used very effectively by a certain orange-hued politician to voter’s opinions and to diffuse criticism.
It’s a shame that people don’t wish to change. I did a lot of research before buying an EV. I’m naturally a cautious person. I don’t lease my cars so tend to keep them for a while. So I read a lot, spoke to EV drivers I knew and did my due diligence.
Overall I can say I’m very happy with my decision. For 90% of my driving, the charging is done whilst I’m doing something else (working or sleeping).
Yesterday I was driving back home from London. I stopped to charge. Took 22 minutes. If I’d stopped to get gas it would have taken 10. So really 12 minutes to save around £40 seams like a bargain. More actually as driving in London I’d have had to pay 2 day’s congestion charges in a petrol car.
But the fact that you are also not filling the air with smoke (especially in a city) is also better for people’s health. After all that’s why many cities here have congestion charges.
You are assuming that I am anti EV, even after telling numerous times that I am pro technological advancements in modes of propulsion, specially the F1 hybrid and FE racing. In my view, these two are the pinnacles in automobile design relating to fuel, and electric propulsion (or a combination of the two).
The said, regardless of the type of vehicle I may drive, both fuel and electricity that is contained are relatively safe. But during an automobile crash, fuel can be spilled, and a battery can be damaged, in which case both have the potential to ignite. EV's may not have fires from fuel that has spilled, but can have both battery and electrical fires. ICE vehicles can have both fuel fires, and electrical fires. It's fine with me if you believe that your EV is completely safe, while I would not believe for a moment that any vehicle is safer than another, regardless of kind, because both fuel and high electrical energy can be dangerous when their safeties are compromised.
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I am pro technology as well. A car means independence to go where you want when you want inside your own environment and with space to share and to transport things. This is why I need range. 700 kilometres on a topped off fuel car is what battery cars need to match. And less than 10 minutes to refuel and go another 700 kilometres.
I you have a defined use case like going from your car port to the mall parking or similar electric cars can work for you. However, if you need to find a charger first all the time and park in public spaces wherever you find them, not for me.
I would prefer "green" ICE cars: Made to be super light weight and with all the bells and whistles to clean the exhaust. Why is this not done? I would be happy to pay a little more if I could keep the independence and comfort of an ICE car without the fumes.
Plus if engine power and energy use would be limited and say taxed in a less ideologic way we wouldn't have all those insanely overpowered E-SUVs that are far from being "green" in any way.
I'd support limiting the top speeds and having cars drive in computer auto coordinated columns for lowest energy use and highest safety.
I you have a defined use case like going from your car port to the mall parking or similar electric cars can work for you. However, if you need to find a charger first all the time and park in public spaces wherever you find them, not for me.
I would prefer "green" ICE cars: Made to be super light weight and with all the bells and whistles to clean the exhaust. Why is this not done? I would be happy to pay a little more if I could keep the independence and comfort of an ICE car without the fumes.
Plus if engine power and energy use would be limited and say taxed in a less ideologic way we wouldn't have all those insanely overpowered E-SUVs that are far from being "green" in any way.
I'd support limiting the top speeds and having cars drive in computer auto coordinated columns for lowest energy use and highest safety.
Not assuming. Just listening to what you say. The title of this thread is Who has or is planning to get an electric car? Perhaps you should start a I’m never going to get an EV thread? It’s clear you’ll not be happy in an EV ever.
I agree that owning an EV if you can’t charge at home or at work is definitely a challenge. Fortunately I have both.
Also not a fan of SUV’s. Sadly that’s what is mostly being produced.
How much are you willing to pay for an EV that has that range?
Not that much more than for a fuel burner. I heard Porsche has much better battery capacity and range being the only Volkswagen Group brand having access to this technology for the time being but this would be out of my budget for sure. I would still need some personal place to charge it.