51 replies to this topic

[djr900]

6-700kms without stopping for breaks is not good for you. But even if it is, that's a corner case for the majority of users

regarding maintenance - please tell me you are joking?
what maintenance? there is nothing to do on it other than air filters. No oil, no transmissions, not belts to change.
Brakes get a lot more mileage.

And before someone says "but the battery" - that's estimated to be a problem on my car between 3-500,000 miles.
That's way beyond the lifetime of an average car

"No oil" , is there no oil in the differential, or reduction gears ?
Is there no brake fluid ?
No coolant for the battery ?
No gas in the AC ?

All these need topping up at least , and changing at regular intervals would be good

As for the battery , I hope you do get 300-500 K , but a lot of EV owners haven't got anywhere near these mileages before suffering battery issues.
( Is the 300-500k estimate,another promise from Elon, the man who never lies)

It's not like modern cars need a service every month , some have 20k mile service intervals,

I have seen plenty of reports of 10 year old EVs needing a battery, that's the equivalent in price of a 10 year old IC needing an engine.

An annual oil change/filters/brake pads on a petrol car over a 10 year period will still be a lot cheaper than battery replacement on an EV.

[smitten]

"No oil" , is there no oil in the differential, or reduction gears ?
Is there no brake fluid ?
No coolant for the battery ?
No gas in the AC ?

All these need topping up at least , and changing at regular intervals would be good

There are indeed these fluids to varying degrees, but I think it's fair to say that on your current ICE your transmission fluids and brake fluids don't get changed with the frequency of engine oil and filters and the same applies here. With an order of magnitude fewer moving parts and with lower operating temperatures there are also different demands on cooling systems. (My battery has to be heated for efficiency more than it is cooled) Being closed systems and not having to breath atmospheric air also helps reduce contamination and therefore extend service intervals.
 

As for the battery , I hope you do get 300-500 K , but a lot of EV owners haven't got anywhere near these mileages before suffering battery issues.
( Is the 300-500k estimate,another promise from Elon, the man who never lies)

It's not like modern cars need a service every month , some have 20k mile service intervals,

I have seen plenty of reports of 10 year old EVs needing a battery, that's the equivalent in price of a 10 year old IC needing an engine.

An annual oil change/filters/brake pads on a petrol car over a 10 year period will still be a lot cheaper than battery replacement on an EV.

Early adopters of some models did suffer from some shortened life spans, and we saw a period when batteries were leased rather than purchased, bt that never really found favour.  Most vendors give pretty lengthy battery warranties these days, and there is lots of evidence (some anecdotal) of EVs reaching many 100k miles without significant degradation of the battery (usually measured as still about 80% or rated capacity).  Of course, there are varying experiences but I think the trend is good; and haven't we all heard of brand new ICE engines going pop?  Look at what VAG terms "acceptable" oil consumption for some of its engines!