Electric cars

[bsswan]

On 12/29/2023 at 12:15 AM, Kennethoka said:

@bsswan means $2x to $3x for 400km

Haha, thanks....... a couple of beers and at late night screwed up my maths 😏

Makes more sense.

[Tohto]

I think once we have more than 50% of car on the road are EV, we will start to see the charging rate more than $2.

Ah gong will get back the money from petrol.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Tohto

[RadX]

On 12/29/2023 at 6:55 PM, Tohto said:

I think once we have more than 50% of car on the road are EV, we will start to see the charging rate more than $2.

Ah gong will get back the money from petrol.

Still cheap😂😂

 

still 50% savings cf petrol

 

then by then maybe go jb charge🤪

[Tohto]

Deleted.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Tohto

[Battledome64]

The price of base household electricity is creeping up to 33 cents. Probably will see 50-70 cents kWh charging in the future. 
 

for me if it reaches to $1.5 per kWh I will switch back to petrol 

[Tohto]

On 12/29/2023 at 7:06 PM, Battledome64 said:

The price of base household electricity is creeping up to 33 cents. Probably will see 50-70 cents kWh charging in the future. 
 

for me if it reaches to $1.5 per kWh I will switch back to petrol 

By then petrol likely more than $4.

[RadX]

We are farrrrr from

the time whr we will see “whr the cheapest charging thread ah?” And the battle between the operators

 

i see the big ones as SP, Charge+ and CDG/Volt taking the market 

 

charge+ is super aggressive 

[Heartbreakid]

On 12/20/2023 at 1:29 PM, Lethalstrike said:

I just came back from Hangzhou. EV business in China is exactly the same as selling a smartphone. Huawei's Luxeed S7 sedan is sold in Huawei store, side by side their smartphones (in the background). Not uncommon to see the more premium Chinese EV makers such as Nio, Li Auto, Tesla, Zeekr stores in shopping malls. 

 

This Luxeed S7 is one of the handsome looking EVs from the Chinese maker. And it has very impressive autonomous driving intelligence.

[Lethalstrike]

On 12/29/2023 at 7:23 PM, Heartbreakid said:

This Luxeed S7 is one of the handsome looking EVs from the Chinese maker. And it has very impressive autonomous driving intelligence.

I agree. The domestic competition in the EV market there is intense. Without the latest tech and design, can't survive. Even Tesla had to drop prices to fend off these new EVs 

[Heartbreakid]

On 12/29/2023 at 7:30 PM, Lethalstrike said:

I agree. The domestic competition in the EV market there is intense. Without the latest tech and design, can't survive. Even Tesla had to drop prices to fend off these new EVs 

The recent launched VW ID7 Vizzion in China only received 300 orders in 72 hours. Such response really pale against the Chinese EVs order response. 

[therock]

A recent meet up with some friends and auto buddies led me to think if I should jump onto the latest trend, and the biggest thing in the automobile industry now is the tide of change, from internal combustion engines (ICE)s to electric vehicles or EVs. With the COE of my car running out in just a little more than three years, I am keen watching this page. But if I go by current trends, costs and also a deeper dive, I am likely to stay with the traditional gas guzzler.

 

For context, I have to mention my current car usage. My trip to work is rather short, with minimal traffic jams. I do commute between two to three worksites, which is made much easier by hopping into the car and then driving between these destinations. They are also not too far apart, but if I factor in time for taxis or private hire vehicles (PHV)s, I will spend a significant amount of time waiting. There are no direct buses between the sites. I also take longer journeys on the weekend to fetch my little one to enrichment classes, visit the in laws, church and such. With the family in tow, all four seats as well as the baby seat are filled up on such runs. I also do errands. However, the operating radius is not large apart from the occasional runs or meet up with friends and business related meet ups. 

 

So my annual mileage works out to be just a tad over 10 000km, which is not a lot by anyone's standards. 

 

Now let's look at the three basic kinds of engines you can choose from now. ICEs, hybrids and EVs. I have the ability to charge near or at my home or access them easily at work. 

 

Currently there are certain 'perks' that the government is offering for cars with better emissions. Why the inverted commas? Well these so called rebates are handed to the seller / car makers to package into their pricing, BUT and this is the big but, you have to return half of these rebates when you scrape the car! 

 

Secondly, let's talk about the battery cost. Whilst it may seem that you save on petrol costs, especially if one gets a EV, don't forget to check the cost of the battery. There are now more and more reports of sticker price tag shocks for EV owners when they need to fix or replace these batteries. We are not talking hundreds or even thousands of dollars. We are talking tens of thousands, yep, costs that amount to the that which may match the OMV or basic cost of the car. You might feel it will not happen to you, but some of these 'accidents' are basically nothing more than going over the kerb or bumps and scratching the bottom of the cars. The stuff even the most careful drivers may end up doing once in a while.

 

Now imagine facing such a bill and finding out that the EV has little residual value if the battery is kaput. Or a monumental repair bill to fix or replace that battery. 

 

How about hybrid cars? Again, if you drive like a cabbie, and accumulate 30 to 40k a year, it might make more sense, since you get significantly higher mileage with the true hybrids than a ICE car. The car hybrid battery tends to require replacement around the eighth or ninth year, just when many car makers end their battery related warranty. So you may be a few thousand dollars out of pocket when you wish to replace that battery, and then unless you renew the COE, that car will only be driven for a couple more years.

 

So you really have to sit down and fish out that calculator and determine if the annual mileage, the total amount of petrol saved justifies the outlay for the battery. Some hybrid cars are only hybrid in name with a token battery just to get that rebate, so you need to check the details and do the maths.

 

You will also need to add in maintenance, and whilst EVs tend to require less visits to the workshop for the engine, you need to make sure there are trained mechanics which can back up the car, and the numbers are thin on the ground currently, even if you return to the original sellers. Many do not, baulking at their charges, but with the kind of electronics inside, things could get dicey if you go beyond just tires and wiper replacement.

 

As for tires, you also need to know EVs use larger wheels and also different tires. Many budget cars currently run on 15 or 16" wheels and you spend about $100-$150 per tire. Expect to double or triple that for EVs, due to their heavier weight. 

 

Speaking of maintenance, the EVs are not entirely similar to their ICE cousins. Ever sat in a Tesla or even a BYD? It feels more like a PC on wheels than your traditional car. Some Tesla owners have been caught out when their cars are doing software updates, and you could have a dead car just when you need to rush out. There are changes afoot, but touchscreens are harder to use when you're driving and having to dive four or five layers into their menu just to turn down the volume or air con temperature is not only a hassle but dangerous whilst driving. 

 

Now that we are talking about the interior and ergonomics, I also dislike the Tesla car handles. You need to pry them out, and I much prefer the traditional ones with a generous hand grip. Try handling groceries or a struggling baby whilst opening your car door and you'll understand. 

 

The other issue is safety. We already mentioned that you can crash the OS, so you're effectively locked out of the car. How about potential fires? Already, with the advent of personal mobility devices, we are witnessing huge increases in household fires related to charging issues. Overseas we have witness huge balls of fires when the EVs burst into flames. Firemen often standby and wait for the fires to burn out, because it is really hard to put out the fires related to the batteries. Woe betide any cars parked next to them. 

 

 

 

 

Is my decision process too conservative, too dated? 

 

There is still some time before I need to commit so I shall be watching this EV / hybrid space very intently. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Heartbreakid]

Given me the choice, I will take ICE anytime. Initially I am bias to hybrids. But I am one who will keep the car for a long time. So hybrid might help to save on fuel cost initially until the battery is up, which is where the intial savings turn to spending. 

EVs? Forget it. Firstly, it is still too immature. Secondly, Cost of EV, actual range, charging times are factors that just don't sum up right to me. Is like I have to compromise much more for EVs.

[ER-3682]

Me Too,Hybrid or ICE.

[Gnahp]

I read every word

thanks for sharing

me too, I am not ready to switch to full electric for my next car yet

 

[inlinesix]

Ppl who complain about screens should look at Honda eny1

[Thaiyotakamli]

The rebate all this eat up the paper value

 

ur ev literally has no paper value 

 

but still i will consider ev as next car. After test drive love it. Just that resale worry harder to sell 

[Stary]

EV? No way......it is not even something that I need to think too long.

1) I don't like sitting on top of so many lithium batteries.  You know how easy lithium batteries catch fire?

2) Mining lithium for the batteries are extremely resource intensive. It uses a lot of water, not to mention destroying the environment.  

3) EV is just another product for more consumerism and capitalism.  

[Soya]

'VES rebate' is a ownself subsidise ownself joke

And the EV road tax surcharge is another sick joke

'Going green' in Sg is still largely greenwashing 

Stick to VES neutral band B car so u won't get shafted 

'Nuff said