There is, clearly, a LOT of antipathy and negativity about EVs - particularly, it seems, TESLAs - on this thread and elsewhere so I thought I’d chime in with a note of some sympathy for EV owner/drivers in general.
It’s not that I own or drive a TESLA - or any other EV - but I’ve experienced the now fairly well acknowledged phenomenon of “range anxiety” more than a few times in the past 25 or so years of owning and driving my personal and preferred choice of vehicles - dual fuel, that being (usually) LPG/propane and petrol.
Some of you may recall the surge of interest in ‘alternative fuels’ following the oil supply crises in the late '70s and early '80s (I think) and the subsequent, fairly rapid growth of the “conversion” industry where ordinary petrol fuelled cars were converted - often rather crudely - to also run on LPG … hence the “dual fuel” epithet.
Those early, pioneering years of dual fuel were something of a curate’s egg for the automotive industry - do I hear ‘echoes of the present’? - insomuch as some of the consequences of the crudity of the industry and its products led to increased regulation and restriction, much of it necessary and understandable, but they also led to considerably enhanced design, development and production of those same products. Gas systems or, rather more specifically, autogas systems went from crude “mixer ring on the manifold” to fully electronic, fuel injected systems within the space of about 10 years. That’s probably no big deal in the greater scheme of automotive change, especially for a technology that was more an ‘alternative route’ than a brand new, pioneer highway, but it is, I think, indicative of the potential viability foreseen in the wider product arena. The fact that, in the UK, two of the major mainstream car makers - Ford and Vauxhall - were supplying “factory” converted, dealer supported dual fuel vehicles speaks volumes about the prospective popularity and profitability of what was (and still is) broadly seen as a limited, niche market. That market never really did fulfill its clear potential - the reason for that failure remains a bit of a mystery to me. The wider benefits, the potential and the advantages that could have been grown exponentially are clear and obvious - cheaper, cleaner, “greener” fuel that could even, in most circumstances, also be retro-adapted to a large proportion of the existing ‘automotive estate’ but there seemed (seems?) to be an almost illogical reluctance of the wider car/vehicle driving public to adopt - and adapt to - what might easily be seen as a positive, progressive change in the automotive status quo. Whatever you want, whatever you need … OH, SORRY, not THAT status quo … moving swiftly on -
So, it’s here in particular that I can begin to relate to and empathise with, specifically, EV drivers (as opposed to hybrid, etc.) be that TESLA or any other make of all electric car and … whisper it quietly … possibly/eventually/ultimately motorcycle! The “range anxiety” issue has been (almost) as real for me as for any Tesla owner. The infrastructure for autogas is, and has been for some years now, shrinking from a fairly low base and that has been a real problem for me on a number of occasions but most particularly on the long distance trips I’ve done to, for instance, Scotland or the north or east of England. “Ah yes,” I hear you say “but you can just flick the switch and run on unleaded like any ‘normal’ car driver!” and that is absolutely the case, m’lud. However, I’m deeply LPG-mindset rooted, now and strive to make ANY journey, near or far, as much on LPG as it is feasible and practical so to do.
I’ve driven a few all electrics (MBz’s) for work and have always been impressed with the quiet, refined, almost stress-free progress they make. Well, almost always - the SMART EQ being returned to an owner in deepest, darkest Cornwall did take more than twice as long for the journey as any ‘normal’ car would have done, but, moving swiftly on …
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the sound of an ICE - it’s one of the reasons that I own a number of inline triple motorcycles and also a couple of V8 cars. Yep, petrolhead, without a doubt! But, I have to acknowledge that there is going to be a point at which my petrolhead predilections will be outdated and, quite possibly, outlawed. Having said that, given the seemingly slow pace of change I’ll likely have no concerns whatsoever about that as I’ll be ash dust in the wind by then.
The point is, I guess, that we are facing an inevitable, albeit slow, decline in the availability and use of petrol/diesel engined cars and I imagine the rate of diminishing returns for their use will simply accelerate while, hopefully, the overall cost of ownership and the availabilty of EVs will become more ‘real world’ practical. Never say never, I know, but I honestly can’t see any medium to long term future scenario where EVs aren’t the dominant factor in automotive ownership and use.
I would, however, hope that Elon won’t be the only “winner” from what I think will be the inevitable forthcoming change.
