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Julian Bond - 2011-07-12 07:59:38+0000 - Updated: 2011-07-12 07:59:38+0000

+Chris Anderson posted a question about the current best choice of electric vehicle. Well perhaps it's actually not a plug in hybrid but a Golf BlueMotion diesel. I feel like I'm waiting for the VW-Audi-BMW Plug in Diesel hybrid but perhaps there's some reason why a diesel hybrid doesn't work very well.

It's almost funny that a major issue for Americans is their domestic 120 Volt supply. I guess they're still fighting the Edison-Tesla patent battle.

We need the early adopters to buy as many Li-On powered vehicles as possible so that LiOn production goes up and the price comes down. Today the best option is probably a late model Prius with the A123 conversion and upgrade but that's an awful lot of money. It also needs to be combined with 2 or 3 other vehicles so you use the least energy for any particular journey. Electric Bicycle, G-Wizz, Prius.

The vehicle I'm really waiting for is the one person, fully enclosed, fully electric two wheeler. The Monotracer (X-Files winner) is up at the high end but I'm after the equivalent of a 250cc not a 1000cc tourer. Something like a productionised version of this. http://www.bikeweb.com/files/images/Blez+Ced+3web_8522.preview.jpg

20-48 Musley Ln, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 7

Post by Chris Anderson

Julian Bond - 2011-07-12 08:00:53+0000

http://bikeweb.com/node/2073

Brian Merritt - 2011-07-12 10:53:35+0000

I feel I am stuck. I have a 7 hour round trip drive to collect my daughters from Derbyshire every 3rd week, then just a few London drives in between. I feel both frustrated and ungreen. Suggestions?

Julian Bond - 2011-07-12 11:22:18+0000

+Brian Merritt That's the catch isn't it. There are lots of short journeys that could be done by bicycle, e-bike, pure electric car. But there's really no way to rapidly re-fuel an electric vehicle even remotely comparable to petrol/diesel. And there are often situations where you can't decide before you set off which vehicle to take or have to improvise later in the day.

And for your occasional long trip, public transport probably isn't an option.

arthur panos - 2011-07-12 11:36:15+0000

Enjoy your time with your girls

Julian Harley - 2011-07-12 21:50:41+0000

The 'better place' company want to solve the recharge problem by making discharged batteries easily swappable for fresh ones under a subscription scheme. There was a good article in wired a while ago, & today's Guardian newspaper carried a long article about e-vehicle pro's& cons.
+1 for the electric motorbike too btw: they should be easier, cheaper to develop & more of a disgressionary mode of transport anyway.

Gavin Smart - 2011-07-12 23:27:33+0000

I deliver cars for a living and so far I've driven a Toyota prius and a honda insight.

The prius is too busy trying to show off about the fact it's a hybrid with fancy displays etc to remember that it's supposed to be a car and is about as much fun to drive as a milk float.

The Honda has a really stylish interior that changes colour as you're driving to show you whether your charging the batteries or using the engine and is as nippy as any decent hatchback.

Julian Bond - 2011-07-13 07:21:36+0000

+Julian Harley I'm really not convinced yet by the "swap batteries" idea. It's going to take a lot of standardisation and finance systems to make it work and we're still right at the start of the industry. I was at a UK Motor industry workshop on this and one of the big problems they stated was the finance and insurance industries being slow to catch up with electric. Batteries are a major cost and material structure so all kinds of innovative leasing, rental finance is going to be needed round them. But that's a catch 22. Without the finance it's unviable. Without the viability and hence sales, the finance won't happen.

Dom Surlis - 2011-07-14 09:48:05+0000

Plug-in hybrids are coming this year from Vauxhall and Toyota. In my opinion, probably the best option until the battery tech is improved (and cheaper).