1st Experience with Electric Car

[robs1]

Top spec pickup is £45k (some are more) running costs will be way way less than diesel so all relative

I doubt you will get a top spec electric pickup for 45 grand, and that's far too much

 

[Farmer Roy]

I think he meant top spec diesel, to compare to the Rivian price which would have much lower maintenance & running costs

 

[Lincsman]

Generation capacity is not a problem. Peak load is the problem which EV's will easily sort out with V2G. As for generation capacity UK is awash with spare capacity in off peak times. Used to be approx 15GW but since the latest increase in prices on 1st April that capacity has gone up by a further 10GW of which 5GW is now being exported to Europe to ease the pressure on the euro-grid.

So why has 2.1% of todays consumption been made by burning Coal?

 

[Farmer Roy]

WA targets more than 1,000 standalone power systems, with $37m funding boost

WA tips another $37m to deploy 180 standalone power systems across the state, as it aims for 1,000 over four years.

reneweconomy.com.au

 

[ollie989898]

So why has 2.1% of todays consumption been made by burning Coal?

I bet it has something to do with £££££'s

 

[roscoe erf]

shocking

 

[TheTallGuy]

So why has 2.1% of todays consumption been made by burning Coal?

Possibly because coal was selected as the spinning reserve in order to keep the coal stations in a working state rather than gathering dust.

 

[ollie989898]

Possibly because coal was selected as the spinning reserve in order to keep the coal stations in a working state rather than gathering dust.

Drax is burning biomass 24/7 these days, I presume they still have the ability to burn coal. Burning coal has a couple of advantages in that you can stockpile it for long periods economically and it is also relatively cheap in the scheme of things (cheap because the efficiency of modern coal burning plants is impressive).

 

[TheTallGuy]

Drax is burning biomass 24/7 these days, I presume they still have the ability to burn coal. Burning coal has a couple of advantages in that you can stockpile it for long periods economically and it is also relatively cheap in the scheme of things (cheap because the efficiency of modern coal burning plants is impressive).

Drax still has some coal burners, but the units converted to biomass aren't able to burn coal any more. West Burton A is still operational as is Ratcliffe, but that one is due to be decommissioned - so they may be burning off the stocks.

 

[ollie989898]

Drax still has some coal burners, but the units converted to biomass aren't able to burn coal any more. West Burton A is still operational as is Ratcliffe, but that one is due to be decommissioned - so they may be burning off the stocks.

We will see what the score is come the winter, with gas at the price it is and the scramble to balance the European part of the grid it may be that the UK takes up some of the slack and sends electricity to France etc.

 

[TheTallGuy]

We will see what the score is come the winter, with gas at the price it is and the scramble to balance the European part of the grid it may be that the UK takes up some of the slack and sends electricity to France etc.

We've been doing a bit of that on & off recently, but not in serious volume. Our winter situation isn't particularly strong as we're still heavily dependent on gas/CCGT.

 

[Exfarmer]

Generation capacity is not a problem. Peak load is the problem which EV's will easily sort out with V2G. As for generation capacity UK is awash with spare capacity in off peak times. Used to be approx 15GW but since the latest increase in prices on 1st April that capacity has gone up by a further 10GW of which 5GW is now being exported to Europe to ease the pressure on the euro-grid.

Generation capacity is hugely overstated with such a heavy reliance on renewables. Battery support from EVs is fine but whatever they will do nothing fore peak periods in winter when the wind is not blowing.
Besides which V2G does not seem. To be progressing that fast, I know not why.
EVs also are not good for harvesting summer sun when the likelihood they are away from a charging point at midday

 

[renewablejohn]

So why has 2.1% of todays consumption been made by burning Coal?

The electric generated by coal is less than the electric exported to France. The forecast lull in wind would normally be taken up with extra gas generation however we are exporting as much gas as possible through the interconnectors to Europe so they can increase their storage levels for winter so coal is being used as a backup until the wind picks up again.

 

[renewablejohn]

Drax is burning biomass 24/7 these days, I presume they still have the ability to burn coal. Burning coal has a couple of advantages in that you can stockpile it for long periods economically and it is also relatively cheap in the scheme of things (cheap because the efficiency of modern coal burning plants is impressive).

But we dont have any modern coal burning plants.

 

[renewablejohn]

We will see what the score is come the winter, with gas at the price it is and the scramble to balance the European part of the grid it may be that the UK takes up some of the slack and sends electricity to France etc.

Come the winter Ukraine might be the saviour of the European part of the grid. With its own demand decimated due to the war it will be in prime position to use its nuclear and hydro resources to power Europe. Just need to get these pesky Russians out of Ukraine before then.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Depends on the car and the charger, but pick the right combination and it can be faster than you need, plus doesn’t need you to be standing getting cold. Nobody professional/ sensible would drive 300 miles without a short break anyway.

You’d probably get away with only one charge each way too, so no great problem.

I don't enter service buildings since Covid , put would stop for a while to eat my fruit , that more often than not is parked on the M25 for an hour

 

[Lakesdigger]

But we dont have any modern coal burning plants.

Even without modern coal plants i bet burning coal isn't that bad in comparison to the account of diesel burned keeping the biomass farce running. It does do wonders for employment however.

 

[BenB]

Been looking at EV options lately, I do a lot of miles, about 30k a year and last month I spent £800-900 on diesel...absolutely crippling. I'm not sure there are any 'rugged' EV options that can deal with some off-roading?

The only thing that puts me off is the battery situation (last time I checked they are non-recyclable?) and the mining of the lithium...

 

[ollie989898]

Been looking at EV options lately, I do a lot of miles, about 30k a year and last month I spent £800-900 on diesel...absolutely crippling. I'm not sure there are any 'rugged' EV options that can deal with some off-roading?

The only thing that puts me off is the battery situation (last time I checked they are non-recyclable?) and the mining of the lithium...

The battery in a battery car and the lithium are the least of your worries. Manufacturing cars is an environmental nightmare before you consider propelling the thing along.

 

[ollie989898]

But we dont have any modern coal burning plants.

Unfortunately not. Rest of the world does though. How many reactors in Ukraine?