One Finite Planet

Topics and Subtopics.
All: Living with EVs

Why EV Battery size matters, and the problem with hybrids.

When you look deeper, battery capacity of an EV matters far more than you might think, as it effects not just range, but also battery life and vehicle power.

If a battery is quite small, as is usually the case with a hybrid (HEV), and even most plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), there will be limited total distance that can be driven “emissions free” before battery degradation, which is why use of fossil fuels is a necessity for most hybrids.

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Surviving with an EV and no driveway: on street charging.

People have for decades owned cars without needing to refuel at home, so it may not seem obvious just how important home charging is for owners of EVs. Various surveys confirm that 80% to 95% of EV charging happens at home and given that less than 80% of people have access to a space to be able to charge at home, those who can’t charge at home are less likely to buy an EV.

To understand the problem, try living with a mobile phone without charging at home, or at work.

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EV Charging for Apartment complexes: A problem that can require a battle.

There are 3 approaches to residents of apartments being able to charge EVs:

  • They can go elsewhere to charge.
  • A small number of charging spaces will be provided.
  • Provision for individuals to have charging at the designated car space is facilitated.

This is a look at why charging and getting it right is a challenge for apartment complexes, those who want the problem to remain unsolved, and the merits of the possible solutions.

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EV range: Anxieties vs realities & needs.

This is a look at range, covering from how range specs don’t mean what you would expect, through why range is so unlike that of fossil fuelled vehicles and optimising range is all about efficiency, through to what range is required around the town or on the highway.

Range with EVs is such a different experience that novices can feel anxiety, despite that in practice running out of charge in EVs happens no more than ICE vehicles run out of gas. While EV range is getting closer to ICEV range, most EVs, unlike the Lightyear One pictured here, aren’t solar and still don’t match the range of internal combustion engine cars, but the convenience of background charging means range with EVs is usually only a limitation on relatively rare road trips.

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EV Charging Reference: Not just the new Refuelling.

This page covers a lot. Charging equipment and what to install and how to charge at home, and charging on road trips, through to the technical side, and a look at wireless and the future of charging. Plus, how recharging requires a complete rethink from refuelling, and how charging can be more convenient and match the speed of refueling.

Public recharging infrastructure for EVs is growing but recharging at home will be most important for most people. Fully benefiting from having an EV, requires understanding, being prepared for recharging.

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Why Hydrogen Cars are not the future, and EVs are here to stay.

After friend told me “I am not interesting in electric cars, because I will wait for hydrogen cars”, I did the research, and found that such a future would make no sense, and will never happen. It turns out that hydrogen cars were never “the ultimate”, are now worse at times or range problem, and they were only ever expensive to build and operate, higher emissions, limited interim stop gaps, for the time until we solved limitations of battery EVs.

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Living with EVs

Parent / Sub topics
Electric Vehicles and Electrification: Another perspective.

Electric Vehicles and Electrification: Another perspective.

This topic contains subtopics on living with EVs, reference pages, and analysis of the impact of EVs and electrification on the world. As this is not a news site, the focus is on analysing the implications of news for these topics, rather reporting all EV or electrification news, for which I recommend Cleantechnica, InsideEVs and CNEVPOST. The focus of these pages is on how EVs and electrification will change our lives, and change the planet. As a species, we are currently transforming from combustion as our primary energy source, to an electronic age, where electricity is our energy source. Just how much of our lives are changed by this can be easy to overlook from the inside experiencing the steps as the occur.
Webpapers
Why EV Battery size matters, and the problem with hybrids.

Why EV Battery size matters, and the problem with hybrids.

Surviving with an EV and no driveway: on street charging.

Surviving with an EV and no driveway: on street charging.

EV Charging for Apartment complexes: A problem that can require a battle.

EV Charging for Apartment complexes: A problem that can require a battle.

EV Charging Reference: Not just the new Refuelling.

EV Charging Reference: Not just the new Refuelling.

Why Hydrogen Cars are not the future, and EVs are here to stay.

Why Hydrogen Cars are not the future, and EVs are here to stay.

EV range: Anxieties vs realities & needs.

EV range: Anxieties vs realities & needs.