Will you buy an EV vehicle

I love driving a manual car, so I’ll be avoiding owning an EV for as long as physically possible.

I’m also really against them being forced on us for the supposed “green” reasons. For a start, the amount of earth that needs to be moved to mine the rare earth minerals required for the batteries is massive. Then you’ve got the fact that these materials are shipped thousands of miles, adding to the carbon footprint. On top of that, EVs are much heavier than regular cars, which means they will wear out roads faster and be more dangerous in a collision. When they catch fire, they need a massive amount of water to put out, and they release a lot of toxic * into the air. And fossil fuels are still being used to generate the electricity that charges them. So when you add it all up, EVs might not even offset the carbon used to make and power them during their life.

I get why EVs make sense for people with a big driveway and their own charger, especially if they have another petrol or diesel car for longer trips. For simple A to B city driving, I get it. But buying an EV as your one and only car, that just seems insane to me. Why would you want to limit yourself like that? An ICE car gives you real freedom. You can fill up a full tank, drive 500 miles, stop for a few minutes to refuel, then drive another 500 miles without any hassle. I get that this is not a normal senerio, but having the option is good to know.

Also, brake-by-wire systems make me nervous. I trust hydraulics over software to bring me to a stop.

 

Yeah, obviously everyone will stop every couple of hours, but my point is about the freedom and flexibility an ICE car offers over an EV. With a petrol car, you don’t have to plan your stops around charging points or worry about how long the battery might take to top up. You fill up in a few minutes and are back on the road, no matter where you are. That’s a different kind of convenience that EVs can’t match.

I am heavily against the mandate of EVs for the points I made above about how ungreen they are. Do you agree with the ban on ICE cars?

And my brake-by-wire point is more about having confidence in the direct mechanical connection between my right foot and the brake pads over electronics and software.

 

Ultimately it just depends on how people drive. It suits me and I have no reason to go back to petrol.

In 2 years Ive not stressed about charging once. If I were driving 200 miles a day in the Highlands under time pressure then I would worry about it and I wouldnt recommend an EV. But motorway charge points can get a standard battery from 1% to 80% in around 20 minutes and Ive never even needed to use one. Charging stations ive used in places like loch lomond or aviemore are usually outside bars or restaurants so you can go get a coffee and your car is charged.

If you have your own charge point you can choose to have a 100% battery every single morning that does you 200-300 miles. Thats enough freedom for 99% of drivers.

As regards banning petrol cars, I dont think they should be banned and I dont think the current EV grid is good enough to ban petrol cars.

 

I don't disagree with them being an option.
But they should not be made your only option.

I don't need a car at the minute and big do well without one plus save a fortune.
I daresay that I will go back to driving at some point but when I do the engines will be silent

When you think on it, you'll never hear another boy racer's burst exhaust again...ever.

I do not see why we are forcing our population into it when we know that Russia, USA and China won't...because they are simply too big and it will not work..
No way Jose

But at least it'll stop yer thieving * at services syphoning yer petrol when your in at the toilet. Nae mare of that. So...
Every cloud....

 

These days they just plug some machine in your car and steal the full thing instead of just the fuel keep hoping someone takes mine because the trade ins pitiful compared to what it sells for. Mon the write off...

 

China is on track to sell more EV cars than ICE cars in 2025. They offer far greater subsidies, supportive policies, and investment in infrastructure, than the UK. Guandong province has more chargers than the entire US.

It is without doubt the future of driving.

 

Yes, I would/will at some point.
Ideally, something of this size/type: