Electric Ford Transits

[Khriss]

Wonder if this new Battery Transit will have the factory fitted soft osf wheel?  K

[Squaredy]

I do think it may be a while before electric vans are practical for heavy towing.  Most electric cars cannot tow at all....no idea why I must admit.  When I say they cannot tow at all I mean legally.

 

Tesla have previewed their electric full size HGV lorry, so it is improving fast all the time.  Can you imagine doing 0 to 60 in 20 seconds with a full 35 ton load...?  It looks awful mind, but cost in fuel around £0.30 per mile.  This is the future, even without subsidy or any financial incentive.  I think saving 70% of fuel cost will be very attractive to haulage firms, never mind lower maintenance costs.

[donnk]

the saving will be no driver in the cab.

[djbobbins]

I do think it may be a while before electric vans are practical for heavy towing.  Most electric cars cannot tow at all....no idea why I must admit.  When I say they cannot tow at all I mean legally.
 
Tesla have previewed their electric full size HGV lorry, so it is improving fast all the time.  Can you imagine doing 0 to 60 in 20 seconds with a full 35 ton load...?  It looks awful mind, but cost in fuel around £0.30 per mile.  This is the future, even without subsidy or any financial incentive.  I think saving 70% of fuel cost will be very attractive to haulage firms, never mind lower maintenance costs.

I got my current car, a Kia Niro hybrid (not the plug in or electric version) partly because in the manufacturer’s blurb / advertising it shows them towing.

Apparently in the U.K. they are not homologated for towing and when I enquired with Kia U.K. they said they didn’t see there was a market in the U.K. for people to tow with crossover / small SUV vehicles?!

I am led to believe the towing variants for other markets are factory-specced with uprated brakes. I guess that might be part of the situation for electric vehicles and towing - regenerative braking being rated for slowing down the weight of the vehicle itself rather than extra weight besides?

[Squaredy]

1 hour ago, donnk said:

the saving will be no driver in the cab.

Well yes possibly one day, but fuel saving much more than saving one driver's wage.  London Underground have had capability to run driverless trains for over 50 years, but politics has largely blocked it.

[Craig.]

Once we get a higher % of electric vehicles, so less fuel duty going to the government, do we think the government will look to get it back another way?

A separate tariff for charging vehicles, pay by mile, something else? 

[Dan Maynard]

The idea of there being less tax collected seems unlikely. Almost certainly an episode of Yes Minister about that.

Maybe the tax on petrol and diesel will double to compensate? Or vehicle road tax? Already quite high. London pollution zones are raising extra tax as well I guess, roll that out to every city?

[Squaredy]

18 minutes ago, Craig. said:

Once we get a higher % of electric vehicles, so less fuel duty going to the government, do we think the government will look to get it back another way?

A separate tariff for charging vehicles, pay by mile, something else? 

Yes I am sure other taxes will rise otherwise transport will become too cheap.  Road charging has been talked about for years, and would have the advantage of being able to tweak it to reduce congestion etc.  High prices for journeys at peak times on busy roads, low prices for off peak or quiet roads etc.  Certainly the huge fuel duties currently raised will have to be replaced.

 

As it is now, road users do not pay the full cost of road use - it is subsidised by general taxation despite the general myth that road users pay loads of tax. 

[Ty Korrigan]

On 13/11/2020 at 22:51, Squaredy said:

Well yes possibly one day, but fuel saving much more than saving one driver's wage.  London Underground have had capability to run driverless trains for over 50 years, but politics has largely blocked it.

Even France has driverless trains on the metro...

   Stuart

[openspaceman]

50 minutes ago, Ty Korrigan said:

Even France has driverless trains on the metro...

   Stuart

Docklands Light Railway is driverless, the attendant just opens and closes doors, I've not been on it as I preferred to walk from Waterloo to Canary wharf.