Electric cars - BEV v PHEV v HEV

[Noel]

Apologies for EV rant. If anybody is considering an electric car, please don't let forecourt salesmen con or convince you to by a PHEV (ie plug in hybrid) car. Its neither one thing nor the other, and the worst of all worlds, a con designed to appeal to the public who are concerned about their personal CO2 footprint and running costs. PHEV cannot defy the laws of physics, it can't reduce the amount of diesel or petrol needed to travel a set distance, only make city driving more efficient, but on long trips no more fuel efficient than a modern efficient low MPG diesel, and servicing costs are high as two engines have to be maintained! If considering electric either go full battery electric, or for low milage costs a fuel efficient diesel/petrol.

Battery electric BEV cars have come a long way in the last 12 months with models well able to achieve a range of 400-500km in real world conditions (ie no hearse driving needed, air con and heater on, etc). Such range means most folks only need to charge at home on cheap night rate electricity and can go about their business and back home without the need to use on street or public charging infrastructure which is still currently free btw (Bizarre). Like wise they can get to any city in Ireland without the need to charge on route to stop for stupid coffee breaks while car gets a charge. PHEVs have tiny batteries so only a range of 40-50km on electric mode which is fine for short urban trips but on long trips ICE mode is needed, yet some PHEV owners mistakenly believe they've bought an electric car and try to do long trips on battery only mode stopping every 40km to charge up. Why? its so inconvenient and time wasting and saving only a a few euro using the free chargers, not to mention cluttering up the public charing infrastructure due to 'confirmation bias' in an attempt to prove they can drive to Galway or Cork on battery only for free, instead of letting it run on ICE mode (combustion engine) as designed for long trips. PHEVs are not saving the planet nor are they saving folks the sort of money they have been convinced they are saving. Its a myth, science cannot be defied!  Back to model choo-choo's now  

PS: Don't start me on HEVs, another marketing con job pandering to folks genuine fear of climate change. Hydro carbon producers backing auto industry ICEs and therefore PHEVs/HEVs, and auto industry also scared of the change in their business models when BEV replace ICE (ie tiny servicing revenue, unemployment in manufacturing plants rationalised for less complicated BEV production). The transition era from ICE to BEV really started in 2019 and malevolent forces are spending billions trying to slow it down. The future is bright, all the technology already exists to solve energy issues, and climate change its just a matter of now getting on with it before its too late. We do not have to go without, or go back to living in caves and riding horses, just modify our consumption, and stop cattle breaking wind at both ends which means the end of the global beef business as we know it - synthetic fillet minion anyone?   And we can save money at the same time. BEV compact SUV costs about €10 a week to run on night rate electricity instead of say €85 on diesel, and virtually no servicing costs, and they are no slouches, quiet, one peddle driving can be relaxing with all the usual driver aids. BEV is the way to go.
Former super sceptic.

Edited June 15, 2019 by Noel