"Green lights" ? If you're referring to the "magic eye" fitted to some batteries, they're notoriously unreliable.
Recharging a lead-acid battery every month with a smart charger should keep it healthy during periods of non-use.
Recharging a lead-acid battery every month with a smart charger should keep it healthy during periods of non-use.
Lots of good points made and interesting, but incredibly biased with it. So as a balancing post, fine.
EG it makes the point that hundreds of cars were destroyed in a car park fire in Liverpool. But not one was electric. Therefore the cause might have been 1 conventional car, not the hundreds implied.
I have just bought new, but chose petrol. My main reason was range anxiety. I don’t have a particular fear of them catching fire, but the video does indicate that if a fire occurs, it is likely to be more significant than a petrol or diesel vehicle and that more work needs to be done in this respect.
I have no idea if EV’s are more or less likely to catch fire, but statistics need to make true comparisons including the ratio of vehicles in use.
I found the video most interesting in talking about the newer battery technologies and rare earth products not being so rare. But such things lose my confidence in their accuracy as soon as the spin is detected.
The point is made though, on just how difficult it is to get true factual evidence-based, unbiased information.
John
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The problem with Li-ion batteries on EVs is that they can get hot and if they do so the side effect of the heat is that the battery generates its own oxygen. If the vehicle catches fire the fire is self feeding and is almost impossible to extinguish.
There has been a series on TV about recovery operators. In one instance a transporter with three EVs on board crashed and caught fire. The Fire Brigade sprayed water on the vehicles for a couple of hours (nearby river) and monitored the battery temp with a IR sensor. Two of the cars got to a safe state and could be moved but the third remained too hot. A crane lifted the third car onto a low loader and it was taken back to the company yard with Police and Fire escort where another crane lifted the car and dropped it into a very large skip-like container full of water. It was there nearly a week before it was considered safe to handle!
There has been a series on TV about recovery operators. In one instance a transporter with three EVs on board crashed and caught fire. The Fire Brigade sprayed water on the vehicles for a couple of hours (nearby river) and monitored the battery temp with a IR sensor. Two of the cars got to a safe state and could be moved but the third remained too hot. A crane lifted the third car onto a low loader and it was taken back to the company yard with Police and Fire escort where another crane lifted the car and dropped it into a very large skip-like container full of water. It was there nearly a week before it was considered safe to handle!
Possibly because the chargers they are equipped with are basic and don't regulate the current going in?
I have a drone (cheap but very good at what it does) I bought it with 2 Lithium batteries, they both lasted about 7 months before swelling up like Billy Bunter and bursting their casings (batteries only warranted for 6 months in the very small fine print!)
I bought 2 new ones as a drone doesn't work very well without them.
Both have lasted much longer (2 years and counting) with no signs of deterioration. My feeling is that there are clearly different qualities when it comes to Lithium batteries as my original 2 were clearly rubbish. The new ones were around £50 each
If booking a ferry crossing with Brittany Ferries they specifically ask if its an EV if any description. Anyone know why (rather than speculating which I am quite capable of doing myself)
GWR have banned E-scooters from their trains citing a number of incidents within the rail network. However E-bikes, mobility scooters and E-wheelchairs are still allowed. The company stated that with E-scooters being unregulated there’s an increased risk. But what assurance is there that the batteries in other allowed categories are safe given that owners could source unreliable replacements?
As Mr Plodd suggests, it is a case of where quality counts. Both in the battery itself and the charging unit.
My SLR camera has to be 15 years old, I hardly ever use the camera now, but both the original Sony and the non origional spare hold their charge and have very good lives.
I agree that most of the reported probems tend to be with the likes of E-scooters and hoverboards.
At one time there was talk of a ban on laptops on planes because of spontaneous fires. But I don’t hear of that anymore.
John
In the RC model world, lithium batteries are charged using a balanced charger. The batteries have a "balance lead" as well as a power lead. The charge is delivered through the power lead, and cell monitoring takes place through the balance connector. The charger also displays a wide range of variables to allow users to monitor the charging. Charging of these batteries is set according to the capacity of the batteries on a simple "Coulomb" rule - the charge current should be limited to the Ah capacity of the battery - so a 2.3Ah battery current is set at 2.3A. I'm not sure how much "investment" is made by the manufacturers of consumer devices to ensuring their charging regimes meet these parameters...
Considering that one can pay over £2500 for a mobility scooter which is a simple metal frame covered with plastic pieces and powered by a battery, one would expect that a decent charger and decent lithium battery would be supplied, but get your point.
With some mobility scooters designed in USA, built in China and sold in Europe it's little wonder that some are built for cheapness with little attention to standards.
Oh dear. We were supposed to have a delivery on Saturday by DPD using one of their new electric motor. Sadly no delivery as it seems battery did not last the day and driver unable to make it. Told it would be Sunday, but not told it will be Tuesday!
With the mileage these couriers do every day I am surprised they would use elecric vehicles as it must be frustrating for the driver to recharge halfway through the round making them even later returning back to base. Some have over 100 calls to do during a day!
With the mileage these couriers do every day I am surprised they would use elecric vehicles as it must be frustrating for the driver to recharge halfway through the round making them even later returning back to base. Some have over 100 calls to do during a day!
Most last mile delivery vans do less than 60 miles per day. That is well within the range of vans available, and ideally suited to EV's. as its not burning fuel and pumping out fumes whilst standing still at each delivery point.
Anyone remember the 1960's electric milk floats?
However there is the trip to their route from the depot and also the return trip. I am not sure if stop start stop helps improve mileage? Looking at their route which you can see, especially in rural areas it is a lot more than 60 miles from the depot. Maybe the van was not charged up proerly the night before? I don't know. All I know is our delivery never happened.
Stop start conditions is where EV's really shine. Its not so much improving mpg, rather its reducing wasted of energy as no motive power is being used when stationary,
With ICE vehicles, and I notice that most that visit our road, the driver leaves the engine running whilst making deliveries, even though I know some of the vans do have stop start tech but the drivers don't use it. This makes a big reduction in mpg.
Where the stop start is used, they can have problems with DPF's The engines don't reach optimum running temperatures which affects the oil leading to wear and tear on engine parts.
EV for final mile deliveries makes so much sence.
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