Driving an electric car from Sydney to Melbourne / the Downsides of EVs

[Williamson]

Back in early December '85 we had a two week holiday on the Gold Coast.  The trip to and from was in the trusty XF Falcon wagon.  Despite the 4.1 litre 6 cylinder donk and 3 speed auto it was surprisingly economical - by 1985 standards.  The final leg was Sydney to Melbourne, filled up to the brim of the filler pipe at the last servo before the freeway started at Liverpool, got all the way to Donnybrook, and then took on about 85 litres, worked out around 10.5 litres per 100km.

The 85 litres was a contentious point with some mates at the time as the specs said the wagon had a 72 litre tank, but I know what it took, so it must've been an option fitted.

[Brock]

The XA and on series had a 16.5 Gallon tank ( 75 Litres) You could get a 120 liter long range tank, ( I had one.. It was fun watching the attendant fill the car, and start looking when you started going past 70 liters)  .  I think and 80ish liter tank was an option on the sports pack cars.

[STeveo]

My BF RTV (ute) has an 85Lt tank which will usually do close to 800Km before the annoying beeping starts.

[Williamson]

My BF RTV (ute) has an 85Lt tank which will usually do close to 800Km before the annoying beeping starts.

A couple of my old BA / BF work utes would easily get less than 10 litres per 100km, cruising at highway speeds, that'd easily get you from Sydney to Melbourne without a stop.  For me, that may've been achievable in the good old days, I'd need a coupla rest stops these days.

[Williamson]

Continuing .....

My 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 diesel, 8 speed auto has a 93 litre tank, the attached pic re. fuel is a snip from Carsales.com specs.

Pretty sure I wouldn't want to try to achieve the 1431km estimate, best highway diesel consumption has been in the low 7's per 100km, and I'd probably need an overnight break over that distance. 

[Gadget]

My observation on Gary's very well documented travels is the amount of time required to plan such an expedition.  Before leaving, you can make no assumptions when visiting a town for the first time in your EV regarding the availability and location of charging facilities. Hence you need to do the maths regarding range vs chargers and then figure in your overnight accommodation. 
I did note, however, the fact that there appeared to always be a charger available, rather than needing to queue and wait for other users.  As for how long motel owners will offer free electricity is another matter as prices rise and government handouts dwindle.

I didn't plan. Just plugged the destination for the day into the navigation, and the car did the planning for me.

I got to see roads, towns, villages, and sights I wouldn't have otherwise seen.

I had brwakfast, lunch and coffee in beautiful, quaint, and some remote places.

I took a wee break in a forest, and listened to the bird song.



I did A, B, C, and dirt roads across Victoria.

Sent from my SM-S938B using Tapatalk

[Gadget]

I just wrote up our 6th refuel into my spreadsheet.  With fuel averaging $1.69 for the fills, our 2024 Corolla hybrid cost 7.4 cents per kilometre to run, not a huge amount more than the Tesla, and of course, the Tesla results included some free charging which is a bonus rather than an expectation. That was over 4193km with maybe 50% of it city driving.
Our last Camry was running at 18.7 c/km when fuel averaged $1.70/litre during the last year of ownership.

And how much per km when you add the cost of more than 40% of a 10,000 km service interval?

Sent from my SM-S938B using Tapatalk

[Gadget]

My BF RTV (ute) has an 85Lt tank which will usually do close to 800Km before the annoying beeping starts.

A couple of my old BA / BF work utes would easily get less than 10 litres per 100km, cruising at highway speeds, that'd easily get you from Sydney to Melbourne without a stop.  For me, that may've been achievable in the good old days, I'd need a coupla rest stops these days.

More stops for fatigue management.

17 hours straight is as good as over 0.05.

Sent from my SM-S938B using Tapatalk

[STeveo]

Yes, I have to stop to let liquid out of me far more frequently than liquid into ute.

[ruSTynutz]

I didn't plan. Just plugged the destination for the day into the navigation, and the car did the planning for me.

A car that can plan your route, knows when you need a wee, food and can book accommodation for you without you having to plan a thing!
If it could also cook I'd be ditching the wife and I'd be ordering a Tesla now... 

[ruSTynutz]

Figured I'd compare the cost of Insurance between an EV and a ICE Vehicle.
As I've mentioned previously, insuring an EV usually costs more and going by these results it seems nothing has changed.

I chose to use AAMI for the quotes.

I chose a 2024 Tesla Model Y Rear Wheel Drive & a 2024 Kia Sportage GT-Line Diesel...
The value of both are within a couple of thousand dollars of each other.

Driver details and location used were exactly the same for both vehicles.
I opted for agreed value so I could set both the same. ($53900)
I also chose windscreen and window glass coverage for both.

The lowest excess I could select for the Tesla was $1325 so I increased the excess from a low $750 for the Kia up to a similar level to the Tesla to make the comparison more even.

Unsurprisingly the Tesla still cost heaps more than the Kia: $1749.62 compared to $ 960.97...

Definitely another downside to EV ownership...well, it is as far as I'm concerned. 

[ruSTynutz]

A Tesla Crash Turned Fatal: Federal Lawsuit Is Asking Why

A fatal Tesla crash in Tacoma, Washington is now at the center of a federal lawsuit — and the questions it raises go far beyond a single incident.
According to the lawsuit, a 2018 Tesla Model 3 suddenly accelerated in traffic, struck a utility pole, and caught fire.
After the crash, the doors reportedly would not open, trapping the occupants inside as the fire grew.
One person survived with serious injuries. His wife did not.

https://youtu.be/58PJpmPlYZs

[DaleAP]

Interesting, however sudden acceleration can happen, and has happened, in any vehicle. Throttle cables get stuck, fly-by-wire goes haywire, etc. Also, doors in high-impact collisions often get stuck closed due to deformation of the frames and mounting mechanisms. There's a reason the Jaws-of-Life exist.

[ruSTynutz]

These make interesting reading:

• https://tinyurl.com/yhjk3kzc
• https://tinyurl.com/69w8ye2e

[ruSTynutz]

Another informative Video from your favourite motoring Journo! 

EV sales suck, while hybrids are surging | Auto Expert John Cadogan

John Cadogan examines Australian EV sales data, questioning the effectiveness of government incentives.
Analysis reveals surprising sales trends for plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrids.
John explores global examples of incentive programs and their impact.

[STeveo]

These make interesting reading:

• https://tinyurl.com/yhjk3kzc
• https://tinyurl.com/69w8ye2e

That second one makes for a thoughtful bit of reading. Just how much info is being collected by these cars and what is being done with it?

[ruSTynutz]

It's a worry... 

[ruSTynutz]

Volvo EX30 owners urged not to charge above 70%, due to risk of fire

Nearly 3,000 Australian owners of the 2024 Volvo EX30 compact electric SUV have been warned not to charge their EV over 70 per cent due to the risk of a vehicle fire.

The Australian government’s department of infrastructure announced through its Vehicle Recalls website late last week that a manufacturing issue in the cell modules used
in the Volvo EXC30’s high voltage battery could lead to the cells overheating at high charge levels, potentially leading to a vehicle fire.

“A vehicle fire could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders, and/or damage to property,” the notice says.

EX30 owners were warned to keep their battery charge level below 70 per cent, which can be set in the ‘Charging’ setting menu on the vehicle’s display.

Click link to continue reading: https://tinyurl.com/4rtnz94m


With range being nothing to write home about even with 100% charge, I'd be pretty pi**ed with losing nearly a third, especially when there's no fix in sight! 

[Gadget]

These make interesting reading:

• https://tinyurl.com/yhjk3kzc
• https://tinyurl.com/69w8ye2e

That second one makes for a thoughtful bit of reading. Just how much info is being collected by these cars and what is being done with it?

What is so interesting about your life that you're worried about being tracked, whilst using a PC and mobile phone? :shrug

Sent from my SM-S938B using Tapatalk

[Gadget]

Yes, I have to stop to let liquid out of me far more frequently than liquid into ute.

100%

I stop far more often to eat, drink, and empty the bladder than I stop to charge.

Sent from my SM-S938B using Tapatalk

[ruSTynutz]

They're lying to you about EV battery failures

Our good mate John Cadogan dives into a long winded but informative discussion on batteries...

https://youtu.be/6FoLRMNcNbQ

[DaleAP]

Stating power tool battery fire risk is localised and rare? I've lost count of the number of house fire claims I personally have handled where batteries (in power tools and e-scoots) have ignited and caused major house damages and personal injuries, and I'm just 1 person in a very large insurance company. Imagine how many more claims there have been both within this company, and in all the insurers.

I'm not a massive fan of EV's myself and believe there are better ways to go, but really I don't see there is that much of a greater risk of fire than I.C.E. powered vehicles that can, and do, burst in to flames for various reasons.

By the way, I'm of the understanding that Mr Cadogan is a mechanical engineer. Whilst that would give him basic knowledge of electrics, it doesn't mean he really knows much about it to be considered an expert.

[ruSTynutz]

EV Vs Hybrid: John runs the numbers - for Australia

https://youtu.be/qo-AZ3kXlgE

[ruSTynutz]

What They DON'T Tell You About Owning a BYD ATTO 1...

https://youtu.be/GaLZxU7-hjI

[ruSTynutz]

Crash to Fire in 60 Seconds: Why China Banned Electric Door Handles

An EV crash in China went viral — and the outcome was deadly.
In less than 60 seconds, the vehicle went from impact to fire. Occupants were trapped when electronic door handles failed after power was lost,
forcing bystanders to break windows as smoke filled the cabin. One person later died.
Incidents like this are why China has now banned electric and hidden door handles. Starting in 2027, vehicles sold in China must
have mechanical door releases that work without power.

https://youtu.be/VuqR3RPArJA