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

[DaleAP]

Interestingly, these 2 vehicle fires occurred in the past week...

[ruSTynutz]

And?

[Biggles]

Interestingly, these 2 vehicle fires occurred in the past week...

In the case of the ute, it wouldn't surprise me if the engine had been modified in an unsafe manner.  The revheads that often drive them aren't averse to modifying them at home.

On the subject of modified utes, you sometimes see bush versions with two, maybe 4 very tall antennas and the obligatory bank of spotties.  I passed one here in the city yesterday that had no less than TEN such antennas.  Even a mobile Ham operator wouldn't need that many!

[Gadget]

Interestingly, these 2 vehicle fires occurred in the past week...

In the case of the ute, it wouldn't surprise me if the engine had been modified in an unsafe manner.  The revheads that often drive them aren't averse to modifying them at home.

On the subject of modified utes, you sometimes see bush versions with two, maybe 4 very tall antennas and the obligatory bank of spotties.  I passed one here in the city yesterday that had no less than TEN such antennas.  Even a mobile Ham operator wouldn't need that many!

Or just poorly or neglected servicing.

Sent from my SM-S938B using Tapatalk

[ruSTynutz]

‘Disaster’: EV owners left waiting for hours in Easter holiday chaos

EV drivers have endured waits of up to five hours at charging stations over Easter, exposing Australia’s struggling infrastructure as demand surges.

Aussies have been left stranded for up to five hours over the long Easter weekend, with one viral video exposing the “disaster” state of the country’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Several frustrated drivers took to social media to reveal the grim reality of EV ownership during the holiday peak.
In one video posted to Facebook, a user claimed they had to wait up to five hours to charge their car. The footage, with over 1.3 million views, shows people standing around as a
single charger powers a single vehicle, with a line of cars waiting behind it.

“It’s really a disaster and the worst is yet to come with all of this,” one user commented.
“Yep EV’s are the way forward,” another said sarcastically.
However, the video also allowed others to brag about the pump’s efficiency.
“I just pulled into the petrol station, and I was gone in five minutes,” one user said.

In another post, a Tesla owner documented their experience at a Supercharger site in Cann River, Victoria where 10 cars were reportedly waiting to use three chargers.
The site is a key stop for Tesla drivers, as Australia’s sparse charging network leaves few alternatives for those on long-haul trips.
According to Tesla’s website, the next closest Superchargers are located in either Bairnsdale, Victoria, or Eden, NSW, about 165km and 109km away, respectively.

To continue reading, click link: https://tinyurl.com/bnvbkd8y

[ruSTynutz]

Electric car driver left scrambling for power as chargers go offline on Nullarbor

An Australian Tesla driver has learned the hard way how bad the country’s EV charging infrastructure can be.

An Australian man has been left stranded in the middle of the Nullarbor after multiple electric vehicle charging stations failed.
Jac has been documenting his journey in his Tesla from Sydney to Perth, a journey he says quickly turned into a “bit of a gamble”
as key charging sites went offline across remote Western Australia.
He claimed several charging stations along the Eyre Highway, including sites at Madura, Balladonia, and Norseman, were offline,
leaving him scrambling for power in one of the country’s most isolated regions.

“We’re plugged in to the back of a shearing shed,” he said.
“It’s going to take a few hours to get a full charge…but that’s okay because we can go to Norseman. Bam - Norseman is down.”

Jac said he is now attempting to cover a 535km stretch between Caiguna and Coolgardie, well beyond his Tesla’s estimated
450km range, forcing him to slow down and conserve every kilometre.

To continue reading, click link: https://tinyurl.com/zdypb64y

[West Aussie Glen]

On one Nullarbor Crossing on my old GL1500 I got to Madura and the generator was out so I had to ride to Mundrabilla at about 80 stretching the range to its limit. On another the card facilities at Balladonia weren't working so you could only buy petrol with cash. But the ATM worked so the circular economy was in action, withdraw cash from the ATM, buy petrol with cash and the roadhouse simply added cash to the ATM 

[ruSTynutz]

I have friends travelling back across the Nullarbor after spending the night at Balladonia. Hopefully they have no trouble getting diesel... 

[West Aussie Glen]

I have friends travelling back across the Nullarbor after spending the night at Balladonia. Hopefully they have no trouble getting diesel... 

All the diesel will be being used to power the EV charging points.

[Williamson]

Issues with the current diesel supplies have created doubts about our June, July & August caravan trip to outback NSW and QLD. 

The cost of diesel is a concern as at best the Jeep Grand Cherokee only achieves around 14.5 litres per 100km towing the 2.5T caravan (fully loaded).  But the bigger concern is availablity.  If there are supply issues I don't want to to be waiting a week out the back of Broken Hill, Bourke, Banana or Biloela. 

Cancelling the holiday is not an option as we have a four units booked at at Noosa Heads resort for our son's & daughter, their spouses and our grand children in early July.  Time to look for Plan B or C.

Plan B is to fly each way.

Plan C is to drive sans the caravan, stick to the major highways and provincial towns and cities, we figure that supply issues will be minimal.   But as no. 2 son has offered the use of one of his and his wife's EV's.   She has a new Nissan Ariya which has a range of about 500km.  I think will do nicely, thank you.

[ruSTynutz]

Take the Sportage if you're not taking the van...
Should be much more economical (and more reliable) than the Jeep!
 

[Williamson]

Take the Sportage if you're not taking the van...
Should be much more economical (and more reliable) than the Jeep!
 

Sportage, I expect about 5.5 to 6.0 litres / 100km; Jeep, about 8.5 to 9.0.

Sportage, no bike rack, no eBike; Jeep, bike rack thus eBike - that's important to me.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is very reliable, not sure how the Kia Sportage could be more reliable.

[ruSTynutz]

Don't worry, just yankin' ya chain, Michael...

Sportage, no bike rack, no eBike; Jeep, bike rack thus eBike - that's important to me.

Scratch plan B then... 

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is very reliable, not sure how the Kia Sportage could be more reliable.

It's just that Jeeps aren't renowned for being particularly reliable...

[ruSTynutz]

Victorians transitioning from gas exacerbates growing problem of undervoltage

In short:
A network operator has warned a massive spike in power consumption from houses transitioning off gas has led to undervoltage.

It is causing some households to be unable to use car chargers, cooktops and heaters.

To read more, click this link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-22/victoria-undervoltage-melbourne-gas-electricity/106588882

[ruSTynutz]

Budget Direct Took My Money — Then Refused My EV Insurance Claim

An EV owner says Budget Direct happily collected premiums for months — only to reject a major insurance claim when things went wrong.
The case is now fueling anger among electric vehicle drivers, raising bigger questions about how insurers handle EV repairs, battery damage, and
fine-print exclusions in the rapidly growing electric car market.

To find out more, click this link: https://youtu.be/YLDPt-buK_A