Great to see your comments about electric cars. It is so easy to be prejudiced, myself included, but if you look at the hard facts the “big boys” are going to abolish petrol and diesel vehicles very quickly much quicker than they say, and replace them with mainly full battery cars, not hybrids. I agree with you about the power infrastructure that it currently will not handle the load, but then, seriously, at the price of the BEVs currently, how many people can afford to buy them – I would suggest not many – hence all the bicycle and bus lanes being painted on all our city roads throughout the world now! But things could be about to change – bigtime!
As far as farm machinery, buses and trucks go, boats etc and aircraft, it is virtually impossible at least for now to replace fossil fuel – but they don’t care and are well on the way in Europe!
Another important point is, that very few appreciate, right now, is the fact that almost all traditional brands, European, Japanese, Korean, American carmakers look like they are soon to go out of business (which is hard to believe I know). Already Putin is turning off the gas taps to Germany and redirecting the fuel to China so it is quite possible in a very short period of time Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volvo, VW, Peugeot etc will simply be museum pieces. Again, hard to believe I know.
Right now, a massive REVOLUTION is taking place where China is beating the competition hands down with the 25 top BEV electric vehicles in the world all being manufactured and sold by China, with even Tesla now being manufactured in China.
BYD ATTO-3
While I haven’t made my mind up yet, it is surprising what a bit of research tells. I have watched a few video presentations from this chap, and I believe he is superbly informed about what is really happening that still most people in Western countries are completely unaware of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I84PFTvNf6g
On his sales graphs in the video above you will see how the Chinese BEV manufacturers are absolutely killing the global market with the Chinese company BYD slaughtering the field. Late last year BYD released a new battery with more than twice the density of other batteries, called a BLADE BATTERY which they say will even obsolete all traditional ternary lithium-iron-phosphate technologies including Tesla’s batteries as well. So if they do not sub-licence this battery to other manufacturers, but only use it in their own vehicles such as the new BYD ATTO-3, then goodbye Tesla and everybody else!
https://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/byd-blade-battery-set-to-revolutionise-ev-market/
Here is the new BYD Atto-3 shortly to be released this month in both Australia and New Zealand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay2mO7AlBU8
It may not be exactly what we want, however, it is going on sale in Australia soon for AU$44,300 and here I believe for around NZ$55,000 less the NZ$8625.00 EV Rebate which gives you a net price of NZ$46,759. Now the thing is, it compares extremely favourably with the popular Hyundai Ioniq 5 SUV with the 72 KWH battery that currently here in NZ is over NZ$90,000. So it’s almost half the price!!! and arguably a better vehicle!
Also, it is a substantial SUV unlike the Tesla 3 Standard saloon which is very noisy for an electric car, has about the same range, an inferior battery and is nothing like an SUV which many buyers now prefer – which I think now retails for around NZ$75,000 less the EV rebate of NZ$8625.00 which gives you a net price of around NZ$63,000.
As I say, an unbelievable “revolution” is coming – and about to start here and in Aussie – this month! All BYD will have to do is beef up their new Blade Battery to compete with the higher spec Tesla models in the future retailing from NZ$100,000 – NZ$300,000 – and goodbye Tesla! And dare I say it – goodbye all diesel and petrol vehicles! Overnight! Absolutely mind boggling, eh?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay2mO7AlBU8
In more ways than one – momentous times!