http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news/79087988/the-idiots-guide-to-electric-cars-in-nz The idiot's guide to electric cars in NZ video April 22 2016 DAVID LINKLATER
[video flash / DAMIEN O'CARROLL We hit the road in two plug-in cars. They're quiet, but are they any good? image http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/b/4/i/0/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1b34ok.png/1461277148971.jpg Renault Zoe is now the only pure-EV available in NZ as a new car / SUPPLIED http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/a/x/h/q/h/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1b34ok.png/1461277148971.jpg Tesla Model S brings glamour to the BEV cause / BETTER NEW ZEALAND TRUST http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/b/4/i/2/n/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1b34ok.png/1461277148971.jpg Confusion over charging formats and plug types is one of the growing pains with EVs / DAVID LINKLATER ] Electric vehicles (EVs) have been in the news in New Zealand in recent weeks, with the announcement of the new 'affordable' Tesla Model 3 destined for our market (albeit not for a couple of years) and a nationwide EV roadshow organised by plug-in promoter Charge Net. From an eco-conscious point of view, Kiwiland is ideal for EV ownership, with 80 percent of our power produced sustainably. But without government assistance for EV purchasers and a piecemeal approach from local car distributors, it's an area of the market that's prohibitively expensive and extremely confusing to many consumers. Can't do much about the prices, but we can hopefully help with greater understanding. Read on for our (almost) jargon-free guide to what an EV is, how the different types work and why there are so many weird-looking connectors at public charging stations. Battery Electric Vehicles The BEV is electric motoring at its most pure. It's also solely responsible for the 21st-century phenomenon we call 'range anxiety' - the fear that your car won't get you from A-to-B before it runs out of juice. That's because a BEV's only power source is a battery and its range (the distance it will travel before it's empty) is usually much smaller than a petrol car. When you run out of charge in a BEV, you're stuck - until you can plug in again, and that might take hours depending on what method you're using. The most common BEV in NZ (and the world) is the Nissan Leaf, which was recently withdrawn from the new-car market (Nissan NZ says it couldn't source the right specification at the right price) but is becoming increasingly popular as a used-import. Prices are now under $20k for some 2011 models. That leaves the new $75,000 Renault Zoe hatchback (think of it as an electric Clio, although it's a bespoke model) as the only BEV on the NZ new-car market. The poster child for BEVs is of course the cult-of-personality Tesla Model S, which offers both speed and an impressive (400km-plus) range, although not both at the same time! There are a growing number of private imports of the $100k-plus Model S in NZ. Electric Range-Extended Vehicles [pih] Think of an EREV as a BEV, but with a safety net. It works in exactly the same way as a BEV, with a plug-in battery and an electric motor driving the wheels. But an EREV also has a combustion engine as range-anxiety-beating backup. That extra engine never drives the wheels, but rather spins to generate electricity for the EV drivetrain - even though it's burning fossil fuel to do it! The BMW i3 ($83,500), which is available as a BEV in Europe and Australia, is only offered as an EREV in NZ. The petrol generator is tiny: it's borrowed from a BMW scooter and has a nine-litre tank, but that's enough to double the overall range. Proper infrastructure for EVs helps the cause in unexpected ways - like making owners feel a bit special. The Holden Volt [pih] ($85,000 at launch in 2012), now discontinued, was the first EREV to be sold new in NZ. While many argue that Volt isn't a true electric-drive car because the 1.4-litre petrol generator can supply drive to the wheels under very specific (and very occasional) circumstances, in spirit it's still an EREV. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles [pih] The Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is arguably the best of all worlds. PHEV technology combines the potential for pure electric-drive with elements of the EREV and ultimately full hybrid operation, where electric and combustion-engine drive can be used simultaneously. PHEVs tend to have much smaller electric-only range than BEVs: 30-50km. The idea is that they provide zero-emissions running for weekly use (the average Kiwi daily commute is less than 30km), yet still provide the same overall range as a conventional car for long-haul driving. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV ($59,990-$66,990) has been the flag-bearer for the PHEV cause in NZ, largely because the technology comes wrapped up in a practical SUV package at a relatively affordable price. It's 4WD, too. Not quite emissions-free: they're plug-ins, but both Outlander and i3 burn petrol when the power runs out. The Outlander PHEV can drive about 40km in silence on electric power, operate as an EREV in certain conditions or switch to full hybrid mode (like a Toyota Prius), using its 2.0-litre petrol engine and battery pack to drive the wheels together as determined by the management computer. Other PHEVs on the market include the Audi A3 e-tron ($75,000), Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid ($175,300) and Volvo XC90 T8 'twin engine' ($134,900-$136,900). Mercedes-Benz also plans to launch PHEV versions of its C-class, E-class, S-class and GLE SUV later this year. Charge account The whole idea of plug-in vehicles is that you charge them when they're idle for the longest periods, at home overnight (or perhaps at work during the day if your office carpark is powered-up). But most experts agree that public fast-charging infrastructure is important for the growth of EV sales, to ease range anxiety and (let's be honest) make owners feel a bit special about owning a plug-in. Here's where the trouble starts, because the carmaking world and individual governments haven't really agreed on charging formats and plugs. The problem is worse for NZ because we take automotive technology rather than make it, so in some respects we (and the local car industry) have to take what we're given. That's why we have EVs and public charge points in various and (we reckon) confusing formats. It's not a deal-breaker of course, because you can always trickle-charge your car at home. But let's get to grips with the issue anyway. There are more and more public charging stations appearing in NZ, courtesy of companies like Juicepoint, Charge Net and power providers like Vector. But if you spot a fast-charge station and pull over in your EV for a quick bit of male/female (plug) action, success is not guaranteed. There are several different types of connector and while some charge-stations offer a choice, not everybody offers everything. Arguably the most common is the Type 1 (aka J1772), as fitted to the Audi A3 E-tron, BMW i3/i8 and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV for the Kiwi market. It's a connector that still converts AC power to DC, so it's slower than the latest generation of 'fast chargers' (more about those in a minute) but still around twice as quick as plugging the car in at home. Mercedes-Benz is set to join the EV club in NZ with plug-in versions of its sedans and GLE SUV. There's another version of the Type 1 called the SAE Combo or CCS, which has the same connector shape but with two extra pins underneath to allow much more rapid DC charging. Yes, the Type 1 and Combo/CCS look quite similar. No, they're not interchangeable. There's a bit of Beta-versus-VHS going on in in the world of fast-charging standards. The most common type in Japan is CHAdeMO, which uses an incredibly intricate-looking plug and firehose-like cord. You'll find this on a Nissan Leaf (although the Leaf also has a Type 1 connector for good measure). Weird fact: the 'CHAdeMO' name is a clever play on the Japanese phrase "O cha demo ikaga desuka", which translates roughly as 'time for a cup of tea'. You can charge your car in the time it takes to make and drink a cup of tea: see what they did there? There is a CHAdeMO network in Europe, but Euro powers-that-be have agreed that they prefer the new Type 2 (aka Mennekes) standard, which employs yet another type of connector and supports both AC and DC charging. There's even talk of phasing out Type 1 and CHAdeMO in Europe by 2019. The Renault Zoe uses a Type 2 connector, as will the new range of Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrids coming to NZ later this year. You'll find all of the above in NZ at various public charge points and it's enough to make your head spin. Let's not forget Tesla: its cars have a proprietary connector (of course) because Tesla has its own charging networks overseas, although owners can also use an adaptor to connect to other stations. Clever. Moral of the story: if you own an EV, familiarise yourself with the charge stations that accept your connector. If only the car industry could agree on just one standard, like they have for petrol and diesel fillers. [© 2016 Fairfax New Zealand] http://www.autoevolution.com/news/renault-sold-the-50000th-zoe-europe-s-most-popular-electric-hatchback-106773.html Renault Sold the 50,000th Zoe, Europe's Most Popular Electric Hatchback 21st April 2016 ... Zoe is considered a success, because it is an entirely electric vehicle, designed from scratch to perform this function ... For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Idiot-s-guide-to-Electric-cars-in-NZ-v-tp4681760.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
