ducati
08-Jan-11, 17:50
Just a few thoughts. I value new technology that will reduce emissions but and it is a big but. I do not want to be ripped off and here is my thinking.
First of all, no earthly use unless you live in a conurbation as even the new 100 mile range wouldn’t get you, for instance, Wick to Inverness.
There is a subsidy of £5000 claimed by the purchaser against the retail price of a new qualifying vehicle.
These cars, after the subsidy, still cost £7,000 - £10,000 more than the equivalent petrol car
i.e. a new small family hatchback will cost you (after the 5k off) approx £22,000.
Now the mfger may argue that the cost of development needs to be recouped. My answer to that is it always does. It costs many millions of £ to develop a new model. The technology is nothing new either (still waiting for Hydrogen Fuel cells) this is basically the technology of a milk float. An electric motor and a bunch of massive batteries.
Now I'm not an engineer, but I do know what goes into a modern complex petrol or diesel engine: a crankshaft, 2 or more camshafts, 4 or more pistons and conrods, a couple of balance shafts, 2 massive castings that have a lot of complex machining plus hundreds of small mechanical and electronic components
Compare that to an electric motor; 1 shaft, a wire winding and a case with a couple of bearings-that’s it apart from a bunch of electronics much less complex than the petrol engine.
So, are we being ripped off? ;)
First of all, no earthly use unless you live in a conurbation as even the new 100 mile range wouldn’t get you, for instance, Wick to Inverness.
There is a subsidy of £5000 claimed by the purchaser against the retail price of a new qualifying vehicle.
These cars, after the subsidy, still cost £7,000 - £10,000 more than the equivalent petrol car
i.e. a new small family hatchback will cost you (after the 5k off) approx £22,000.
Now the mfger may argue that the cost of development needs to be recouped. My answer to that is it always does. It costs many millions of £ to develop a new model. The technology is nothing new either (still waiting for Hydrogen Fuel cells) this is basically the technology of a milk float. An electric motor and a bunch of massive batteries.
Now I'm not an engineer, but I do know what goes into a modern complex petrol or diesel engine: a crankshaft, 2 or more camshafts, 4 or more pistons and conrods, a couple of balance shafts, 2 massive castings that have a lot of complex machining plus hundreds of small mechanical and electronic components
Compare that to an electric motor; 1 shaft, a wire winding and a case with a couple of bearings-that’s it apart from a bunch of electronics much less complex than the petrol engine.
So, are we being ripped off? ;)