Increase in Anti-EV Media Articles

MakersMark

The whole SUV term here has been hijacked by wannabees.

The only SUVs in Ireland are Landcruisers and Rangerovers.

Everything else is a mini SUV

dingbat

Adrian Weckler (Indo tech writer) has been banging on this for ages, constantly complaining that his ID3 doesn't get the full range. I mean, he's obviously a smart guy. He's into tech. So he should get how maximum range doesn't mean you can just drive straight into a storm with your foot down. But he doesn't get it. it's just plain odd.

Bobson Dugnutt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121550740#Comment_121550740

He owns an EV and is writing about his practical experience of owning one. The range that is far less than advertised, queues for chargers, depreciation. It’s reality. I’d rather read that than articles that are just a rewrite of a press release from Tesla etc.

teediddlyeye

@dingbat I mean, he's obviously a smart guy. He's into tech.

EVs aside, those terms are often mutually exclusive.

zg3409

This article is well balanced

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/transport-bosses-forced-to-explain-after-video-appeared-to-show-electric-bus-connected-to-diesel-generator/a113559265.html

A video of a bus in limerick charging from a diesel generator at a depot went viral worldwide last week and this article attempts to find the facts. It seems they want to train the drivers in advance of getting EV busses and in advance of the charger being installed. The single bus is used for driver training only. That said the optics of charging an electric bus from diesel is not ideal.

drunkmonkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121639849#Comment_121639849

Sounds like a crock of **** excuse to explain the ridiculous situation. Watering down fuel with plants is another lunacy.

munchkin_utd

in fairness, even this positive article on Electric Buses manages to make you wonder if its wise to have them on this countryside route.

Who needs negative spin when a positive article with facts does the same job.

Between Coughlan’s home in Shercock and Dundalk, two electric buses now serve Carrickmacross, Inniskeen and a range of smaller settlements along the way. As one makes five round trips in the morning, another bus charges up at a depot before swapping in the evening.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sponsored/arid-41293396.html

Melted

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121523500#Comment_121523500

sure id do that with a cup of diesel and be back in time for maureens fry.. there would be no stopping me..

Old diesel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121640239#Comment_121640239

If you put in dedicated rapid chargers at suitable location(s).

Then the one BEV bus could do the run all day.

Its an interesting mindset thing imo - people look at an EV that has 150 miles of range and think that's the daily limit.

However if there's rapid charging - you pull in and charge up in 40 mins or whatever.

Remember - no ones going to be upset if they see a bus timetable that says arrival into Dundalk at 11 am. And departure for return out of Dundalk at 11.20 am.

That's a 20 min slot to add charge if there's charger at the Dundalk drop off and pick up point.....

Repeat the exercise at the other end of the route.....

Job sorted.

What's probably happening at the moment is that buses are charged at the depot on slow charging.

Hence you swop a bus low on charge for a charged bus.....

Put good chargers in and suddenly an extra bus is available to increase services during the day......

Because both buses would use charging infrastructure during the working day.

Old diesel

Good read here.

The chargers at departure point are interesting.

Andy and others were getting on pre charged buses in Dundee.

Perfect

https://www.keybuses.com/article/electric-coach-revolution

zg3409

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121640239#Comment_121640239

Often drivers work split morning evening shifts anyway and peak time busses sit idle in the middle of the day.

They might be able to charge the busses much cheaper at night rate and they may have spare busses for break downs, peak travel events, driver training etc.

The fuel savings alone going to EV may be substantial and less wear and miles on each bus. Longer term larger range busses will become available. It's relatively hard to make any EV work for 8-10+ hours straight without charging and most may be passing a depot for driver brakes etc.

zg3409

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/if-you-turn-up-the-heat-on-cold-days-the-range-reduces-td-hits-out-as-bus-eireann-admits-battery-problems-with-electric-buses-pilot/a1676079970.html?fbclid=IwAR1FGHnz0x3nVQVHca3c0CuA_QLCbVTQ9OK04a_W0IWE0q8OSGs4vb17eak

claims Athlone EV bus services finish at 8pm in winter instead of 9pm as they don't have the range to go until 9pm. I am not sure that is true as a lot of the rest of the article seems incorrect.

I think most people have lost interest in EVs.i don't hear as much EV chat as before.

I was at lunch on Friday and colleagues were mentioning the difficulties in selling EVs on the second hand market and the depreciation value was unexpectedly high.

I own a hybrid so no experience in the above.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121656197#Comment_121656197

I think they're just less novel, when curiosities become normalised people stop talking about them. When was the last time you heard someone discuss the benefits of smartphones?

MightyMunster

Or electricity, or sanitation 😁

They're just cars, lots of people have very little interest in cars.

maidhc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121656212#Comment_121656212

Smartphones are ubiquitous though, EVs far from it.

munchkin_utd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121656155#Comment_121656155

Firstly, The TD quoted there with nothing good to say about the electric buses is an independent TD who gets elected on a pro turf burning platform, so he would be a natural opponent of anything to do with the greens plus being an independent needing to be seen to be out there getting stuck in and causing a stir for the benefit of his constituents to remain relevant. So, that he has nothing good to say on E-buses is no surprise - its not his job to be happy with the political parties who are looking to take his seat and generous Dail TD salary at the next election.

Still, as for the tone of the article saying these buses are not performing brilliantly, are they really wrong?

These Buses are charged overnight at the Depot and thats it, even though they are parked for 30 minutes out of every 90 at the terminus where they could be topped up. If the grid isnt up to it, then a battery assisted supercharger could be installed there. Heck, even if they just attached it to a relatively low powered charger at the terminus they could at least blast the heating and get the yoke warmed up without draining the battery !

TheWonderLlama

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121656155#Comment_121656155

That article is almost completely fact-free.

These electric buses are interesting, combined manufacturer of BYD and Alexander Dennis, 348kwh battery with a published range of 256km so they would need to be charged during the day in any event. I think a lot of this will calm down when fast chargers get installed at the bus depts. Surely there is some sort of deal done between the two state companies for cheap electricity, no?

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121657898#Comment_121657898

Smartphones were radically different to the phones that came before them, EVs are just cars with a different power train. At the end of the day they still do the job of getting you from A to B

kanuseeme

bealnamulla athlone to kilmartin centre athlone 1 route, 6.1 km, 36 minutes duration, every 30 minutes starting at 7 am finishing at 8 pm, 330 km in total,

Just one way, its the same for the return, the bus would need to be charged at least 3 times per day

I can believe the degradation % in such a scenario,

Its common knowledge cold weather and heating eat in to range,

I fail to see anything anti EV, some one enlighten me what is so wrong?

https://buseireann.ie/timetables/A1-1673972758.pdf

https://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=524

munchkin_utd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121658145#Comment_121658145

Theres 9 "double chargers" at Athlone Depot, but thats the maintenance depot, not where the buses sit near the bypass when having a break before the next journey cross town.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41159428.html

Mr Q

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121658510#Comment_121658510

But how many buses are on the route? It can't be just one as it leaves every 30 minutes and takes 36 minutes.

sh81722

This is just ineptitude. Several vendors provide automatic charger systems installed at the end of route that connect from above. This would not not be too hard to implement. But at the same time the buses have always been uncomfortable and damp in winter so perhaps it's just "this will do for the peasants" while the people in power drive to the office in a company car parked at a free parking space.

https://youtu.be/DYZBXdLctsc?si=CfXULxiNrYTbW2VF

sh81722

I'm sure they have considered all of these charging solutions for use in Athlone and then decided that's it's too much work and that a shared granny charger will do.

https://youtu.be/OFoH-q2NIlY?si=V5juEXz33zsjRn_0

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660031#Comment_121660031

The rollout in Athlone is a pathfinder project, the purpose is to identify Irish problems and develop Irish solutions instead of just going with what works in Oslo. I'm sure some consultants recommended this as the best approach

sh81722

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660285#Comment_121660285

Basically ignore what the other countries do, with exception of UK. Then just save money and struggle for a bit until you decide that this is not going to work. Then spend 3x the money Oslo used for something that has been in use since 2015.

OK, sorry I'm being a bit harsh here.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121660336#Comment_121660336

You're missing the key part of the Irish system where every set of consultants get to provide input into the system, were you under the impression that the project was to provide buses instead of consultancy hours?

NIMAN

I was listening to a radio piece about average commute distances and length of time they took.

Didn't hear all the piece, but nearly every average commute I heard was 25km or less.

That is perfect for evs, yet you so often hear people say, " that ev only has a range of 200km, I couldn't live with that".

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121661235#Comment_121661235

yeah i get the range thing but i have to say for the 15/20 trips a year i do that are over 200km then i want the range.. especially with the state of public charging.. add to that the drop off in range in winter months.. often for us at least those longer journeys are visiting family the other side of the country or on a road trip around the uk etc.. and its annoying to maybe spend an hour a day having to play public charger lottery.. i doubt anyone is complaining about ev range in relation to their daily commute if its less than 50k km.. plus to be honest i dont mind be delayed on a work commute as much as being delayed on a holiday/family time

NIMAN

If you're doing 20 trips of over 200km, and driving from here to various parts of the UK, then clearly an EV isn't for you.

But it would suit the vast majority of people.