Bob Flavin (motoring journalist) & his views on EVs

Kramer · 05-09-2022 04:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119575051#Comment_119575051

Seriously? Wow 🙄.

KCross · 05-09-2022 04:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119575051#Comment_119575051

A small part of me thinks he is just trying to drive clicks to his account. It is either that or he isn't willing to learn or listen.

carsfan2 · 14-12-2022 02:54PM

I heard on the radio today that Bob will be on radio one with Claire Byrne on Friday morning to discuss all things EV.

if you’ve have any questions you can email Claire’s show apparently.

crisco10 · 14-12-2022 06:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119995774#Comment_119995774

That promises to be informative and accurate piece.

Would much prefer an actual EV expert like Peter Braken or someone.

Redfox25 · 14-12-2022 07:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119996836#Comment_119996836

Bob would likely provide/play along with the narrative that RTE hand him.

MojoMaker · 14-12-2022 07:16PM

Why would he shoot a potential future golden goose?

Boscoirl · 14-12-2022 08:35PM

have always seen this thread but never went into it. Never knew who the guy was. Just seen the coke video.

I am speechless and at a loss as to what point he was trying to get across.

road_high · 15-12-2022 12:20AM

Bob has put on a bit…I barely recognised him in a recent video.

Killer K · 15-12-2022 06:06PM

Don't get the hate towards Bob. Doesn't get everything right and he has too much of a soft spot for VW in my opinion but his point on how poor the public charging network still is, is very fair.

He gives individual EVs credit/praise when test driving them (and is often more complementary about EVs than ICE cars). He rightly points out how expensive EVs in general are to purchase and that this is beyond a lot of people's purchasing power.

I have a lot of respect for him ever since I saw his review of the Renault Fluence many years ago.

For any car I am interested in I always check out what he has to say on them. Equally I will look at every other review available online as well and make a decision at that point.

He does not deserve the abuse he gets on social media or on this thread.

MojoMaker · 15-12-2022 07:52PM

A few regulars here have had quite personal experience with him however @Killer K

It's not for nothing shall we say.

Gumbo · 15-12-2022 11:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120000636#Comment_120000636

He gave me dogs abuse when I pointed out to him about night rate Electric costs and subsequently blocked me so I couldn’t even reply to him. He continued on his crusade with his merry men subscribers that all ask the Same question….. is an IS200 good, how do I get my licence…

I wouldn’t mind if I was wrong, I’d own up and admit it. But he completely shut me down with abusive comment and reply (which was subsequently removed) after I was blocked by him.

That, along with his BS shenanigans and fake facts he spouts out means to me, he is not a real journalist. He has long term loan cars from certain brands and sponsorship deals that he doesn’t tell you about and makes out he’s driving around in an old seat Ibiza banger and compares every new EV to it.

So yes, he deserves the abuse he gets on here IMO as he’s an arrogant little man that believes it’s his way or the highway.

road_high · 16-12-2022 07:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120001000#Comment_120001000

Was this all on Twitter?

RM Ernest · 16-12-2022 08:26PM

It was all going well on his slot on Claire Byrne today talking about EVs until he started talking about houses needing dual phase electricity to get a home charger.....Holy God....

Gumbo · 16-12-2022 09:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120004928#Comment_120004928

I rest my case. The man’s a dope.

MightyMunster · 16-12-2022 09:19PM

Dual phase 🤔

DrPhilG · 16-12-2022 09:25PM

Ah come on @Bodhan (aka Bob), you're a member here and you've defended your corner before.

I'd love to hear the logic behind that one.

VikingG · 16-12-2022 09:50PM

Just listened to this on the RTE website - it wasnt that bad but good lord what was that about dual phase electricity at the end. I am always amazed at the neck of some people on the radio who can talk about a topic with such confidence and be totally wrong. You would think that professional pride would ensure that some basic facts would be checked.

MojoMaker · 17-12-2022 02:04PM

Reflects poorly on Claire Byrne as well.

Mad_maxx · 17-12-2022 02:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120007138#Comment_120007138

Not knowing much about a topic never held her back before

MightyMunster · 17-12-2022 02:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120007138#Comment_120007138

She has a history of being anti EV, or maybe just poorly informed on them.

Old diesel · 17-12-2022 02:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120007149#Comment_120007149

RTE in general are woeful on EVs

A couple of prime time examples.....

1) having a 2nd hand car dealer whose pro diesel and wants to sell them give opinions on EVs.

2) at a time when 64 kwh Konas were available new. Prime time sent David Mc Cullagh and Miriam O Callaghan on an ICE vs EV road trip.

Two problems

they didn't use a 64 kwh Kona - instead they used an AC charging only Zoe ze40.

David was an EV owner already but Miriam was not. They gave Miriam a Zoe that wasn't fully charged and David an ICE Golf.

Result - EVs made to look really bad.

And Claire Byrne had an EV piece on her old Monday night show.

Where they gave Bob and Renee from Fair City an Enyaq to use for a weekend.

It was a disaster because no one showed Bob and Renee how to do EV charging or do RFID cards or apps.

I'm actually thinking that some people in RTE actually don't really believe in EVs and that's clouding editorial judgement and research.

Old diesel · 17-12-2022 02:30PM

Forgot the Sean Whelan report on hydrogen on the news.

Whelan was RTEs London correspondent at the time.

He went for a spin in hydrogen car and the report made hydrogen look simple enough.

He went to a building site of a dedicated EV charging site and made EVs look horrid complicated.

Poor

MightyMunster · 17-12-2022 03:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120007198#Comment_120007198

Remember that Enyaq one, I was thinking Skoda must be raging watching that.

liamog · 17-12-2022 06:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120004928#Comment_120004928

He's not wrong, for homes to get a decent home charger installed, it is recommended they use a dual phase connection. Unfortunately that's only true in North America so they can run the charger at 220V instead of their single phase 110V. Perhaps the Claire Byrne show is very popular in the US.

Gumbo · 17-12-2022 07:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120007841#Comment_120007841

You had me going with the first line then I read the rest 🤣🤣

Kramer · 17-12-2022 09:15PM

https://irepod.com/podcast/today-with-claire-byrne/what-to-know-before-buying-an-electric-car

Did he say he used 45% to get to RTE (80% to 35%) but the 35% would be enough to get back home? He mentioned Portlaoise. That's approx. 100km from RTE.

What's he driving that used 55% for 100kms? A 2012 Leaf?

Maybe I misheard. I thought I heard dual phase too in there....

McGrath5 · 19-12-2022 01:02PM

Happened to stumble across one of Bob's recent videos and I hardly recognize him, he's been enjoying the free grub on those press trips.

DrPhilG · 19-12-2022 01:38PM

Feck sake, I'm as big a critic of Bob as anyone but just resorting to calling him fat is a bit ridiculous.

unkel · 19-12-2022 02:05PM

@DrPhilG - yeah was thinking the same. What's that got to do with anything?

TheWonderLlama · 21-12-2022 02:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120004928#Comment_120004928

I heard this and I was roaring at the radio.

some highlights:

There's no similarity between driving an EV and an ICE, apparently.

50kw DC isn't a fast charger.

air pressure on an EV car at 120kmh will sap a battery.

pre-warming still pulls from the battery even if its plugged in.

if you invest 20 grand in batteries and solar you can charge your car for free.

EV manufacturers only mould enough plastic parts for production line, they don't make spares.

there's single-phase electricity in houses, which is dangerous, but you should be using dual-phase electricity to charge an EV (there is no such thing as dual-phase)

what a cretin.

Bob Flavin (motoring journalist) & his views on EVs

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