VW confirms plans for ID California electric camper van

[Ch1pbutty]

£7- 10,000 a little cheaper than 24000$

Incorrect as regards the EGR. There are other factors involved. 106,000 miles on a 2014 EGR. Oil consumption 250mls/20,000 miles. If it was just the EGRs that are at fault I’d be on my 2nd engine by now, if not 3rd.

Whether the cost is £7k or £18k it’s still unacceptable.

Was more to highlight that any car/van can have an issue. It’s what the manufacturer does to resolve the issue and compensate the customer that’s important - Tesla have clearly failed in the video as have VW with some (out of warranty) owners who have had to pay for a new engine themselves.

 

[WelshGas]

Whether the cost is £7k or £18k it’s still unacceptable.

Was more to highlight that any car/van can have an issue. It’s what the manufacturer does to resolve the issue and compensate the customer that’s important - Tesla have clearly failed in the video as have VW with some (out of warranty) owners who have had to pay for a new engine themselves.

Exactly. At the moment the fact that EVs are cheap to run, as you mentioned, will change significantly as revenue streams from IC vehicles, servicing and fuel costs , start reducing over time. Then the real costs of owning an EV will surface. There probably will be a significant loss in service options if Tesla is anything to go by and likewise recharging costs. Choice will diminish.

 

[R_Sargeant_CH]

Talking about commercial Camp Sites not Domestic users in this instance.
Diesel price has a fuel tax plus 20% VAT added. Your electric has no fuel tax (some green tax) and only 5% VAT.

Can't imagine a site being very popular if on arrival at site about midday with less than 5% power left an EV driver is told that charging up isn't possible until night rate power starts.

Absolutely true, but any seasoned EV driver would never arrive anywhere except at his home charger with 5%! Similarly, neither would any sensible diesel California driver either!

 

[Calimili]

I believe EVs are "cheaper" to run and "easy" to recharge NOW when just 5-10% of all the cars on the road are EVs while 90-95% are still IC cars.
So no long queues at the moment at charging points waiting for a free slot, since a charge takes min 20minutes, vs 4 minutes for 80l of diesel, including physically pay cash at the cashier (no app/credit card).
We would need 5 to 8 times the number of charging points per each single fuel pump, at least on motorways and major roads.
If the demand for electricity for charging vehicles will increase 10-20 fold (when 100% of vehicle on road will be electric), price will not remain at the current level. And all the taxes and vat currently applied to petrol or diesel, will be applied to every KW you charge too.
As a subsidised niche EVs may work for some people at the moment at the moment (people not living in flats), but in the future the economics of running an EV will change dramatically.

The world of the big whites is no different from the electric Calis. The eDucato, the base of 90% of the big whites, doesn't manage 140mils on a charge...

 

[WelshGas]

Absolutely true, but any seasoned EV driver would never arrive anywhere except at his home charger with 5%! Similarly, neither would any sensible diesel California driver either!

At least the California driver could carry a Jerry can with some fuel. Don't think you can carry a spare battery.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

At least the California driver could carry a Jerry can with some fuel. Don't think you can carry a spare battery.

RAC can assist, so expect others will follow. but of course better to avoid the issue to avoid delaying your journey.

RAC launches EV flat-battery recovery scheme | Autocar

UK-developed device can recharge 99% of electric vehicles stranded at the roadside

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[WelshGas]

RAC can assist, so expect others will follow. but of course better to avoid the issue to avoid delaying your journey.

RAC launches EV flat-battery recovery scheme | Autocar

UK-developed device can recharge 99% of electric vehicles stranded at the roadside

www.autocar.co.uk

At least someone is forward thinking. So EV drivers do run out of power so not as intelligent as some think.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

At least someone is forward thinking. So EV drivers do run out of power so not as intelligent as some think.

The mentality or lack of intelligence for some drivers will still be the same, whether they drive ICE or EV vehicle.

Risking breaking down on the hard shoulder for the sake a few pounds saving on your next fill up might seem smart, but it only takes one HGV or car not paying attention and potentially it’s game over!

 

[Nand0]

With current technology, an EV California would have plenty of shortcomings vs an ICE one (and some advantages). But there is another important consideration. As I've recently discovered, Vehicle Tax for a T6.1 California where I live comes to a whopping 938 Swiss Francs (roughly 750 Pounds) per year. A non ICE California (battery or hydrogen) would cost zero in tax per year.

At least in some markets, where ICE vehicle taxes are high, and the charging network is relatively well developed (and advancing rapidly), an EV California already makes sense today.

I have friends with a Tesla Model 3 long range (advertised range of just over 600Km). They recently did a day trip skiing and covered 320Km. They had 15% left in their battery when they got home. Massive drop, due to: winter tyres, cold, four people in the car, skis on the roof, going up a mountain. But, as they rightly pointed out, they could charge while they were skiing if they wanted, and there are several points along the route where they could have easily and quickly topped up.

California EV is coming, the discussion now is about when

 

[R_Sargeant_CH]

With current technology, an EV California would have plenty of shortcomings vs an ICE one (and some advantages). But there is another important consideration. As I've recently discovered, Vehicle Tax for a T6.1 California where I live comes to a whopping 938 Swiss Francs (roughly 750 Pounds) per year. A non ICE California (battery or hydrogen) would cost zero in tax per year.

At least in some markets, where ICE vehicle taxes are high, and the charging network is relatively well developed (and advancing rapidly), an EV California already makes sense today.

I have friends with a Tesla Model 3 long range (advertised range of just over 600Km). They recently did a day trip skiing and covered 320Km. They had 15% left in their battery when they got home. Massive drop, due to: winter tyres, cold, four people in the car, skis on the roof, going up a mountain. But, as they rightly pointed out, they could charge while they were skiing if they wanted, and there are several points along the route where they could have easily and quickly topped up.

California EV is coming, the discussion now is about when

Yep, that's the Tesla experience. Just a different way of driving and planning. And they probably used the Tesla app to switch on the car's heating so that they were greeted by a warm car after skiing. After our Tesla I find it so strange to be blasted by cold air in the Cali, waiting for the lump to warm up. Also, I remember driving back down a mountain here in Switzerland and at the bottom having 15 kM more range because of regeneration instead of hot brakes!
We will also have an electric Cali in 4-5 years time!

 

[WelshGas]

Yep, that's the Tesla experience. Just a different way of driving and planning. And they probably used the Tesla app to switch on the car's heating so that they were greeted by a warm car after skiing. After our Tesla I find it so strange to be blasted by cold air in the Cali, waiting for the lump to warm up. Also, I remember driving back down a mountain here in Switzerland and at the bottom having 15 kM more range because of regeneration instead of hot brakes!
We will also have an electric Cali in 4-5 years time!

You could always use the California Parking Heater to de-ice and warm up the vehicle .

 

[Nand0]

Yep, that's the Tesla experience. Just a different way of driving and planning. And they probably used the Tesla app to switch on the car's heating so that they were greeted by a warm car after skiing. After our Tesla I find it so strange to be blasted by cold air in the Cali, waiting for the lump to warm up. Also, I remember driving back down a mountain here in Switzerland and at the bottom having 15 kM more range because of regeneration instead of hot brakes!
We will also have an electric Cali in 4-5 years time!

It's probably not so great if you want to venture into the depths o southern Italy, or Slovenia, at least today.

Personally, due to an idiot rear ending me a couple of weeks ago, I'm in the right spot to buy a new vehicle. Was trying to figure out how to make financing a California work, until the Strassenverkehrsamt threw a bucket of cold water over my head with outrageously high taxes. Guess I'll sit tight for another 5yrs, because even a "500km claimed battery range" would be fine by me (yes, I'm aware that 500km is probably 300km in real life, winter, cold, and all that). Just wish it was available now.

 

[R_Sargeant_CH]

You could always use the California Parking Heater to de-ice and warm up the vehicle .

True - what's the range of the heater remote?

 

[GrannyJen]

True - what's the range of the heater remote?

Use the programme to switch it on about an hour before you expect to return, it's so frugal with diesel even if it's running for two hours before you return the consumption would not be noticeable.

 

[WelshGas]

True - what's the range of the heater remote?

On mine line of sight. I've done it from well over a mile.

 

[WelshGas]

One big problem with an Electric California.
It will be so quiet there will be no engine noise to drown out the rattles from the cupboards, and if you try to drown them out by turning up the In Car Entertainment System volume, you’ll run down the battery quicker.

 

[Nand0]

One big problem with an Electric California.
It will be so quiet there will be no engine noise to drown out the rattles from the cupboards, and if you try to drown them out by turning up the In Car Entertainment System volume, you’ll run down the battery quicker.

ah, but with no engine induced vibrations, rattles will be reduced. You can lower the volume of the stereo to the point where a couple of AA batteries would cover you for a couple of days

 

[Wildcamper]

ah, but with no engine induced vibrations, rattles will be reduced. You can lower the volume of the stereo to the point where a couple of AA batteries would cover you for a couple of days

I wonder if VW will ever produce this. There is growing concern that e vehicles will never deliver the claimed global benefits.

 

[Nand0]

I wonder if VW will ever produce this. There is growing concern that e vehicles will never deliver the claimed global benefits.

VWs goal is not to provide "global benefits". Their goal is to make money, and when there's demand in EVs, and there's money to be made, they will produce them. Rightly or wrongly.

 

[Wildcamper]

VWs goal is not to provide "global benefits". Their goal is to make money, and when there's demand in EVs, and there's money to be made, they will produce them. Rightly or wrongly.

Very true. If the market goes away or becomes very limited then VW will certainly reconsider.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I wonder if VW will ever produce this. There is growing concern that e vehicles will never deliver the claimed global benefits.

Doubt it, VW seem to struggle with their own ‘We Connect App’! They have a long way to go.

 

[B J G]

I wonder if this will bring an end to my cheap night time electricity as the demand for overnight charging increases? The power suppliers won’t need to encourage night time use.

All of the EV Power for charging doesn't seem to take into account the switch to Heat Pumps in the same time scale requiring even more electricity generation.
Will there be such a thing as 'off peak'?

 

[Ch1pbutty]

All of the EV Power for charging doesn't seem to take into account the switch to Heat Pumps in the same time scale requiring even more electricity generation.
Will there be such a thing as 'off peak'?

The in-laws are moving down this way so have been looking at houses…None of the new builds (built, being built or just approved) in our area have any provision for Heat Pumps or Solar panels. They all have Gas boilers + electric car chargers as standard.

 

[B J G]

The in-laws are moving down this way so have been looking at houses…None of the new builds (built, being built or just approved) in our area have any provision for Heat Pumps or Solar panels. They all have Gas boilers + electric car chargers as standard.

Heat pumps instead of Gas/Oil heating is on the GOV list.
If not on a new build I'd worry (future cost) as it looks like a must be done item this decade.

 

[WelshGas]

Heat pumps instead of Gas/Oil heating is on the GOV list.
If not on a new build I'd worry (future cost) as it looks like a must be done item this decade.

In order for Heat Pumps to work well in heating a building you also need super efficient insulation of walls and windows to keep the heat in. The last thing you want is good ventilation as is often quoted with dealing with the Covid 19 Pandemic. So besides a heat pump extracting heat from the outside air/ground you also need a heat exchanger to extract heat from vented air to heat up outside air to provide adequate ventilation within your hermetically sealed home of the future.
It just has not been thought through.