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ID Buzz

soulstyledevon said:
Snap.
Deposit down on day 1, order cancelled after Volkswagen wouldn’t give me a build slot.
Drove the demo Buzz. It was really nice and comfortable, plush ride and felt solid.
The price was the real killer. It was too expensive for what it was.
So instead bought a used 335d touring. Half the cost, twice as fast and plenty of space for the family duties.

Still fancy a Buzz. Maybe next year once the cheap used ones it the market .
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If some of the lease deals mentioned in this thread are available, I’ll lease one.
 
pjm-84 said:
We have a X545e.....great car. About 90% of the 15500miles so far is on EV, but the engine is a gem. Even on a flat battery mid 30s is possible on a run.
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These are my long term values (attached).

I live in a rural area. Charge at home every day. My daily commute is about 25 miles, so weather dependent, mostly on BEV.

My business is located about 120 mile round trip away. But on 3.7kW charge rate and set to 10A max (to not trip a 13A circuit), it only charges to ca 10 miles while there.

The rest of my driving is 75% local the remaining 25% is longer distance holiday trips etc.

I think PHEV is a brilliant (and cheaper), alternative to BEV, if the majority of your driving is ca 30 miles between charges.

The use case/cost effectiveness vs diesel falls away a bit for longer commutes.

Regarding the 2L turbo ICE engine. It’s ok. Not wildly engaging without EV boost. But I like a spirited drive. I think I prefer the old diesel lump in my 2009 RAV4 beater.

But I’m an old fashioned BMW guy, I still think it should have a straight 6.

IMG_0874.jpeg

IMG_0876.jpeg
 
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Amarillo said:
UK electricity demand peaked in 2005 at over 400 terrawatt-hours. Demand in 2022 was around 325 terrawatt-hours, so there’s plenty of spare capacity in city grids to cope with a new peak.

There are some problems connecting the new offshore power generators connected with sufficient capacity to feed into the grid, but that’s a relatively quick and easy fix.

As you suggested in an earlier post, EVs are best suited as city cars, yet my brother in rural Somerset has recently bought a Renault Zoe and finds it perfect for getting around locally, and can even get to SE London on a single charge, or stop off at Fleet Services for a recharge and a coffee if suffering range anxiety. Change can happen quite quickly. Just look at how wind, solar and hydro make up a greater proportion of the UK’s power generation than coal and oil.

As for HGV’s, if Britain’s 7,200 miles of trunk roads (inclusive of motorways) had one lane of overhead power lines for a pantograph, HGVs could be powered and recharge sufficient battery to get to/from their destination on normal roads.

Self driving cars may in the future reduce people’s need for private car ownership. Already 46% of London households have no car, I can see that proportion may increase if people can quickly and easily summon a car from a charging point by app.
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Well if you're right then the future could be mainly electric. However, I'm not buying that. Even if the UK were able to generate enough electrical power to meet future demand, is that a good place for our Nation to be? Being so reliant on one type of energy would leave us in a vulnerable position.

The HGV overhead power source is an interesting idea which I know has been trialed elsewhere. However, implementation accross our motorway network would require emense investment and would create a myriad of problems including the development of a complete new type of HGV. Hardly likely in the current economic climate.

Whilst the tech already exists, I feel that the wide spread implementation of fully autonomous cars isn't likely anytime soon either. There are just too many issues preventing that. If one good pot hole can disengage your cruise control then how would one of these FA cars respond?

I suspect that the principal reason that 46% of London households don't own a car (if true), might be that they don't need to because London is served by a very comprehensive public transport system. If you were to step outside the capital you would discover a very different story. Summoning a FA car from a nearby charging station may be viable in an urban environment but is unlikely to be practical elsewhere.

The reason that I am sceptical about the UK being able to meet future energy demands is because I don't believe that anyone has looked at the bigger picture. We are told that vehicles of the future must be mainly EVs and any alternatives are being discouraged. That will mean most new and existing households will need charging facilities. Gas boilers are to be phased out in favour of electric heating. Heat pumps are to become the norm. Public transport will be mainly by EV. They are building houses everywhere in unprecedented numbers all of which will be electricity hungry and the list goes on and on. Has anyone really looked into future electricity generating demand taking all these factors into account? I doubt it.

Another example of the lack of planning are the consequences of mass house building. In the South East they are throwing up houses everywhere. This is the same region were the water company has been heavily fined for repeatedly dumping raw sewage into the sea at peak times. My Gas Engineer came to service our boiler recently and he told me that in the new development attached to a nearby village the gas pressure is so low as to be dangerous. He has been turning boilers off only for the owner to contact the gas undertaker to have it turned back on. They are planning to build a further 6000 homes nearby! Water is another issue. It comes from underground aquifers in the South East. We have regular hose pipe bans in the summer months to conserve supplies. Someone at the water company must have woken up as we are starting to get leaflets about how to save water. The whole point of this ramble is that decisions are being made clearly without any reference to the bigger picture and that is why I am not confident that anyone has a clue about our future energy requirements or whether we can meet them.
 
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As someone who is involved with developments the opposite is true.
 
Borris said:
Another example of the lack of planning are the consequences of mass house building. In the South East they are throwing up houses everywhere. This is the same region were the water company has been heavily fined for repeatedly dumping raw sewage into the sea at peak times…Water is another issue. It comes from underground aquifers in the South East. We have regular hose pipe bans in the summer months to conserve supplies. Someone at the water company must have woken up as we are starting to get leaflets about how to save water. The whole point of this ramble is that decisions are being made clearly without any reference to the bigger picture and that is why I am not confident that anyone has a clue about our future energy requirements or whether we can meet them.
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The water company is owned by an overseas investment company. It's cheaper to pay the fine(s), than fix the fault and upset the investors.

weownit.org.uk

Who Owns Our Water

Who owns our water? Find out here @We_OwnIt
weownit.org.uk weownit.org.uk
 
Ch1pbutty said:
The water company is now most probably owned by a Chinese investment company. It's cheaper to pay the fine(s), than fix the fault and upset the investors.
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Quite possibly.

We are straying way off topic here but my point was simply this, how can they continue to build new homes on every square inch of available land when they haven't sorted out the infrastructure to cope with existing levels of sewage?
 
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subthree said:
The 90s were just better! The 2023 model will look great, in Dubai.
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Exactly. And that's a reflection of the markets European cars are really designed for these days. Not us UKPeons.

They have followed the money (and the power), east. Where bigger grill = bigger wallet.
 
Borris said:
Quite possibly.

We are straying way off topic here but my point was simply this, how can they continue to build new homes on every square inch of available land when they haven't sorted out the infrastructure to cope with existing levels of sewage?
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Because it creates employment, even though interest rates mean many will struggle to buy! The promise of affordable housing gets past alot of plannjng hurdles, even though the provision is adjusted part way through the build as the developer has not generated enough income from private sales.

‘Expert’ reports will assure all that all will be ok, even though the site is on a flood plain. Any ancient woodland will have been cleared well before planning goes in…etc etc.

Difficult for planners to fight as the developer will just appeal, council then fight, developer appeals and takes it to a much higher level….more of tax payers money is wasted fighting a development that will eventually get passed.
 
Borris said:
Convince me.
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Lol....... you want me to share 38yrs of work experience..... and the nuances. I'll write a book when I retire!

Talked about power provision to a site yesterday that the Client hasn't got to grips with. Luckily the Client has retained this element of the works so I'm not interested. Again infrastructure upgrades and stuck in legals

Relocation of a LV switch on a development - cost £74k including upgrades. Doesn't include the new substation

Relocation of a foul sewer 900k

New HV upgrade by the DNO / new substation £318k

Gas contribution for new development although gas is now dying out. Computer said we need it. Computer now says we don't.

Most developments have booster tanks when the water pressure is not guaranteed . Common thing now

SUDs for drainage. Green field run off rates

Car chargers / renewables / BRUKL energy targets

CSIL / Section 106 etc Nearly had to pay 90k for a new road levy charge but it was pointed out by Planning Consultant that they couldn't charge for the works again when they had levied it on the neighbouring development. 40k for improved public transport. 120k for a community project. Green levy. 90 trees required on a new urban development that had no trees previously or pay £88k for them to be planted elsewhere (agreed at £8800)
 
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