Electric Vehicles
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We mentioned already the issue of sound for electric vehicles at low speeds - can cause issues for pedestrians, particularly vision impaired and guide animals.
So Europe instituted mandatory sound-emitting tech aka acoustic vehicle alert systems (AVAS) for EVs and some of the results are cool. The article linked has some of the sounds being created.
Japanese carmaker Nissan has created a non-obtrusive but high-pitched whistle for forwarding vehicles and a light beeping sound for reverse.
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European auto group Mercedes-AMG is taking the need for an instantly recognisable sound seriously, asking US rock band Linkin Park to create sounds for its upcoming EQC electric car.Taking it to another level, German carmaker BMW has employed an expert in acoustic design, Hollywood film composer Hans Zimmer, to create a suite of sounds designed to connect drivers with their cars.
While Zimmer is best known for composing scores for movies such as The Dark Knight, Inception, Interstellar, and Blade Runner 2049, he is now working on his latest masterpiece – the drive sounds and signals for BMW’s futuristic Vision I-Next.
A part of BMW’s “IconicSounds Electric”, the sample below is an example of BMW’s recognition of the connection that drivers have with their cars.
“We want to get BMW IconicSounds Electric in position for customers who value emotional sound. With BMW IconicSounds Electric they will be able to experience the joy of driving with all their senses,” said BMW senior VP Jens Thiemer in a statement.
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@Machpants years ago on TV here in Oz, there was a show called Beyond 2000. They went to Europe (UK?) to look at a bunch who were experimenting with sound wave suppression.
The concept: measure the sound in "real time", create an anti-wave, and have the two cancel each other out. Was designed to minimise cabin noise, and they started out with a basic car engine.
They'd also programmed in various other engine sounds, so the shitty little hatch back they were driving around in could sound like a Ferrari V12 to the occupants!
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@NTA nice one.
A lot of the nice middle class folk we hang out with plan to have an electric as their next car. Have spent the last while driving aroudn in a plug in hybrid Prius. It's interesting - while only a 50km range or so, being able to charge at home means that the round town driving is stupidly cheap to run. Electrics are nice to drive too, very quiet. Basically, I thought I'd hate it, and didn't
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@nzzp PHEV will be the perfect blend of low-cost with available long range for a lot of people as their next car for the reasons you state.
I live about 7km from work and drive around 10km each way because kids school pickup/drop-off and other tasks.
But I'll wait until something fully electric with a bit of off-road ability lands here, as camping trips are still on the agenda.
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@NTA said in Electric Vehicles:
@nzzp PHEV will be the perfect blend of low-cost with available long range for a lot of people as their next car for the reasons you state.
I live about 7km from work and drive around 10km each way because kids school pickup/drop-off and other tasks.
But I'll wait until something fully electric with a bit of off-road ability lands here, as camping trips are still on the agenda.
I'm pushing my work to consider a Tesla 3 with autopilot at the moment. We have people doing some long trips regularly, where there are no alternatives to driving. Autopilot could be a really useful way to reduce fatigue, and allow some more use of time during the trip (phonecalls, etc). From an H+S point of view, and staff fatigue perspective, it could well be a no-brainer (and super cool, too :D)
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@nzzp said in Electric Vehicles:
@NTA said in Electric Vehicles:
@nzzp PHEV will be the perfect blend of low-cost with available long range for a lot of people as their next car for the reasons you state.
I live about 7km from work and drive around 10km each way because kids school pickup/drop-off and other tasks.
But I'll wait until something fully electric with a bit of off-road ability lands here, as camping trips are still on the agenda.
I'm pushing my work to consider a Tesla 3 with autopilot at the moment. We have people doing some long trips regularly, where there are no alternatives to driving. Autopilot could be a really useful way to reduce fatigue, and allow some more use of time during the trip (phonecalls, etc). From an H+S point of view, and staff fatigue perspective, it could well be a no-brainer (and super cool, too :D)
It blows me away that we are in an age where you can have that conversation and not be laughed at. Very very cool
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@Hooroo said in Electric Vehicles:
It blows me away that we are in an age where you can have that conversation and not be laughed at. Very very cool
I know, right.
H+S may well drive some fo this tech mainstream -- the cost of not doing it for people who do a lot of miles will be substantial.
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@nzzp said in Electric Vehicles:
@NTA nice one.
A lot of the nice middle class folk we hang out with plan to have an electric as their next car. Have spent the last while driving aroudn in a plug in hybrid Prius. It's interesting - while only a 50km range or so, being able to charge at home means that the round town driving is stupidly cheap to run. Electrics are nice to drive too, very quiet. Basically, I thought I'd hate it, and didn't
We had a Toyota CHR for a few days in Okinawa and the wife fell in love with it. Of everything on the market, she wants that for some reason. I must admit to driving whenever possible on the battery - just put a smile on my face being quiet and "saving the planet".
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I have friends, a couple, who live rural and work in town, they moved from Petrol to Electic and their fuel costs have dropped from nearly $300 per week to around $40-$80 as they charge overnight and have one of those cheap overnight deals.
They’ve been waiting on a Tesla for a couple of years and are getting it soon I think. Which they’re happy about as their current cars (not sure which brand - all boxes and four wheels to me) have short ranges so they’ve had to keep a petrol car for long trips.
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If I needed a town car, this would be a front runner.
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@antipodean suits the high density living requirement IMHO. Some great styling as well - have been watching it since Fully Charged Show previewed it.
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@antipodean also: companies like GoGet will be giving these sorts of vehicles serious consideration
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I drove an Audi eTron (full electric) yesterday as my old man is buying one. O for awesome. I've driven Teslas but this thing was just a really nice place to be (in comparison). Comfy, smooth, not particularly quick acceleration (for an electric) but massive torque so it felt faster. It is also a Quattro and the build quality is what you would expect in a $160,000 car. We did a quick analysis of the cost and it effectively will return him 10% on that investment. He is selling solar back to the grid at 7c per kw, so completely ripped off by the power company. A power wall / storage would help but the car works to fix that.
Weighs almost twice what my RS4 does, but C of G is so low and centered it handles better than most combustion types.
Loved it. -
Sydney metro trial of full electric buses starts today, includes one of ours. Which will kill it.
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@mariner4life said in Electric Vehicles:
Sydney metro trial of full electric buses starts today, includes one of ours. Which will kill it.
I was reading that the operating costs for a full EV bus running on the South Coast is better than half that of comparable diesel busses.
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@antipodean said in Electric Vehicles:
@mariner4life said in Electric Vehicles:
Sydney metro trial of full electric buses starts today, includes one of ours. Which will kill it.
I was reading that the operating costs for a full EV bus running on the South Coast is better than half that of comparable diesel busses.
that's our bus. And it's 30% of the running cost of a diesel
Servicing and maintenance is a 50% saving