this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2023
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[–] [email protected] 124 points 1 year ago (3 children)

What the actual fuck⁈ “Batteries can catch on fire.” Sure, whatever could go wrong with a 1000l tank of FUCKING GASOLINE.

AAAaaaaHHhh I hate people!

[–] mriguy 55 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Going with the “batteries catch on fire argument” is stupid. “Batteries are heavy and expensive” is probably more compelling. But yeah, wires are better solution for things going in fixed routes.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

The ammount of water required to put out a normal car is infinitely less than the amount required to put out a battery fire.

Not to mention the extra weight, nor the retention loss per recharge meaning we need to change batteries every 2-4 years polluting a lot more, we ain't even talking about the energy loss when doing the conversion to electric and then again to mechanical.

The electric transport is the way to go in the future, but firts it needs to have a solid foundation, and nuclear is the way to go at least in this moment. Otherwise we are only making things worse.

Edit for those wondering about the battery degradation: https://www.geotab.com/blog/ev-battery-health/

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago (6 children)

we need to change batteries every 2-4 years

Wait, what‽ No. We don't need to change batteries every 2-4 years. That's what you do with TV remote controls and temperature sensors, not electric car batteries, LOL!

Electric car batteries are made to last at least 7 years (from a warranty standpoint) but in reality it's more like 10. Not only that but they're not single, gigantic objects. They're made of lots of "cells" so if one of them is going bad you can replace just that one bad cell.

Anecdote: The batteries in my Prius lasted 15 years before I had to replace one of the cells. Then a year later I had to replace another one. A year after that I sold it so I have no idea how the batteries are doing right now but I'm sure another cell would probably need to be replaced by now 19 years in service).

I'd also like to point out that the latest electric car batteries are vastly superior to the ones in my Prius.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Yeah, what I've heard is that water cooling the batteries (like almost every EV does now) massively extends the life. Early Prius batteries had no cooling and the heat degraded them faster. 15 years is a pretty good life still.

On the subject of battery warranty:

The federal government requires manufacturers to offer an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty on all EV batteries. California does one better, mandating a warranty of 10 years or 150,000 miles. Some companies will cover a battery only if it completely stops working, while others will replace the battery if it falls below a certain capacity, usually 70% of the original, while still under warranty.

It's important to note, a degraded battery, even with 50% of its original capacity is still useful. Someone who doesn't need the range could drive it, or the battery could be taken apart, and have the cells repurposed or recycled. Lithium and some of the other rare metals used in batteries are quite valuable for recycling, and our abilities to do so are getting better every year.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Electric car batteries are made to last at least 7 years (from a warranty standpoint) but in reality it’s more like 10. Not only that but they’re not single, gigantic objects. They’re made of lots of “cells” so if one of them is going bad you can replace just that one bad cell.

Sincere question, what happens with the second hand electric vehicle market? New electrics make a ton of sense, but in my mind the 'used car' market becomes essentially unobtainable for poor folk. If a 12 year old electric vehicle hits the market, eventually the second or third owner is going to have to replace the batteries and poor people can't afford the 5000 plus labor to get new cells for it.

This isn't a situation that affects me, at the moment, but there are millions of people around the globe who buy the $1000 car and drive it until it just doesn't go anymore. I don't see that being an option for electrics.

[–] dustojnikhummer 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Sincere question, what happens with the second hand electric vehicle market?

Doesn't and won't exist. And it might be a "conspiracy theory" but I do think it is totally intentional.

[–] dustojnikhummer 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sure, that replacement time isn't 4 but 15-20 years (well, except early Leafs that didn't have battery temperature management of any kind), but my 20 year old car's gas tank fits just as much gas as it did 20 years ago.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you think any ICE car is going to outlast an electric you're mistaken. EVs have a fraction of the moving parts of an ICE car and as a result are expected to last a lot longer. 30+ years for an electric car isn't out of the question. Especially the latest ones with their water cooled batteries.

The number of moving parts is just one (albeit a great big) factor as to why EVs are a lot more reliable and will last a lot longer than an ICE car. There's other elements as well such as the regenerative braking... You basically have an expiration date that tells you when to replace the brake pads instead of a number of miles (or thickness). Because the brake pads themselves will never wear enough from normal driving to warrant replacement. Instead you have to figure out the replacement time based on exposure to natural radiation (LOL) and seasonal hot/cold cycles.

The magnets in the motors lose about 5% of their strength every 100 years. So again, the thing you're accounting for when figuring out how long the motors will last is the exposure to natural radiation degrading the insulation of the wires (LOL).

[–] dustojnikhummer 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm aware an ICE car requires more maintenance. But, two things. My gas tank doesn't get smaller over time and good luck taking your Tesla or Chevy Bolt to an unauthorized repair shop and let them try to fix anything without access to OEM diagnostic tools. Yes, new ICE cars are also full of this bullshit, but hey, my 20 year old ICE car isn't!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Good luck finding or affording gas in 20 years!

You'll have to go down to the boat dock to fill up your ICE car because there won't be gas stations anywhere else.

[–] dustojnikhummer 1 points 1 year ago

No small thanks to the German government ;)

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Just remember that "good" solutions are still preferred over "bad" solutions, and there are never any "perfect" solutions. I see too many people think electric cars are terrible because of what they've been told, like the batteries. For me, it's like "Yeah, but they're still better than ICE vehicles". They'll get better, they're definitely not perfect, but they are just better

[–] vimdiesel 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

YOu can't really stop a lithium ion battery fire, all you can do is keep it from catching other things on fire around it, you pretty much just have to let it burn out.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (7 children)

and nuclear is the way to go at least in this moment.

Nuclear is about to go away, looking at the statitics.

[–] dustojnikhummer 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Nuclear is about to go away FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK German government

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Frankly, I don't mind as long as I can get enough electricity at any time of the day.

[–] dustojnikhummer 1 points 1 year ago (4 children)

So you don't mind paying 40 cents/kWh?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That would be if we had nuclear only.

[–] dustojnikhummer 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well, there is a push against nuclear and for renewables and prices are going up. Something something ccorrelation causation

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Might have something to do with Corona and most fossil gas coming from russia, don't you think?

[–] dustojnikhummer 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And shutting down clean and safe nuclear power, yes. Why do you think we were so reliant on Soviet natural gas?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Aside that nuclear power is neither safe nor clean. Who do you think is the main supplier of Uran? It is... Russia!

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah.... not really something I want to see happening.

Ideally solar + nuclear could be the solution we need.

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[–] Batpool23 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yup batteries are not the way. By the time the batteries need to be replaced you might have helped slightly but probably not. Batteries is a illusion to going green right now. Just another product that has a demand and an easy market for it.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I think we're all aware of the costs associated with recycling batteries.

Are you aware of the costs associated with high CO2 levels?

Have to choose the lesser of two evils.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What would be a better alternative if you exclude the use of fossil fuels?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

fixed overhead wires, as OP suggested?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You’re aware that diesel is quite hard to catch on fire

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's why he said gasoline tho

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago

But that’s not relevant for busses

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No it's not. It's harder to catch fire than gasoline.

It still catches fire easily.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can toss a lit match into a puddle of diesel and the match will go out. Diesel burns, but since it doesn't evaporate as fast as gasoline, you don't have those flammable gases hanging in the air. A trail of diesel that's being burned at one end will not spread, unlike gasoline.

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[–] dustojnikhummer 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Gasoline and diesel can be extinguished relatively easily. Extinguishing an EV means throwing it into a tub of water for a day or two

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Gasoline vehicles also don't tend to catch fire spontaneously while parked. That risk exists with every unattended lithium-ion battery undergoing recharging. People technically shouldn't be plugging their phones in at night and then going to sleep, but everyone does it anyway.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Doesn't matter much for phones, but when talking EV charging... Night electricity tends to be cheaper when it's not solar energy season. So people are definitely going to charge at night unattended.

[–] dustojnikhummer 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can't wait for miles of 240V extension cords when EU makes even used non EVs illegal. Yes, millions of city dwellers in apartments totally have a garage to charge in.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (9 children)

There will be solutions by 2050 (the proposed timeframe for having a zero-emissions fleet). For an example, vehicles with combustion engines can still be newly registered after 2035 if they use only CO2-neutral fuels. I think EU would rather ban sale of fossil fuels than ban used cars that can technically burn fossil fuels. If only plant-based fuels are available, it doesn't matter what the cars can technically burn.

The German big 3 are already developing cars that would only run on non-fossil fuels I believe.

Secondly, chargers near apartment buildings and on sidewalks can be added. We have plenty of time.

And I'm sure Germany will water down the regulations even more so in the end, I'm fairly sure they'll consider new MHEVs fine after 2035.

And finally, those who can't charge at home will do so at the charging stations. It's not a huge issue if you have a battery with 500+ km of range. Might be an issue for i-miev and first gen Leaf owners though.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Please don't put lithium in water; that will make it worse.

[–] dustojnikhummer 2 points 1 year ago

Tell that to firefighters.