The MM-Eye EV Challenge: The Dream vs. Reality
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
1 like•129 views
Alison Phillips, MM-eye Sherine Arafa, MM-eye
Recommended
More Related Content
Viewers also liked
Viewers also liked (6)
More from MRS
More from MRS (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
The MM-Eye EV Challenge: The Dream vs. Reality
- 16. Please click on the link below to download our video http://tinyurl.com/gtlotl7
Editor's Notes
- We have talked to EV considerers We have talked to EV owners We have heard how it was for them But that was is not enough! We want to be them, see what they see, feel what they feel!
- I want to buy an EV This is not some stunt for research purposes, I really, really want one What better opportunity to explore the purchase journey of an EV owner!
- I’m a market researcher, I research cars, I’ve spoken to EV owners, they all love their cars and explain in great detail why they love them…I want to be part of this revolution, not an also-ran. And my personal circumstances fit the bill. We need an economical commuting car that can do a 70mile round trip. There are charge points at the office (sadly my husband’s not mine) and my husband’s company is about to start a salary sacrifice company car scheme (i.e. he can get a good benefit in kind tax rate for a zero emission car) We live in a house with a drive so can get a charge point fixed up on the wall. We also have a second car (Freelander) that can do the real work (i.e. trips to Yorkshire and Scotland to visit the relatives)
- So the trigger… word of mouth recommendation from complete strangers The reinforcer… a need for an economical car (assisted by a husband who likes gadgets so is open to the option)
- I did some research of course!! Firstly I wanted some reassurance of the longevity of this powertrain solution. Talking to enthusiasts is all very well but they do tend to be blinkered to the down sides. I want to know if Evs are really here to stay or, like in times gone by, they are about to fall off a cliff. So I looked back at some recent developments to see how things had changed and were continuing to change. Who was getting on this band wagon and who wasn’t, what was the likelihood of me buying something that would become obsolete in a year or two? Quite an interesting story in itself …..
- 2000 – worldwide release of Toyota Prius Hybrid (using Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries) 2000 – Ovonics NiMH battery patent purchased by Chevron and no longer available for use by OEMs 2001 - Chevron funded a lawsuit which won $30 million from Toyota and stopped production of RAV4-EV (they were using the above batteries) 2003 – GMs EV1 program officially cancelled (all cars had been ‘killed’ by 2002) 2006 – Small Silicon Valley startup, Tesla Motors, announces it will start producing luxury electric sports cars with a 200 mile range
- 2010 – Tesla receive a $465m loan from the US Dept of Energy 2010 – Nissan Leaf (BEV) and Chevy Volt (PHEV) launched in USA 2012 – Tesla Model S retails in USA (2013 Mainland Europe, 2014 China & RHD markets) 2013 – BMWi3 production starts 2014/15 – Finally more choice! Mitsubishi, VW, Volvo, Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, Ford, GM + others 2014/15 – China enter the game, increasing incentives and targets for local production from the likes of BYD (Build Your Dreams!)
- 2016 – Tesla Model X finally available (2 years later than planned) 2017 (end) – Tesla Model 3 retail deliveries to start (400,000 pre-ordered) 2018 (two years ahead of initially planned) – Tesla target sales of 500,000 EVs And last week VW announced they will have 30 new Evs out by 2025
- Looking through all the online research options, Autocar, Manufacturer websites, Next Green Car, Fleet Car tax calculations…… The first thing that occurs is you realise you are making a step into the unknown Familiar territories of well-known brand, bodystyle, design, fuel consumption, resale value etc. disappear
- You have to open your mind and prepare for change But head up, shoulders back and in the wise words of Dr Seuss: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.”
- Range: Need at least 70mls (to cover round trip commute). Don’t want a PHEV – this is an all electric conversion. So I’m looking at BMW vs. Nissan vs. VW vs. Tesla Brand: None I would usually choose offer what I need. I’m going to have to discard VW. I’ve never wanted one and recent events make me even less inclined. Cost: Tesla is out (at least for the next 2-3 yrs) Design: BMW & Nissan – not my type of style, OK ugly! Bodystyle: I like driving an SUV! Having discarded all on my short list, time to revisit the shortlist. Reality: BMW and Nissan live to fight it out. Dream: Tesla Model S or X So off to test drive the i3 and the Leaf (oh and maybe the Tesla S)
- In conversation with current EV owners many tell me that it is the test drive that convinces, beyond doubt, that this is the car they want. So I was looking forward to this bit. First up: BMW. Lots of i3s around, mostly plugged into charges on the forecourt. Special ‘I’ area with an i3 and i8 on display. My 6 yr old quickly confirms my dislike of the i3 style and opts for the i8 as the one we should buy! Salesman is friendly, helpful and the right level of interaction. Goes so far as to tell us we might want to wait a couple of months before ordering as the 2017 model will have much better range. And not many people really need the REX so we may not need to pay for that. But as per the WoM advice it is the test drive that does it for me. The car is ugly, the back seat small, dark, basic and the windows in the back don’t go down (i.e. not a family car), but get behind the wheel and you can’t help but smile and smile and smile! I still smile thinking about it. It’s fun! So this has gone from zero to hero very quickly (and my husband, who is really going to be using this car, agrees) Nissan Leaf’s turn: Still don’t like the look, but here my daughter disagrees (may have something to do with the pale blue colour). It is bigger than the i3, more spacious, more comfortable, i.e. a better family car We drive an older model that is not Tekna spec and I am sure this is part of the reason I can’t like it as much as the i3. It feels and looks less exciting, I do not have a smile on my face when I drive it (the foot brake is odd and a bit old fashioned). Strike Nissan.I And finally Tesla Model S. I won’t bore you with the details, suffice to say you get what you pay for! 6 yr old a particular fan of Ludicrous mode and the star wars hyperdrive visuals that appear on the screen.
- I’ll share the final outcome of all this in a moment, but first Sherine will share her first hand EV user experiences…..
- I’ve been looking to replace my current car for a few months now Every time I think about which car to buy, what makes sense for my needs and lifestyle and the types of journeys that I typically make, an EV seems like the natural choice! Also, it still feels like something new, exciting and unique…all in all, cool to own! 90% of the time it’s just me, or me plus one passenger in the car. The majority of my journeys are short – no more than 15 miles, and I drive in central London A LOT! I’m never without my car in the weekends, and will sometimes even drive to the office on a weekday (in Covent Garden), just so that I can have it with me in the evening. I really really want and EV and it makes such perfect sense for me to own one. But there’s one problem….I live in a flat, so can’t charge my car at home! This is the only barrier I have to owning an EV. So what should I do to realise my EV dream? Rather than take the plunge and buy one and just “see what happens” (tempting!), I decided to trial the experience of living with an EV for one week, and see if it was possible to own one without having access to a charging point at home or a dedicated one at the office!
- Video here
- No guesses as to what the outcome is! The reality is that a lot more needs to happen in terms of infrastructure for someone like me to actually realize their EV dream. Abundance and availability of charging points is the main barrier; there simply aren’t enough! Reliability of infrastructure needs to improve, there were so many charge points that were out of service. Streamlining of infrastructure also needs to improve in terms of charging stations and charge card providers. As you saw in the video, my Source London card didn’t work at every charge point, when it should have EVs are cars for the city, and with so many urbanites not having access to home charging, this immediately eliminates the possibility of owning an EV. Taking the example of London; it’s such a big city, that even if my car was charged at home overnight, I may still have needed to charge it during the day Until infrastructure catches up with my needs, I think I will have to put my EV dream on hold for a while... Streamlining of the infrastructure Abundance Reliability
- …and it’s probably going to be another Ford Fiesta (or something similar) for me!
- The Tesla Model 3 is on order so in 2-3 years it will be on my drive (despite all you doomsayers who predict the demise of Tesla, I am a fan). I’d like to buy one now, but after much discussion, and despite our enjoyment of the i3, combinations of cost and practicality and the inability of any current Evs to fit my needs, have taken us down an unexpected road.
- We plan to become a one car household replacing our Focus and Freelander with the new Discovery Sport! I would buy a Model S tomorrow if I could afford it (and I continue to work on my business case). But I can’t so beyond the wonderful test drive experience I will have to wait. And what about others like us, the wanabee EV owners? There are many, I have no doubt, and it is the slow pace of change from all sides that thwarts this movement. Lack of and failing infrastructure (ie. Public charging network), lack of investment from governments and manufacturers, the desire to hang on to well known business models and profits, the obstacles put in place by those with interests elsewhere….. The list goes on. Recently I attended a session on Evs where the question was ‘how do we create a customer imperative for Evs?’ At the time I felt it was a valid question. Now, though, I believe there is no need to create a customer imperative. It exists. Why wouldn’t it? The need is to up the game on the supply side, make it possible to buy and own without feeling like you have had to climb Everest to get there.
- So some final words to those out there who can help implement this change…..