So, not all articles on the Pig’s Arms are pish tosh. Here is an illuminating video on the near future of lithium batteries – solid state – twice the juice of conventional lithium ion batteries and maybe 1/10th the time to recharge.
So despite the legislative idiots in Victoria wanting to tax electronic vehicles (because owners don’t pay petrol tax) and this joke of an Australian government pfutzing around and attempting to stymie renewables, the real world charges on (excuse pun) and we are definitely heading towards low carbon renewable energy cars.
I wonder what happened to the closed Ford and Holden manufacturing plants ? Why not start pumping out high tech electric vehicles using lithium batteries made from abundant supplies of lithium in WA ?
Well, on the lithium side, we can mine the ore – but we can’t concentrate it or manufacture the metal. The WA mines go in and out of production because the Chinese stockpile lithium ore and concentrate and just stop buying. Nobody is going to invest billions to produce stuff they cannot sell.
If we had a predictable local demand and refining capability – to use our ridiculously abundant supply of solar energy we could a) reduce our reliance on the whims of Beijing, b) reduce our reliance on imported oil, and c) rebuild a manufacturing economy with thousands of good jobs – as opposed to reliance on fragile sectors like tourism and tertiary education … of the very foreign students whose government is clearly seeking world domination – including domination of Australians.
So roll on Tesla and Toyota and Samsung…. and Australian legislators – FFS pay attention …
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I suspect our next car will be a hybrid. Unless EV’s are the same price of other vehicles.
Looks like though the legislators in Victoria have shot themselves in the foot yet again.
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I hope my current car will last till I can replace it with an EV.
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Yo
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My next car will be electric if below $ 40.000. ( and if I am still around)
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Me too, Gez. I’m thinking about a second hand Nissan. Not the Leaf, the Van. I use our Subaru Forester to haul gardening crap etc. I saw a Nissan EV Van for sale with top line interior, and 60WH (pretty big) battery second hand for $46,000. It had an 85% capacity battery – they decline with use over time.
Second hand Nissan Leafs with smaller batteries can be got from about $25k – still not cheap, but heading in the right direction.
The only other thing is that no EV on the market at present can get to Emmlet 1’s farm (a 6 hr drive) without a rest stop. And the more affordable EVs would require 2 or three recharges. I suppose I could hire a petrol car for those car trips.
Did you hear that Norway is the first country to see EV sales outstrip fossil fuel burners for the first time this year ?
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Yes, I have looked at the Nissan Leaf but at the moment my Peugeot has still a lot of years ahead and I bet a EV Chinese car will be the next one on the block.
NRMA is supposed to arrange more charging stations too.
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Well, Peugeots run forever – which is good because getting parts and someone who knows how to fix the in French is no easy feat 🙂
The Emmlets’ late godfather had one of the old boxy Volvo station wagons that was still running at age 30. His mechanic pleaded with John to sell it because he was afraid that when it went it could be dangerous – and that he was embarrassing his kids 🙂
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Gough would already have had them made here.
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Hi Viv. I liked your comment but WordPress makes me login again – and then doesn’t add the like ! Consider your comment liked 🙂
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… or Bob or Paul … On the matter of great Labor PMs = all of the great PMs, my prediction is that the current President of the ACTU, Michele O’Neil will be the next one.
I watched and listened to her speak a few days ago at the National Press Club an IMHO she is as electable as Bob Hawke was … and I am so sorry to say (because I like the bloke and his deep Labor convictions) Anthony Albanese.
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Except Mark Latham – FFS and although Kevin 07 and Wayne successfully steered the county through the GFC – and set the template for Shit for Brains in the current pandemic, I could never warm to the little pedantic squirt. Mandarin or no Mandarin.
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That election was definitely a case of anybody except John Howard.
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Lithium Ion batteries will be produced here: https://renaissanceone.com.au/
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Producing Lithium ion batteries here is a good bit of progress, but apparently solid state Lithium batteries are a quantum leap above that.
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