Robert Llewellyn answers your EV questions
This blog is based on notes taken at the event by NailsworthCAN. We have endeavoured to accurately reflect what Robert Llewellyn said. This session was part of NailsworthCAN contribution to the Nailsworth Transport Festival 2023, which included owner EVs, eBike stall, information on solar and heat pumps, and much more. For more on our theme of electrification, please go to our page The Future Is Electric.
Actor and comedian Robert Llewellyn (Kryten from “Red Dwarf” and presenter of “Scrapheap Challenge”) showed himself to be very knowledgeable about electric cars and clean energy, having founded the No. 1 YouTube channel on these topics, “Fully Charged” some 13 years ago. An amusing 1 hour Q&A from Robert, organised by NailsworthCAN during the Nailsworth Transport Festival on Sunday 25 June, provided an array of responses to varied questions about electric vehicles.
Robert made clear that we need to move away from our dependence on cars, saying that private cars are a last resort method of transport – after walking, cycling, bus, train, taxi-sharing and car sharing.
Matt Partridge (Treasurer for NailsworthCAN) greets Robert Llewellyn (founder of Fully Charged Show) to a Q&A at Egypt Mill, Nailsworth on 25th June 2023. Photo credit: Bill Roberts
Responses to criticisms of electric vehicles (EVs)
‘Range anxiety’ is a phrase invented some years ago by executives of General Motors as an apparently deliberate attempt to put off potential buyers of EVs (ironically, GM has since invested heavily in its range of EVs). As Robert indicated, after a single journey, most EV drivers quickly forget about the ‘range anxiety’ they were supposed to be feeling and quickly adapt to the range provided by their cars, which is commonly in excess of 200 miles (roughly three hours at 70mph), while enjoying the benefits of low-cost, clean and quiet vehicles.
Many criticisms of electric cars come into the category of ‘policy perfectionism’ – they are criticised for having any shortcomings at all, which distracts from the hugely bigger shortcomings of petrol/diesel cars. It’s easy to find criticism in something new and fail to criticise the status quo of bad air and massive emissions that we simply accept as a by-product of fossil-fuel road transportation.
Oil production and transportation come with a huge carbon footprint. In addition to the emissions from burning oil, 40% of global carbon emissions associated with shipping come from oil tankers that move oil around the world in vessels that sit some 30m deep in the water.
Lithium Ion batteries, including those used in cars, are difficult to put out if they catch fire. However, this is extremely rare with only about 3 electric car fires in Europe per year. 1,000 of petrol and diesel cars catch fire every year in Europe.
Batteries of electric cars do not wear out quickly. A Tesla car in the US has done a million miles using only the original battery – everything else has been replaced! Nearly all EVs in the UK have an 8 year battery warranty.
On battery recycling, Robert asked the comparable question, when did a litre of diesel ever get recycled? However, EV batteries are routinely reused or recycled now. Reuse – old EV batteries are often re-used in static batteries, eg the battery storage project built alongside a large wind farm in south Wales is built entirely of old BMW EV batteries. Recycling – nearly all EV batteries are recycled already as they contain valuable materials that can be used in new batteries and other electronic items. New EV batteries are 98% recyclable.
Robert acknowledged that all mining operations - whether for fossil fuel extraction or materials needed for battery production – should be undertaken to ensure environmental impacts, working practices and safety are given due regard. Whilst batteries do require cobalt (although some new EV batteries do not include cobalt), so does the oil industry with cobalt used in the oil refining process.
60% of global lithium comes from Australia, not from places like Bolivia and Chile where its extraction can cause great environmental degradation due to poor management and regulation.
Battery innovation
Battery efficiency has increased almost 7-fold since the Nissan Leaf was introduced as the first mass-sales EV in 2010. In 2010, 1kg of battery weight would yield 112Wh of power, now the figure is over 700Wh (1,000Wh = 1kWh = 1 “unit” of electricity).
1kWh of electricity in a typical EV battery provides a range of 3-4 miles. 1kWh of petrol provides a range of only about 600 metres. The energy efficiency of EV and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles is compared here: https://www.sustainabilitybynumbers.com/p/inefficiency-ice
The future and European examples
Electric cars are now at a stage where mass adoption is rapidly approaching – large numbers of second-hand cars are coming on to the market while manufacturers are producing more and better models, including lower cost, smaller cars. For instance, Volkswagen is planning to release a small EV with a cost of £17,000. Robert feels heat pumps are now where EVs were 10 years ago.
Robert sees private finance as the main source of investment to get the charging network that we need, backed up by government legislation to enable the changes needed to the electricity grid and to regulate the performance (reliability, price, convenience, safety) of public charging facilities. Tesla manage to keep their network running, whereas other charging points are frequently out of action.
In Oslo 90% of vehicles are now electric, and instead of exhaust fumes you can smell the sea air (and cigarette smoke at 500 metres)!
In France any car park with more than 80 spaces has to have a solar canopy above the car park.
Cost
By 2025, most commentators expect EVs will be the same price as ICE cars and then cheaper as time goes on (comparing cars of similar size, specification, performance etc).
Before long it will be common to charge up your car battery on cheap electricity (overnight or when it’s very sunny/windy), then use the car to power your house. This is called ‘vehicle to x’ – vehicle to anything (electrical). Most vehicles will require a software and/or hardware update to allow this.
In Utrecht there is a network of communal electric cars, which charge up when electricity is very cheap, and sell electricity back to the grid when prices are high, providing funding for the cars.
More information can be found here: https://fullycharged.show/ and https://about.bnef.com/electric-vehicle-outlook/