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EU to relent on combustion engines ban after auto industry pressure (www.reuters.com)
submitted 8 months ago* by to c/europe@feddit.org
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The EU executive appears to have yielded to the call from carmakers to be allowed to keep selling plug-in hybrids and range extenders with CO2-neutral biofuel or synthetic fuel

the electric vehicle industry says this will undermine investment and result in the EU yielding even more ground to China in the shift to EVs

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[โ€“] -4 points 8 months ago (1 child)

I agree but at the minute a diesel engine is by far the better option for me personally

My car is 14 years old and has nearly 200,000 miles on it. I can't afford a newer car. I spend a couple of hundred a year to keep it going and have done for years

My brother had an EV from 2020 and recently sold it due to running costs. They're heavier and chew through tyres more quickly. Then his started showing faults and was getting repairs that were pretty expensive. He got at least one replacement module and it cost him thousands. Other things like rods and suspension were getting replaced when be decided to sell it. Hes been a mechanic for 35 years and couldn't believe the things that were already going wrong with a young car with relatively low miles

Again I agree with you on them taking over and they are better in a lot of ways but for now it wouldn't make any sense for me and these are just some of the reasons

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  • [โ€“] 7 points 8 months ago* (1 child)

    You not needing a new car is pointless because we are only talking about new cars. Already before this change you could have continued driving your old car or still buy used diesel cars.

    The point about your brothers car sounds like a vehicle or vehicle model specific construction problem (brand?) and not due to it being an EV. It is a fact that EVs have much less mobile parts and therefore much less wear and tear. So except for the mentioned tyre tear due to increased weight (there are also heavy ICE vehicles) running costs should be lower.

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  • [โ€“] 1 point 8 months ago (1 child)

    I can't really speak for other brands but his was a VW, not some unknown make. And he was replacing suspension items (not exactly sure what bits) but he was shocked at having to replace them parts with a new and low mileage car. If you look on EV forums its not uncommon

    If his car makes it to nearly what my car is, who knows how many more tyres and suspension parts he'd replace in that time. And he'd probably need new batteries or if not, they'd be down in performance for sure

    Theres so many more factors too. Like taking my young kids on camping trips and waiting 30 mins on an expensive fast charger if there is one and assuming no one else is using it at the time. Finding chargers in rural locations would be another thing I'd have to plan, my country isn't massively equipped, although it does have some infrastructure, especially around the bigger towns. They cost more to buy new and second hand. Battery lifespan is a bit of an unknown for old EVs as none of them are that old yet but the replacement could cost more than a good second hand car. His insurance was much higher on his EV too

    That said, I still do think its the future, its just my circumstances and my location right now means that it makes more sense for me to use a combustion engine. One of the things I look for most in a car is the bootspace for the camping trips and one big advantage an EV has for me is the space they have

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  • [โ€“] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

    EV are great for camping. You literally have a huge battery with you to power or charge your stuff.

    Concerning the charging stops my experience is that they are no problem at all. After 2-3 hours driving you should rest anyways and especially with (small) kids you have to. And even without eating anything the charge often is completed before everyone is ready to go again.

    The point about the missing infrastructure is actually an argument pro a determined combustion ban to encourage improvement there.

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