Do you have any experience with electric cars?

@JudyEv (382358)
Rockingham, Australia
November 11, 2015 1:28am CST
In June, a new innovation was introduced into Western Australia (WA) in the form of an Electric Highway. Our small town is one of twelve now fitted with facilities for recharging electric cars. This initiative of the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) has resulted in vehicle charging stations being strategically placed at various sites between the capital, Perth, and Augusta on the south coast. These stations will recharge a battery to 80% in less than half an hour, allowing those with electric cars to recharge while they have a coffee. We saw many of these charging stations on our travels. Now WA will be the first Australian state to implement such a scheme. Do you have an electric car? If so, do you ever have any issues in recharging the battery? It will be interesting to see if the sale of electric cars increases.
16 people like this
16 responses
Bluedoll
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
11 Nov 15
I've not had any experience with an electric cars other than seeing one plugged in. It seems like a good idea though. I do wonder if batteries will be replaced by owners or manufacture?
3 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
I'm not sure about the batteries. I don't even know how long they last.
1 person likes this
Bluedoll
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
11 Nov 15
@JudyEv It is going to be the next wave of the future so it looks you guys are ahead of the game. They should make more and bring the price down. Yes I can see if you need a plug instead of gas pumps then that needs to be in place.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
@Bluedoll Australia does quite well at keeping up with the rest of the world - and West Aust even more so. The electric highway takes in all the most important tourist towns so it has been well thought out.
1 person likes this
ElizabethWallace
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
11 Nov 15
My sister has a hybrid. It runs on electricity, but has a gas engine for emergencies. They charge it at home. When the car brakes, the energy is transferred to the battery. It can go a very long way without recharging or using gas.
3 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
Until recharging ceases to be a problem, hybrids would be the sensible way to go. And some people never go on long trips so recharging isn't a problem for them.
veganbliss
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
22 Dec 15
So, who funds this network? The WA Government or the RAC? Can you buy ready made fully electric cars in WA? I know you have conversion shops there. I hope it can stay free of charge for all motorists for all time!
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veganbliss
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
22 Dec 15
@JudyEv But for the time being, they're free? I'd prefer the upkeep be maintained by the electricity company from the exorbitant fees they charge. So, which cars do you have in mind? Holden Volt isn't full electric & the Nissan Leaf is a very poor performer... the Prius? I hope we can develop a network so when I get a caravan, I can travel all over the country & not have to pay for fuel!
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Dec 15
As far as I'm aware, you can buy electric cars. And I think it is the government funding the network. I obviously don't pay enough attention do I? Once there are a lot of electric cars they will come up with a charge otherwise they'd be losing too much revenue.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Dec 15
@veganbliss I think it is free to charge up your batteries at these places. We won't be getting one but hopefully it's a start to more economical and environmentally better vehicles. It would be great not having to pay for fuel.
1 person likes this
Judy Story
@jstory07 (148764)
• Roseburg, Oregon
12 Nov 15
The electric car is not popular yet in the states yet.
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Judy Story
@jstory07 (148764)
• Roseburg, Oregon
12 Nov 15
@JudyEv They are. I read where they want to make streets that recharge the cars while they are on the street. That would be to expensive to do.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
@jstory07 We saw some of these places on the continent. Paris is the one I remember best.
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
You have some long distances to travel at times too. I think the electric cars are better suited to shorter journeys.
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wiLLmaH
@wiLLmaH (8801)
• Singapore, Singapore
12 Nov 15
Never been experience that! I only encountered the hybrid cars. :)
1 person likes this
wiLLmaH
@wiLLmaH (8801)
• Singapore, Singapore
12 Nov 15
@JudyEv I am hoping it will be. This will be good for our air.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
@wiLLmaH Yes, as fossil fuels get harder to source and more expensive there might be more of us turning to electric cars.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
I guess there will be more and more of them on the roads as time goes by.
2 people like this
sofs
@sofssu (23660)
•
11 Nov 15
I don't have, my friend drives around in one around the town. She uses it on short trips around the town only.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
They are obviously suited to short journeys. The idea behind the electric highway is to encourage people to go further afield with their electric cars.
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sofs
@sofssu (23660)
•
12 Nov 15
@JudyEv We don't have any of those charging stations here yet.. But I guess its on the cards .
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
@sofssu It seems to be the way things are going.
scheng1
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
13 Nov 15
I have experienced electric vehicles when I was in Switzerland. I will not call them as "cars". Many towns are car-free, so only bicycles and electric vehicles are allowed. Another place to implement electric vehicles is Jiu Zhai Gou in China. All the buses that ply the national parks are electric buses.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Nov 15
I had no idea that China was using electric vehicles. In some ways, China is very progressive. In other ways, not so much.
41Combedale
@41CombedaleRoad (5966)
• Greece
11 Nov 15
I love the idea of an electric car, but I do not think they will be in common use for many years yet.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
I think in Australia, for those who rarely go outside the city, they might become quite popular. Many families here have two cars so having one electric might be attractive to them.
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Marlina
@marlina (154103)
• Canada
11 Nov 15
No, I have no experience with electric cars. It will be interesting to see if it takes off big.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
We saw a recharging place in Paris that had room for about 8 electric cars. I thought perhaps they were quite common.
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Anna
@LadyDuck (502686)
• Italy
11 Nov 15
We have recharging battery stations at every gas pump. We do not own electric cars, but here in Switzerland they are used by several public services, as an example the cars of the mailmen are electric cars.
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Anna
@LadyDuck (502686)
• Italy
11 Nov 15
@JudyEv Switzerland is a small country, we do not have big distances.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
I think they might take a while to become popular especially in Australia where the distances between recharging places is quite a distance.
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GreatMartin
@GreatMartin (23670)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
12 Nov 15
The recharging issue is causing problems in the USA but the more cars bought the easier it will get.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
And, although the predictions are that electric cars will be cheaper to run, etc, I bet the governments will come up with some way to keep getting the usual revenue off the motorist.
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DE
@DaddyEvil (174590)
• United States
12 Nov 15
I don't have any experience with electric cars at all. Of course, I have heard of them, but have never seen one.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
I've only seen hybrids too but there must be some fully electric around or they wouldn't be going to all this trouble.
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The Horse
@TheHorse (238349)
• Walnut Creek, California
11 Nov 15
One of my friends has a Prius, but it's a hybrid. I have no experience with charging stations.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
The biggest one we saw was in the middle of Paris where about eight stations were installed one behind the other on the street.
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Sherry
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
12 Nov 15
I hope that happens in the US soon. Lots of people have hybrids, but I don't know anyone who's gone all electric.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 15
I don't know how many are making use of our electric highway but I guess the numbers will rise slowly.
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sishy7
@sishy7 (27166)
• Australia
11 Nov 15
No, I don't have any experience with them. Sounds like a stop at a recharge station would be longer than our normal stop at the petrol station...
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
It takes under half an hour and they're suggesting you have a cup of coffee and a break from driving while it recharges. And those who are dedicated to saving fossil fuels wouldn't mind waiting the half hour I guess.
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Boingboing
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
11 Nov 15
I've been in a few hybrids but not a fully electric car.
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Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382358)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 15
We have hybrids here too. It will be interesting to see if they take on.
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