I've been thinking about cars which is nothing new really, I'm a car guy. I like fast cars that handle well and ones that have sleek curves and could list a few I'd like to own but I'm a pickup truck guy at heart, four wheel drives, and whilst I've had a lot of very nice cars, it's the four wheel drives and pickups which have brought me the most enjoyment; they take me where I want to go, on or off road, and have the load-carrying capacity I need. I can't recall a time in which I didn't have a four wheel drive, even when I had some of those sporty European two door cars which I enjoyed so much.
Lately, I've been thinking about cars but not four wheel drives or high-performance sports cars...I've been thinking about something completely different.
Plug in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)
A little while ago, something caused me to think about a potential new vehicle; don't worry, I'm not getting rid of my beastly-awesome Landcruiser, just one of my other ones. I can name three I'd be happy to own and a couple others that would probably be quite suitable also however, these days, one must take into consideration a little more than style, comfort, suitability and price...with hybrid vehicles and EV's popping up like mushrooms one needs to consider that option also, as well as everything else.
A vehicle caught my eye a little while ago, not a Tesla, I hate them, and it's not quite what I'd expected.
The Volvo XC60 Recharge
This is a plug in hybrid electric vehicle meaning it has a traditional combustion engine that powers the front wheels and an electric motor that powers the rear.
It delivers 233kW/400Nm to the front wheels and 107kW/309Nm to the rear, so it's got plenty of power for when the loud pedal is pressed and it has a decent range, some 77km on pure electric and a total range of about 450km. Ok, reasonable range for city driving and good power output but what about recharging? That's not so good. The charge time is about 4-5 hours making it almost unsuitable for kerb-side recharging to full - it needs to be charged overnight. Hmm, ok, I think I could work with that.
The vehicle I looked at has all of the bells and whistles you'd expect in a top-of-the range specification and I think it looks the part - the style is...pragmatic is how I'd describe it. I mean, it's been designed with simple, but attractive, lines on the exterior and a fairly simple dashboard shape and configuration inside with excellent occupant room and comfort. It avoids the glitz and glamour of the other brands and focuses on the occupant-experience, and safety of course.
Anyway, that's about all I'll say about the car other than the fact that the price tag is pretty hot: $86,000, $73,000 and 101,000 for the top of the range in Australian dollars and excluding taxes and on-road costs. Yeah, it's pretty expensive.
Am I convinced
No, I don't think so to be honest, I need my vehicles to be able to handle the tasks I put them to.
The EV and PHEV technology is great, and I believe they have it worked out so that one isn't plagued by a myriad of technical problems and failures. The power is there, as is the travel-range in the city but outside of it the range and charging time let it down.
Here in Australia, there's a lot of distance between places; fairly standard for a big country/continent I guess...but in Australia, there is next to nothing in between each place. That means, when travelling the countryside, one needs to do long days behind the wheel at high speed, the limit of 110kp/h, get anywhere.
Here's some perspective, in the State of South Australia where I live it is just under 1,800 kilometres from Mount Gambier in the southeast, right near the Victorian border, to the Northern Territory border to the north. Also, once fifty kilometres past the capital of Adelaide there's not much at all for 1,200 kilometres other than a few map-dot service stations and the small town of Port Augusta, all the way to the NT border. That's a long way to travel.
Alice Springs in Northern Territory, the next largest town from the SA/NT border is another 300 kilometres north. The iconic, Ayres Rock, is near to Alice Springs right in the centre of Australia. OK, it's not near at all, it's 468 kilometres west of Alice Springs - that's near in Australian terms though. I think you get my point.
Basically, what I'm saying is it's a massive country with not a lot in it when one is between the major cities...and that means driving a PHEV may be problematic.
If I was driving to Alice Springs from Adelaide, 1,535 kilometres, I'd do so in two days, with a single night's stop-over. But with a PHEV that only does 450 kilometres in range then requires a full charge of between 2-5 hours it's not an option to do it in that time frame. Trust me on this, getting stuck out there in the middle of nowhere is dangerous, people die, so a lot of planning and more stops are required to get the PHEV from Adelaide to Alice Springs. That's shite.
The other consideration is charging points...sure, there's a couple here and there in Port Augusta and Alice Springs, but not in the outback and certainly not in outback motels which can be very rudimentary indeed...and who want's to wait at a service station for five hours? That's right, no one.
So yeah, I'm not sure PHEV or EV's are suited to that sort of thing just yet...so where's the value in the $101,000? Sure, it'll work in the city, but in a country like Australia, for one who travels like myself...they don't work so well. There's vast distances to cover and having to stop for five hours every 450km is...shite.
I guess it comes down to usage, a person's needs. For me, long distance travel is a reality, the next person may never leave the city. Either way, I think charging times, range and the charging infrastructure has a long way to go before Australians will jump on board in numbers.
I see a PHEV in my life, even a full EV, but it wouldn't negate the need for a four wheel drive like my diesel Landcruiser. This means I have to think really hard about what PHEV or EV I buy, if at all, and spending $101,000+ on it isn't something I'd be prepared to do considering it would be a town car only. That rules out the Volvo XC60 Recharge altogether at this stage, and many of the others.
I'm hoping technology advances quickly and these issues can be addressed although I think the manufacturers will focus on the bulk of the market, city-users and their particular needs, as that's where the money will be. The other niche markets will come later, a long, long way down the track.
I'm still out there researching and may make a decision this year. I am looking at a few options including the (ugly) Hyundai IONIQ 5, Lexus NX and Mazda CX-60 but I'm beginning to think that it's not the right time for a PHEV for me due to the distances here and that a straight (non-plug in) hybrid may be a little more workable.
Do you have any thoughts or experience on the matter? If you do, feel free to comment below and let me know.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp
The image was taken by me - Lamborghini Miura concept car, Bologna, Italy