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HELPDESK: Answering all your motoring queries
From R Sykes: With more manufacturers building electric cars, one area I never see mentioned is battery life. How long does a set of batteries last? What would the replacement cost be? (I suspect very high)
If in time if I was buying a used electric car what would I look for: mileage, age, number of charges? How would I know batteries were in good condition?
You raise some interesting points. In terms of lifespan, it really depends on the type of battery. Currently, hybrid cars use nickel metal hydride batteries. On cars like the Toyota Prius, for example, a spokesman for the firm in Ireland said that since 2000 they have only had to replace one battery in a Prius. The current cost of a HV battery for the third-generation Prius is €1,900.
New electric cars that will be charged from the main electricity use a more advanced, higher density lithium-ion battery to store power and these should not need replacing during the car’s lifetime. In fact, as we report from the Tokyo motor show on page 3, car firms are looking to recycle the batteries at the end of the lifetime of the car.
These batteries are expected to retain 70 per cent or more of their energy storage capacity and can be used for household energy storage or as backups. Ultimately you should not need to replace a lithium-ion battery and in many instances you won’t own it anyway, rather the battery will be leased from the car firm to the user.
As for what to look for when you buy a used electric car, age and mileage will still be good indicators as to battery usage. I haven’t heard of plans to have charge counters on the batteries, but it seems like a good idea.
From N Burgess: In the advice column on October 14th, a reader suggests scrapping the provisional driving licence and that learner drivers should be taught, at least initially, at off-road centres. This is already scheduled for new motorcycle applications from November 1st in the form of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT).
One would hope it will quickly be rolled out to the majority of other applicants also.
The bike course will involve 16 hours and four modules, of which only the last will involve road work. Obviously this will involve a lot of expense for applicants, but at least it will mean potential road users will be prepared for the enormous responsibility of driving on public roads.
As you indicate, the RSA and Department of Transport are in the process of finalising Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) for motorcyclists, but it will not be in place for November 1st. When it does come into play, it will be a major step forward.
The likelihood of the system being widened to all learner drivers seems to be several months away. A public consultation process has been completed on CBT for all learners and the RSA is due to present its recommendations to Government by the end of next month. I would suspect it will be some time before learners are required to complete CBT off public roads. However, we are addressing the situation after decades of ignoring problems with our provisional licence system.
From M K: I recently bought an old Jaguar. There are several serious stone chips on the bonnet. Any advice on touch-up paints and whether they work?
If they are serious, you probably need to bring it to a bodyshop for proper repair. The problem is, most modern paints are nearly impossible to match up and older paints can be difficult to trace. There are great touch-up kits on sale at autoparts stores, but they can’t perform miracles.
If the chips aren’t too serious, I would opt for a touch-up. You can source touch-up paint from a repair shop or dealership.
Having parked the car in a dry place, clean the chipped area thoroughly. Exposed metal and rust need to be treated first. Use masking tape to protect surrounding areas, then use a toothpick to spread paint on the chipped area. Always layer paint thinly; you may need several layers to make it even. It’s not easy and, for some darker cars, the better option, before going down the touch-up route, is coloured wax.
If you are unable to do either, a respray may be in order. There are some very active Jaguar owners clubs in Ireland that may help find someone experienced in respraying your model.