Electric car thread

[Marty_d]

I didn't watch it, but read the fact checking of it.

What an example of terrible journalism.

Unsurprising though given the presenter previously worked for Shell.

[Siso]

Hmmm the ABC!

[octave]

5 minutes ago, Siso said:

Hmmm the ABC!

The mistruths are easily provable.  I am happy to go through them one by one.

[kgwilson]

The Nickel mining story was aired 6 months ago. Almost all of the nickel is for the stainless steel industry, not EVs. The presenters fossil fuel bias and links have been well established. Channel 7 had to close comments within a couple of days as almost all were highly critical of the claims made. NMC batteries for EVs are now in the minority but even so 98% of all minerals including lithium, cobalt and nickel are recovered in battery recycling so are not wasted and reduce the need for expanded mining.

 

LFP is now the dominant technology for EV batteries but sodium batteries are becoming available and making major inroads in to the battery storage industry. They are also between 30% & 60% cheaper given the abundance of sodium & ease of extraction. Start with evaporating sea water to get NaCl, common salt, separate the 2 elements and you have sodium and chloride. 

[facthunter]

Cl  ( the element) is Chlorine, Sodium and Chlorine are both highly reactive and nasty substances to life forms.  Nev

[pmccarthy]

"The presenters fossil fuel bias and links have been well established." Why do we keep seeing such attacks on sources rather than on the information? In my opinion, many if not most journalists have an anti-fossil fuel and nuclear bias that is obvious to see and affects everything they write. But there is no point in saying so every time a source is quoted. 

[facthunter]

Why trust a KNOWN and proven to be, Biased source? Surely FACTS are what we need. Not propaganda by Vested interests.  Somewhere between the arguments lies the truth? Not necessarily. Confusion is also Practiced by devious sources.  IF you Post or link stuff here Be Prepared to OWN it  if you don't state otherwise.  Isn't THAT reasonable? AI is going to Make this task more difficult in the futeur anyhow.. Nev

[octave]

1 hour ago, pmccarthy said:

"The presenters fossil fuel bias and links have been well established." Why do we keep seeing such attacks on sources rather than on the information?

PM, the media watch segment does note the journalist's history; however, its main thrust is about mistruths.  The journo says "it (cobalt) has been the key element in practically every storage battery on the planet" Whilst cobalt was a common ingredient, this is no longer the case. This should have been pointed out, but that would detract from the purpose of the story.

 

If the problem is cobalt, then why limit criticism to its (diminishing) use in EVs and renewables?  My understanding is that about a third of all cobalt is used in laptops and smartphones as well as jet engines, medical implants, car tyres and pigments. But this would not fit the narrative.

 

Whilst the vast majority of EVs and storage batteries are now LFP those other uses still remain, but this seems to be OK. 

 

I am intending to buy an EV within the next year and I am only considering LFP (which is pretty much the vast majority), so there is no story here.  Awareness of the problems with cobalt is fairly recent, so I certainly would not point at someone in their EV or hybrid (Corolla Cross?) and yell, "blood battery".       I am also keenly aware that cobalt is used in my phone, PC, etc.

 

 

 

[Marty_d]

1 hour ago, pmccarthy said:

"The presenters fossil fuel bias and links have been well established." Why do we keep seeing such attacks on sources rather than on the information? In my opinion, many if not most journalists have an anti-fossil fuel and nuclear bias that is obvious to see and affects everything they write. But there is no point in saying so every time a source is quoted. 

Feel free to point out when a journalist actually has worked for a solar panel or wind turbine manufacturer for 2 years.

[old man emu]

Cobalt is an essential trace mineral for ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats) used by rumen microorganisms to synthesize vitamin B12 (cobalamin). It is critical for energy production, glucose synthesis, protein metabolism, and growth. Deficiencies cause severe loss of appetite, anemia, "wasting disease," and poor productivity, with young, rapidly growing animals and sheep being most susceptible.

 

https://csiropedia.csiro.au/cobalt-deficiency-and-the-cure-for-coast-disease/

[facthunter]

Most of the PEOPLE who Pay Journalists and control what they say are Pro Coal and Oil Nuclear and wars. and "despise" Unions who represent workers and strive to Improve their conditions. The Farmers Have their Federation. The franchise Chemist Warehouse has Plenty of clout, Too Much??  . Wars make money and sell Papers.  The little Man can keep quiet and think himself lucky  to not starve. Slaves  were the Foundation of America's system, don't forget . How ironic that the downtrodden still don't Matter..  Nev

[facthunter]

 One trace element of Many for Plants and Animals (People).  Iodine is lacking in Most soils and zinc supplements are often added to other sprays that go On Leaves (Foliar) . Another one is selenium and copper. Some of these are "Essential" trace elements. Nothing to do with Vitamins, which are another story. Nev

[pmccarthy]

2 hours ago, Marty_d said:

Feel free to point out when a journalist actually has worked for a solar panel or wind turbine manufacturer for 2 years.

If they have worked for the ABC, does that count?

[facthunter]

I think you're not allowed to watch the ABC here, are you.?  Nev

[Marty_d]

2 hours ago, pmccarthy said:

If they have worked for the ABC, does that count?

Nope. That's a balanced news organisation which actually fact checks.

[octave]

4 hours ago, pmccarthy said:

If they have worked for the ABC, does that count?

The ABC is not above  manufacturing hatchet jobs against EVs 

 

AI summary:

 

"In April 2026, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) faced intense criticism from electric vehicle (EV) advocates following a 7.30 report focused on the difficulties of long-distance EV travel. 

Primary Criticisms of the Report

Advocates and experts, including The Driven, accused the ABC of adopting a "petrol tank mentality" and producing a "hit piece". Key points of contention included: 

YouTube +1

Choice of Vehicle: The report featured a 2021 Hyundai Kona, an older model with slower charging speeds, which critics argued was used to unfairly represent the entire modern EV market.

Poor Timing: The segment was filmed during the Easter long weekend, the busiest travel period of the year, which naturally led to atypical charging station queues.

Lack of Context: Critics argued the report failed to mention that roughly 95% of EV charging occurs at home, rather than at public fast-chargers.

Technical Exaggeration: Claims that using Bluetooth audio or cabin heating significantly drained the battery were labelled as "ignorant or deliberately misleading"

 

Review of ABC story by the Driven

 

“Petrol tank mentality:” ABC’s 7.30 report on EV charging problems rated a fail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by octave

[kgwilson]

I watched this program on the ABC & could not believe the stupidity of the reporter. He borrowed an EV & knew nothing about the cars capability. If he did he'd know that the satnav will tell him all of the chargers within range & guide him to one. You cannot fill a petrol car in 2 minutes & pay for the fuel etc. He should have already downloaded the apps before leaving. He was at an Evie 350kW charger & if he already had the app & registered the vehicle as most people do, all you do is plug the charger cable in to the car, it charges, you then click stop remove the cable & drive away. You are automatically charged & details are stored in the app.

 

Everything Sam Evans said is spot on. I felt like complaining but then thought why bother. Anyone with half a brain & an interest in going Electric will make their own mind up. I did & it was the best car purchase decision i have ever made. My fuel cost is zero as I charge from my solar panels. When going long distance I check the location of chargers on route & know the range. The car has a longer range than my bladder so when I need to charge I take a break & have a bite to eat. If it is down to 20% charge 20 minutes later it is at 80%. This is usually quicker than than I am. Often I will go & unplug & move the car so someone else can use the charger.

 

It is coming up to 3 years & 45,000 km since I bought my MG4. First service in 2 years & nothing had to be done except update the software. The only downside is that the new facelift model is now 10k less than I paid but now EVs are no longer an expensive way to get in to a new car with the latest small models cheaper than their petrol equivalents.