
Silent, no gears, cheaper every day: electric cars aren't so hard to get used to - rbanffy
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/22/silent-no-gears-and-cheaper-every-day-electric-cars-arent-so-hard-to-get-used-to
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flyingfences
I'm not impressed by this article. Most of the things that he sees as
"different" about these electric cars - push-button gearshifts, automatic
parking brakes, programmable suspension - are available in internal-combustion
cars now. Even the very aggressive engine braking is a feature of some ICEs
(though, I will admit, not all the way down to a stop). The only real electric
car feature he's caught onto is the silence.

On another note, I don't like silence in cars either as a driver or as a
pedestrian. As a driver, engine sound offers feedback, it's part of my control
loop, allowing me to gauge speed without taking my eyes off the road. As a
pedestrian (or a cyclist, or even the driver of another vehicle), engine sound
is a safety feature. It helps me notice cars and helps me keep track of where
they are when I can't see them. A few years ago, I had a job in Manhattan and
I commuted via bicycle. This was around the time that all the city's taxis
(and plenty of other cars) were switching to hybrids - entirely silent at low
speeds. I found it entirely unnerving (especially given the reputation of New
York drivers) to know (from having looked back earlier) that there was two
tons of metal moving behind me but not be able to tell where it was or how
fast it was moving. I could hear cars with internal combustion engines and
keep decent track of how far behind me they were, but the only noise these
electrics made was from the rolling of their tires, which was completely
drowned out by the bustle of the city. At times, I got a feeling of real
danger - far more than typical as a cyclist.

~~~
m463
Yes, he doesn't communicate well.

Teslas just have a gearshift lever. that's it. I have never driven a car with
as few controls as the Teslas. ICE cars have the idea of on and off. With the
tesla (s/x), you approach the car, the car wakes up as you near, you get in,
move the gear lever into drive or reverse and that is the only control you
touch.

I do disagree about the internal silence. The teslas are supremely silent
inside (aside from A/C fan noise) and it is magical and modern. I have driven
electric cars with added internal noise, and it really cheapens the
experience.

External silence is a moot point with new laws.

~~~
brokenmachine
? Do Teslas not have an indicator stalk/accelerator pedal/brake pedal/
_steering wheel_?

If so, there's not much difference between an automatic ICE vehicle, except
the engine sound.

~~~
m463
lol, yes wheel, pedals.

I meant the author didn't really describe how radically simplified the tesla
cars are. (maybe too much?)

You get in, foot on brake, shifter to drive then step on accelerator to go.

There isn't an on/off button. The model X even opens and closes your door
without touching it.

Yes you should put on your belt.

(oh, and you can summon the car out of your garage automatically)

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LinuxBender
Has anyone built an electric car that has no network connectivity? That is the
barrier to entry for me. I will not buy one that can talk to any network
outside of the physical vehicle.

~~~
Tagbert
The gen 1 LEAF I had did have some minimal wireless connectivity. It did allow
remotely starting the heater/cooler among other things. However, it used a 2G
modem and those networks are mostly shut down now so it would be unable to
connect anymore. I expect that the current one uses LTE for its wireless, now.

What is the nature of your concern?

~~~
mikestew
Parent can buy ours, which has had the GPRS modem removed by the dealer. I
figured if they're turning the towers off, and Nissan would remove the radio
for free, might as well remove a threat surface. Point being, even if a first-
gen Leaf still has the cell radio, there's nothing for it to connect to. AT&T
turned all that off, and maybe Nissan quit listening even if AT&T left it on.

That, and CarWings was useless. It was quicker to walk out to the garage and
turn the heat on than it was to use the app.

~~~
LinuxBender
I still have some life left on my current vehicle, but I appreciate the extra
information. I suspect most of the electric cars have some aspect of network
connectivity.

~~~
Gibbon1
My two thoughts, it's not just electric cars that have tracking spying
capability, it's most new models. Especially higher end ones.

What I think is the number of new electric car models will increase
dramatically in the next two years. At some point as battery prices drop EV's
will hit price parity with gasoline/diesel cars. I'd expect you then see more
bare bones cars, which are less likely to have tracking.

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whenchamenia
1\. Silent: nope. Most noise from modern ICE cars is tire noise. Still have
tires? Not silent, or even signifigantly quieter. 2\. No Gears: maybe no
changing array of reduction gears, but with the exception of hub motors, there
are, in fact, gears. ICE cars exist with single speeds, they are just more
efficient with more.

If you cant even get through a title without lies, how am I supposed to take
the rest seriously? This abrasive 'did I mention that Im Vegan and im saving
the world and you arent?!?' attitude is why many prospective ecar buyers avoid
them. Just sell them on their actual merits, which exist. Unlike the merits
expounded here and elsewhere by well-meaning fans.

