EVs

4X4

Why powering a trailer won’t be the real answer to EV towing range

19 April 2022 Robert Pepper

Trailers are, literally, a drag to tow. They sap power from the towcar, reduce range, and reduce offroad capability. They are also a big, heavy, potentially dangerous object to have exerting a force on your car. Electric trailers can change a lot of that. The concept is simple; add a battery and motors to the […]

4X4

Are EV 4X4s really going to ruin the weekend?

31 March 2022 Robert Pepper

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution is here now and rapidly gathering pace. Today, EVs are absolutely a viable alternative to ICE (internal combustion engine, petrol/diesel) cars for daily-driving suburban duties. They’re safe, low to almost zero maintenance, easy to drive, don’t need warming up and there’s far more daily-drive range than the average Aussie needs. […]

4X4

How expensive must petrol be to make owning an electric vehicle cost-effective for the average Aussie?

22 February 2022 Robert Pepper

The ABC recently published an article claiming that petrol prices would need to jump to around $3.85/L for EVs to be cost-effective. I think that’s understating it, and also missing the point. The real point is this. EVs cost significantly less to run than ICE cars, but are presently significantly more expensive. Right now, the […]

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Do EVs wear their tyres more than ICE vehicles?

18 February 2022 Robert Pepper

How do you tell if someone is irrationally against electric vehicles and doesn’t understand cars? They argue electric vehicles are environmentally unfriendly because they wear their tyres and brakes more than ICE cars. There is actually a tiny amount of truth to this argument for tyres. The following three facts are true: 1. The greater […]

4X4

Is an ‘e-jerry’ the solution to extend EV 4X4 range?

5 January 2022 Robert Pepper

If you own an offroad touring 4×4 or tow heavy caravans, then your fuel consumption is going to rise quite dramatically compared to standard and so you’ll want some extra range. The simple way to solve this is to fit an long-range fuel tank; either replacing the standard tank, or adding an auxiliary. In my […]

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Dr Karl on Electric Cars (and more!)

6 December 2021 Robert Pepper

Electric vehicles are becoming a divisie topic; there’s the rather enthusiatic pro-EV brigade, and the very skeptical anti-EV people. And most people aren’t in either camp but just want the facts. I wrote this article on EV Realities, but also I asked Dr Karl along for a webinar where we could get the true, middle […]

4X4

Rivian R1T – test drive discussion

14 November 2021 Robert Pepper

The Rivian R1T is perhaps the most significant vehicle to hit the market in recent years because it represents the future – a vehicle designed from the ground up as a BEV (battery electric vehicle) AND as a real offroad 4X4. So when I saw David Tracy of Jalopnik had written a very detailed and […]

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Tesla Plaid sets an EV record at the Nurburgring – compared to Porsche Taycan and BMW M5

11 September 2021 Robert Pepper

So Telsa has set an electric-vehicle lap record at the Nurburging of 7m 35sec, which apparently beats the Porsche Taycan’s 7m 42s. However, the Tesla was a proper, observed lap record attempt. Porsche just cracked out a lap so it’s valid, but unofficial; could they do better if they decided to go for a record? […]

4X4

19,000 electric Atlis utes are coming to Australia

4 September 2021 Robert Pepper

Atlis Motor Vehicles is a USA-based startup dedicated to creating a range of fully-electric, ulitity, working vehicles. The specs are impressive – indiviudal wheel drive (IWD), four-wheel-steer, independent air suspension with 300mm+ of ground clearance, 447kW /1627Nm motor, GVM of around 9000kg, towing of 16,000kg (gooseneck), range of up to 800km and a 0-100% recharge […]

4X4

Are you a low-vision driver?

5 June 2021 Belinda O Connor

Bioptic driving – are you, or do you know someone who is losing their eyesight or born with low vision, and wants to continue to drive? In this interview Robert Pepper talks to me, Belinda O’Connor, founder and director of Bioptic Drivers Australia. At the time I had only been driving for three years and […]

EVs

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