gangzoom

The 3 is a great looking car, and the reviews are bordering on fanatical... Apparently makes an Alfa Romeo feel like a 'wet sponge' in a back to back test drive. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/tesla/model-3/2018/exclusive-tesla-model-3-first-drive-review/ But if your wanting an EV this year it wouldn't be a Model 3....the pre order list is around 500k!!! US owners who pre ordered over a year ago are been told late 2018 delivery for AWD versiona. There is 0% change RHD cars will start coming down the line until the vast majority of US pre-order are fulfilled. I don't expect the first RHD cars to be in customer hands till late 2019/2020 :(. Still the timing works for us to replace my wife's hybrid, and after all I have a reputation to keep up as a Tesla fanboy:D

I picked up last years series 6 LG 55inch 4K HDR OELD panel for <£1400 from John Lewis. The picture quality really is second to none. Prices of these OLED panels seem to go down at random times, worth watching the market to see when the next drop happens.

I've already mentioned it shouldn't come to that....Plenty of help groups will be around to help you cope, have a chat with a group of similar minded people, share your thoughts whilst having organic coffee brewed with water purified from the toilet, all taking place in a tree house furnished using nothing but fully organic furniture ;).

1: Charging points for people without off road parking is an issue, but people are actively trying to come up with solution. Lamp post can now be converted to charging points for a cost that is apparently 4 digits and falling. But as battery range improves that becomes less of an issue - I charge my Tesla less than twice a week, yet I've still covered 6K miles in 4 months with no range anxiety at all. https://www.zap-map.com/london-street-lights-converted-to-ev-charge-points-for-trial/ 2: Power generation needs to change, and demand 'managed', battery storage tech is essential in this regard. Also remember it is unlikely 30 million cars will all charge at the same time, especially as range improves. Would you go and refuel your current car if you had 150 miles in the tank?.....Can you remember what happened to petrol stations at the last haulage strike and everyone tried to fill up at the same time?? 3: Tesla actually demoed this and rolled out two battery swap stations in LA a few years ago. The problem is no one used them.....The reason been why would you go out of your way to get a 'battery swap' when you can simply plug in at home after work and be greeted by a fully charged charge the next day. Time wise it makes no sense to go for battery swapping unless your doing a 300 miles+ trip. Equally as rapid chargers are now been touted to be approach 300KW, that's potentially 200 miles of range (3 hrs of driving) added about 15 minutes - which is probably how long a toilet brake takes. Yes some people do actually need to drive 500 miles a day non-stop every day, but those people are rare, the average UK motorist does 8000 miles a year, that's 50 miles a day max if you only drove at weekdays. As you say the fact all this tech is happening right now is pretty exciting :).

One thing that will never stay the same is taxation etc, EVs still only at present make a small number of sales, but as things change am sure so will taxation. Am waiting for my 3rd EV to be delivered and actually running out of places to ask for the subsidised home charging points to be put in (both sets of in-laws have them fitted already)!!! The Tesla am waiting delivery on still has 'free for life' access to the best EV rapid charging network in the world, by the end of this year all that will have changed with all new Tesla owners having to pay 20p/kWh to use the same network. So the incentives are already going but whilst they are still here why no use them?? Norway is fast heading towards EV sales overtaking combustion car sales by the end of this year, but interestingly their government have decided to just take a hit on having reduced tax revenue from EVs and press ahead with a move towards banning all combustion car sales by 2025. Whats more interesting is Norway is more rural than the UK in many regions, and much colder, but despite that people have no problems using limited range EVs like the Leaf/eGolf. https://electrek.co/2016/11/09/norway-keeps-electric-vehicle-tax-exemption-until-2020-positions-itself-to-stay-ev-leader/

The oil industry isn't stupid, and those with a view on the future are already trying to adapt. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-20/dubai-starts-desert-solar-plant-as-part-of-world-s-biggest-park What's going to drive EV adoption will mainly driven by money/business rather than true 'green' aims. The world of energy generation is changing, and changing fast. The concept you can turn a profit by building a massive power station and selling energy to consumers is been attacked from all angles. There is a whole new industry emerging, which always means there is money to be made some where, and those companies who can capitalise and get ahead now have the most to gain. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/07/23/uk-power-industrial-strategy-battery-funding-revolution/ https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/12/uk-offshore-wind-will-lower-energy-bills-more-than-nuclear EVs are only one piece of the puzzle, and in the grand scheme of things it the impact battery storage + solar/wind electricity generation that will have a much bigger impact. Personally I cannot wait to see how things develop, and am thankful am alive in this time of transition away from fossil fuels. The most exciting thing that happened in my parents lifetime was the advent of microprocessors, the move away from fossil fuels will have an equally big if not bigger impact on the planet than anything we've seen yet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40723581 Am sure this news will make some of you guys happy:) Seems rather unexciting though, 2040 is over 20 years away, personally I would be amazed any manufactures are still making mass market combustion cars by 2030 or sooner.

If your spending that much than OLED should be at the top of the list. I recently picked up a 6 series LG OLED for nearly half it's RRP last year. 4K, HRD etc etc, but the main selling point is the blacks!! When displaying a black/dark scene the screen looks though it's totally off, the level of contrast in better than anything else I've seen including the legendary Kuro Plasma 600A which I was lucky enough to own at one point - Motion handling still isn't as smooth as a Kuro but than again since people have stopped selling Plasma I doubt the Kuro will ever be bettered on that front. Go into a shop and ask them to demonstrate a dark/black scene on a OLED panel next to any of the LCD back light TVs (Like QLED) and the difference is night/day. Opening credits to house of cards shows up the difference really well. Other advantage of OLED is the colours/saturations are just as good off angle as been viewed directly in front, and if you have large room with people viewing from the side its a major advantage. https://www.whathifi.com/advice/what-oled-tv-tech-benefits-best-oled-tvs

That why you need a dash cam, and before I approached any AMC I made sure the third party was insured with a decent big name company :). I also got a letter signed by the director of the AMC stating they will NOT persue me for the costs of the rental car should they not be able to claim the costs back from the third party. Like all things in life if you go in blind you often get burnt, but I did my research before hand.

Oh yes I forgot there's a difference cost between a full fat Range Rover and Range Rover Sport......They all look the same to me .

I highly doubt it was because of the difference between a Vogue / Sport, more likely because his own insurance company referred his case to an AMC for a fee. The AMC would have than smacked on some stupid hire rate. Read the case law I posted above, the points of dispute is never with the type or car but the hire car rate. One thing I have learnt from this case is NEVER trust what the insurance companies say, be it your own or the third party, they are all out to either make a quick buck or try to reduce their own costs.

Because the insurers were useless, first my car is sent to local garage in Hinckley for a 'rapid repair', than they couldn't tell me where the car was for 24hrs - seriously they 'lost' the car, it was apparently on a low loader but they couldn't track down where!! Than they wouldn't believe Tesla engineers who said the car was written off and send in their own inspector who calls me up to ask for the spec of the car because he didn't know anything about Teslas. As for the loan car, my own insurance company didn't want to provide me with a loan car themselves instead they referred me to their own AMC, Auxillis who have a mixed reputation. The third party insurance company offered me nothing interms of hire-car, instead a cash settlement not enough to replace the car and some intimidating language to try and get me to take the cash settlement. The best thing I did in my case is to involve a GOOD AMC, am sure there are lots of cow boys out there but the good companies work to get you the best resolution possible.

^^ That would be the kind of thing that sees you going to court.......Not sure how anyone could justify a 458 as a 'family car', but it would be funny to watch :).

Guys at the end of the day it doesn't matter what you guys think about the term 'like for like' the law is quite clear. Have a look at this, one guy has his 5L XK and get an replacement 5L XK as hire car, the Judge has no problems with that, the issue is with abnormal hire car rates for the XK compared to other hire car companies, not the car it self. The other guy loss the use of a Mustang, and gets a M3 convertible hire-car, again no issues with the car, it's the higher than industry rates for the M3 that is the issue. http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2017/144.html Admiral have now agreed to pay my rental costs in the X till my new car arrives, this is in writing, if you guys think Admiral could have got away with pushing me into a Ford Fiesta or similar they would have reached an agreement with the AMC regarding rental costs for the X? I hope none of you find yourselves in my position, and if your happy having a 1.0 Fiesta great, but for others, if delt with properly AMC can be a help.

As some people might know I was involved in a non-fault accident where my car was written off back in June. My claim is complex due to various reasons but essentially my insurance company has ordered me a new replacement car, however it is not due to arrive till late September/October. Leaving me with no car till then, with little options offered by my own or third party insurance company I took my case to an accident management company (AMC) who have provided me with a like for like loan car on a credit hire agreement. There has been quite a bit of ‘concern’ from various forum members who was worried about the hire car costs and my own liability for those costs. My case is now sorted, but I thought I clarify the matter for anyone else who finds themselves in a similar situation. IF the third party has 100% admitted liability than the law is reasonably clear: You (the injured party) is entitled to be back on the road in the same car/condition as you were before the accident. You are allowed a loan car is you need a car to work, and cannot afford to find a replacement car your self whilst your car is been repaired/replaced (This is a bit of joke, as I suspect most people don't have money sitting in the bank ready to splurge on a replacement car just in case their own car is damaged). You can have access to a loan car till your car is repaired/replaced, as long as the loan car is of the same value/type of your own. You have a responsibility to minimise you claim – This means not billing the third party for £500/day when you can get the SAME car for £100/day. You are entitled to be mobile on the road in the same type of car as before the accident till a settlement is reached - providing your not 100% NOT at fault, your simply not allowed to overcharge for the car - which is 100% fair. In my case the third party insurance company (Admiral) initially tried to get out of ALL costs – including offering me a stupid low settlement amount, but apparently that’s the way Admiral work. But today they have come to an agreement with the AMC dealing with my case regarding a daily hire car rate they are willing to pay till my new car arrives in a few months time. The total duration of my hire car period will be around 120 days once everything is concluded. I can see how people can get tripped up in these case, and how some AMC try to get a profit which ever way possible. BUT the law is clear on the non-fault individual been given access for to a ‘like for like’ car providing the hire rate is in line with what you would pay if you hired the same like for like car your self. Hope this is of help to anyone else who find themselves in a similar position as my self.

Oh it gets much worse than that......If you want to 'activate' autopilot software (currently in Beta form) it's £6K, if you want 'Full self driving' (which isn't even in Alpha stage) that's another £4K!!.....and plenty people have/do spend £10K on software which you really don't need. The car already has no gears/starter button/and does re-gen braking so driving it isn't exactly a taxing process!! But they have just upgraded the motor on all their cars, so the new car will apparently crack 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, which is kinda of mental given its suppose to be the 'base' spec version

Actually I have no idea what to do about the hire car, I've done 1000 miles in 4 weeks, my daughter has been in the car for at least 1/2 of those trips. I have no access to another car, and really don't want the hassle of arranging my own hire car - which would still cost £££, which I would have to stump up. I have no issues with the third party insurance company been charged ££££ for the hire car rental for the next 2-3 months, it's more I feel uncomfortable driving around in such an expensive rental.......What if another idiots T-bones me?? It was bad enough sorting out this claim, let alone deal with another one!!! Anyways the weekend is coming, and at least I can now relax about my own car :).

Coming up to 5 weeks since the accident and a settlement has finally been agreed. The insurance company will order me a brand new Model X 75D order, same config as before but I've 'contributed' £4.5K to the price in view of my old car been a 60D (which Tesla no longer sell) so the new order is a 'betterment' than my written off car. Cannot complain too much as I was considering the £4.5K option to 'upgrade' the 60kWh battery in my old X and turning it into the 75kWh version anyways (all done via software). Delivery is due end of Sep/Oct, so still need to work out what to do with the hire car situation. The accident management company are confident they can get all costs back from that side but I'm no entirely sure I want a £90k+ hire car with all the liabilities/worry that go along with it that for the next 2-3 months. Once the new car order is fully confirmed I'll have a think about what to do, and if/how I can keep mobile if the current hire car goes back. Anways, either way I now get to go through the whole waiting stage again for a new Tesla!!! Not sure if its any easier the second time round

We are still using our Motorola one, it's the cheapest video one they do. Works well enough, lets you see if she is fully awake in the morning or just stirring.

It's a good move from Volvo but not sure it deserved all the press/news coverage - including a good few minutes on the BBC news. The way the reporter was going on about it you would think Volvo was the first company to ever make an EV.....Despite the fact they don't even sell a proper EV at present - only a plug-in hybrid. The rest of the report was than concentrated on the same old bias about lack of range/charging etc. I've done another 700 miles in the last 3 weeks in the loaner Model X, that takes my EV millage close to 20K in the last 2.5 years and I've run out of charge exactly 0(zero) times. Yesterday in the work car park spotted another X, a Leaf, and two Zoes, compared to 2015 when seeing just another Leaf was a rare occurrence. Tesla about to start production of their $30K 200miles+ range EV later this week, Nissan is releasing a 200 mile range Leaf in September this year, VAG apparently have a whole load of EV in the pipeline before 2020. Like a few people on this forum journalist need to stop thinking about EVs in the future tense but realise the shift away from combustion engines is happening now as 'affordable' 200miles+ range cars are literally starting to roll off the production line.

Battery is as much of the structure as the chassis, rear drivetrain also clearly totalled. So new chassis, new battery, new motor, all before any body work. £50k wouldn't even cover the parts cost let alone labour.

^I really don't care how I get back on the road, my personal preference is they fix the car. DirectLine will contact me once they inspect the car next week.

^Just looked up the camera spec on the S8... Rear camera exactly the same as S7!! You should get a good price for the S8.

The killer feature for me about the S7 is the camera and the expandable SD card storage - The S8 is suppose to be a bit better but the S7 camera is already so good it's virutally made my proper camera redundant. The HDR feature even works well in severely back light situations where I suspect many DSLR would struggle to compose an image, and the focus speed is good enough to capture my daughters crazy expressions. I know the OnePlus cameras have good specs but not convinced the software implementation is as good as Samsung.

I've got tickets booked for the Sunday 2nd event at Donnington - Fast car show. My daughter has just started walking so it'll be her first outing when she can stand on her own two feet .