@editor @morgan

I think an interesting development will be the possibility of using old (or existing) EV battery packs as home batteries. This would make the environmental impact less and aid the grid to become carbon neutral.

Having just switched to an EV, I can say I would not go back to a combustion engine. The driving experience is much better and as a bonus it opens up cheap electrcity tariffs.

If car use is to continue EVs are the best option in my view and battery technology is just getting better with much longer ranges just around the corner.

@bontwoody I’m sure so long as your driving experience is enhanced those living in regions affected by the extraction of the required raw materials will understand and be pleased you have cheaper electricity. You make no reference to those people in the video but celebrate our first world luxury.

@morgan The extraction of raw materials happens in all industrial processes including traditional cars. It has done since the beginning of industrialisation and frequently involves unsavoury practices. However unless you intend to forego your car/computer/phone/any oil/gas use/etc you really arent in a position to preach.

I stand by my point that EVs are the best option for continued car use.

@bontwoody not preaching.  Simply expressing a view.  If that hurts so be it.

@morgan Mmm, expressing a view doesnt usually require the injection of sarcasm, however lets just agree to disagree.

Moving people around takes energy and the cleanest available useable energy at the moment is electricity. Electrically powered vehicles are the only logical choice.

The problem is not the power used but how that power gets to the motor. We’re currently in a competition to shoehorn more and more battery into a given vehicle since current received wisdom is that more range is better, but my hope is that a little lateral thinking will be cultivated.

One possibility is that some form of in-transit charging technology will become reasonably widely installed (no idea whether that means wireless charging or turning the motorway network into a giant Scalextric track) meaning the emphasis would switch from maximising battery capacity to ensuring enough capacity to get to and from the charging network.

Not saying, of course, that this is how things will go; just that I have faith someone will come up with a new bright idea. In the meantime we have little choice but to develop the EV technology so it’s mature enough to be useful when that next brainwave comes along.

Interesting review. Good timing for myself.
Will be driving one shortly - how did you find space in the i4 - anyway bigger than expected?

It was really spacious and definitely bigger than I expected. Lovely car. Looking forward to hear what you think of it.

Electrical is the only way forward..

But until we get to experience Major's Scalextric track, the humble home ev charger may have to do!   

Have other bmw/mini drivers been experiencing pains with chargers. Clearly teething dealing with their new standards compliant apis https://www.beebop.ai/blog/bmw-api-changes-could-disrupt-utilities-using-unapproved-ev-connections?fbclid=IwY2xjawNde69leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtaZxMbZt_GpYwBqhu6CADf9l8vPigPAj1ruAsMaPFqqfajHcXKuQA7LIXp5_aem_ps3LqXA68yzuNcq7Hk9SbA

Ohme was trying to hold onto reverse engineered access to the old api, not very secure. Since the change late Sept, their chargers cannot monitor the bmw battery soc, making it a manual process to avoid getting the charge to what bmw deem 100%