Friday, January 14, 2011

SEAI Promote Toy EV on Aran Islands

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SEAI sustainable energy
authority Ireland
Promotes 
A Tiny Electric Car
on a Tiny Island




The news story about SEAI promoting electric cars on the Aran Islands sounds like a joke but as far as I know, it is not a joke, nor is it the 1st of April!!

SEAI are promoting an electric car most inappropriately called the "Mega E- City" with the following statistics:

1.    Maximum Speed of 40 mph or 64 kph!
2.    Maximum range per battery charge of 40 Miles or 64 Km!!
3.    Charging time of 8 to 10 hours!!
4.    Lead Acid Battery over 150 year old technology!!
5.    Battery Life Guaranteed 2 years!!!!
6.    Maximum number of passengers 2!!
7.    Luggage space for??  (a carton of eggs)

The specification sounds more like a golf cart than a car. Even on a tiny island, you would need to keep track of the charge in the battery or you would have to borrow a donkey and hitch him to the car in order to get back home!

Cork to Dublin in just 40 hours

If you were to make a journey from Cork to Dublin, 160 miles, in this little beauty, it would take you an absolute minimum of 36 hours!!!!  Ahhh come on then  - - you must be joking this time?


No really - it's no joke. 

Here is how it works out:

  • Charge the little toy car before the journey    8 hours
  • Travel 40 miles at MAX speed        1 hour
  • Charge the car again                8 hours
  • Travel another 40 miles            1 hour
  • Charge again                    8 hours
  • Travel another 40 miles            1 hour
  • Charge yet again                 8 hours
  • Travel last leg of 40 miles            1 hour


The largest Aran Island "Inis Mor" literally "big island", is a whacking great 3Km 1.86 miles by 12Km 7.45 miles. Just as well SEAI chose this as a testing site - a football pitch or golf course might have been a safer bet!!

If I were the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland I would be greatly embarrassed by this crazy little scheme - but then they, SEAI, have not been embarrassed by several other equally crazy schemes in the past. Great job to be in do you think?? - but I couldn't live with myself playing out the game and acting the complete gobshite!!




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