Re: Are they serious?
Sorry but what?
Quote: Please remind me what 'Very rapid charging' does to a battery !!!???
Very little if designed correctly, which they are. Modern EVs have many many small cells, so the charge rate per cell is relatively low, add to that active cell cooling, which all advanced EVs with rapid charging have. Rapid charging is generally only available between 20% and 80% charge levels, dropping to a more sedate charge rate once above 80% to avoid over charging issues. (Specific % differ per design).
Quote: Most people cannot live with the range limits and charging times (proper charging) if they have to travel regularly up/down the country.
That's not most people then is it?
The average mileage in the US is around 14,000 miles a year, and dropping, (even less in the UK at under 8,000 miles per year now). That's well under 300 miles per week, or under 40miles per day.
Many smaller EVs available now are over 200 mile range, so an average US driver would only need to charge their EV once or twice a week. Obviously if they got a long range EV, this would reduce further.
The people who do high mileage trips, are the exception, not the rule, and the EV manufactures, just like any other business, will always cater for the average users first, the outliers will have to wait a while longer.
Quote Also the extended range is only available on small/smaller EVs which is also a problem if you are required to carry people/things in your vehicle.
What! Smaller EVs are generally city cars, so tend to have smaller and cheaper batteries. The long range EVs tend to be large saloons or SUV types, and there are a whole range of pickup type trucks coming out. Their larger bodies allow for much bigger batteries than you'd even fit in a small, or even medium sized EV.
Quote: Conceptually, EV is a nice idea BUT the technology is still not there, or the infrastructure, or the buyin by the public, or the facilities to recycle all the batteries.
1. Tech: The tech is there, it's just some of it is only in the top end, or just launched, EVs, so needs to trickle down a bit more (and drop in price).
2. Infrastructure: I agree to an extent, but it is coming, and that roll out is getting faster every year.
3. Buy in: Don't agree here, at least not in my neck of the woods.
4. Recycling of batteries: Agree here, although this is coming. Every design I've seen recently for new battery factories (and there seems to be a lot going up over the next few years around the world) has included a recycling plant on site as an integrated part of the factory itself, so the recovered materials go directly back into producing the next batch.
Overall I'd say tech wise, we are far enough along for EVs to be viable mainstream. But it will take a few years to build the recycling up, and the infrastructure etc.