richbee wrote: ↑Thu May 04, 2023 5:19 pm
375kg - That's some kitty litter
The TMY sounds pretty good efficiency wise - so far everyone is understandably concerned about range anxiety with BEVs - but at some point you would imagine that focus will shift onto efficiency, similar to how diesel overtook petrol & became so dominant before it's dieselgate demise.
SUVs seem very much to be a fashion statement, although I personally like having a higher up driving position for a visibility point of view.
I always liked the Zafira / Scenic MPV style of people carrier, so versatile - but ultimately killed by the rise of the 'sporty' SUV brigade.
I should probably admit at this point that I drive a Transit Custom camper / day van - which is even more versatile than the MPV style vehicles for camping and mountain bike transport etc - and actually has about the same CO2 output and fuel economy as my other half's 1.3 petrol Nissan Qashqai (which I guess is an SUV, but not a very tank like one)
You should see the size of the cat
Wifey and I got a Meriva MPV about 15yrs ago, and simply loved the higher seating position, plus the greater storage when occupants sit taller, and less leg length room is needed.
Shame the Sono Sion won't make it to production, I thought that was a truly excellent package, especially with the full body PV panels. Cheap and basic, so a great choice for many.
The Model Y is a weird one I agree - it could quite easily have been "Just" a Model 3 hatchback. But actually it is a lot bigger than the 3 on the road, particularly in height (it's almost the same footprint as the Model X which definitely is an SUV), which tilts it towards the monikier of SUV rather than CUV as it's hardly "compact".
But I guess my thought of what is an SUV is a vehicle like the BMW X models, or any Range Rover, or the Volvo XC ranges that sort of thing.
Either way, all modern vehicles are big. I guess for a while MPVs like the Renault Espace were popular as the "I need a bigger vehicle for my family and the dog", but they have generally disappeared in favour of SUVs. And the era of the "traditional" family hatchback, or even family estate has long passed.
Tesla Model 3 Performance
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
richbee wrote: ↑Thu May 04, 2023 5:19 pm
375kg - That's some kitty litter
The TMY sounds pretty good efficiency wise - so far everyone is understandably concerned about range anxiety with BEVs - but at some point you would imagine that focus will shift onto efficiency, similar to how diesel overtook petrol & became so dominant before it's dieselgate demise.
SUVs seem very much to be a fashion statement, although I personally like having a higher up driving position for a visibility point of view.
I always liked the Zafira / Scenic MPV style of people carrier, so versatile - but ultimately killed by the rise of the 'sporty' SUV brigade.
I should probably admit at this point that I drive a Transit Custom camper / day van - which is even more versatile than the MPV style vehicles for camping and mountain bike transport etc - and actually has about the same CO2 output and fuel economy as my other half's 1.3 petrol Nissan Qashqai (which I guess is an SUV, but not a very tank like one)
You should see the size of the cat
Wifey and I got a Meriva MPV about 15yrs ago, and simply loved the higher seating position, plus the greater storage when occupants sit taller, and less leg length room is needed.
Shame the Sono Sion won't make it to production, I thought that was a truly excellent package, especially with the full body PV panels. Cheap and basic, so a great choice for many.
What happened to the Sion Mart, I thought it was still a go-er? A shame if not.
15kW PV SE, VI, HM, EN
42kWh LFPO4 storage
7kW ASHP
200ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Sono motors basically went bust trying to scale to manufacture the Sion beyond prototype/handbuilt for homologation.
They're in the process of attempting to sell of the Sion as a "ready to go" programme to someone else but no idea if any company is interested.
In the meantime, Sono is re-focusing what's left of its budget and staff to retrofitting of solar panels onto existing vehicles like buses and trucks.
Tesla Model 3 Performance
Oversees an 11kWp solar array at work
I sometimes think that nowadays the term SUV is just a rebranding of the term hatchbacks rather than a term for off-road capable vehicles.
Whilst it is easy to say that cars have got too big, one of the main reasons is safety. Just compare the thickness of a modern car door with all its side impact protection with the doors on old cars. My first car was a Mini and the door was basically just one skin of metal with a storage bin at the bottom which gave it some stiffness.
Also, parents, not unreasonably, expect cars to take three children in the back (even if they have less than three as there could be friends) and modern Iso fix child seats are wider than those we used 25-30 years ago.
