Standardised batteries essential for EV growth
THE ‘‘Resilient’’ tabloid in the ODT (20.10.18) covered some very interesting topics and hopefully the majority of your readers read the articles and gave them more than just a casual Saturday morning thought.
Brian Miller (ODT letters, 25.10.18) makes a good point regarding the importation of coal for electricity production being reported in the very same paper that reported a second electric vehicle rapid charger opening.
I believe the main factor against the uptake of EV ownership has to be the individualisation of carmakers’ batteries. If anything is adding to the gross unnecessary waste of recharging electricity, then it has to be this.
Also of deep concern is the arrogance of manufacturers in their actions of remotely controlling the ability of their batteries to become fully charged (Tesla and Nissan Leaf are recent examples).
The obvious answer to daytime fast recharging is for batteries to be standardised and interchangeable between cars and manufacturers. This would allow for batterycharging businesses to carry banks of spare batteries, which can replace the EV’s flat battery in a matter of minutes, with the flat one then put on a charging manifold which uses overnight offpeak power.
The devaluation/replacement of depleted batteries would be built into the businesses’ overheads and built into the recharging price.
Until the manufacturers cut the ‘‘green wash’’ and agree to standardised batteries which also have opensource charging software, then we are a long way from efficient EV transportation.
Vince Ryan
Waverley
When is too many?
MAYOR Dave Cull welcomes the increase in Dunedin’s population because ‘‘without the new arrivals, the city would have fewer and fewer people supporting an expanding number of older people. That’s not sustainable. I think the age cohort we’re attracting, and the number of them, bodes very well for the sustainability of our community and of our economy’’ (ODT, 24.10.18).
The new arrivals will one day become old. I ask him to explain how having more and more people to look after in their old age, and constantly needing more and more new arrivals to support them, can possibly be sustainable?
There’s a biological rule that says a population will increase until it exhausts its resources, then it will crash. Humans are not exempt.
At what level does Mr Cull envisage Dunedin’s (and perhaps New Zealand’s) population crashing? Because if it continues to increase without restraint, then eventually crash it must.
Ralph Allen
St Leonards
Wanaka housing growth
THE recent report (ODT, 23.10.18) regarding the goal to help deliver 1000 affordable homes in the Queenstown Lakes area, was disturbing, stating:
‘‘The task force which was set up last year to investigate new ways of addressing housing affordability has recommended the council ‘provide more land intensification and inclusionary zoning, to enable more development options and infilling’.’’
My question is: What percentage of land, aimed to be built on, would be set aside in the Wanaka area for open space and reserves, to ensure Wanaka remains an attractive place to live and for tourists to visit?
I was also horrified with the report stating — ‘‘The recently announced KiwiBuild initiative in Wanaka was an excellent example of affordable homes provision, but it would not assist long term because they would eventually be sold on at normal market rates.’’
Loris King
Wanaka