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Would an electric car work for me?
Would an electric car work for me?

Telegraph

timea day ago

  • Automotive
  • Telegraph

Would an electric car work for me?

Dear Alex, I'm considering buying my first electric car, or possibly a hybrid, but I don't know whether it would be suitable for my lifestyle. I work from home and need to use my car only about once a week for short journeys. While standing idle on my driveway for the vast majority of the time, would an electric or hybrid have to remain continuously connected to a charger? If so, would that degrade the battery? Or would it be preferable to leave it disconnected and charge it only when I need it? – DH Dear DH, An electric car would be ideal in your situation. EVs are at their best on shorter jaunts around town, where the frequent stops allow regenerative braking to recharge the battery and therefore result in a much longer range. And you shouldn't need to leave the car connected to a charger. It wouldn't degrade the battery to do so – although I'd suggest limiting charging to 80 per cent unless you need the full battery capacity for a longer trip, which is best practice with EVs. What about the 12V battery? That is to say, the smaller battery also fitted to an EV, which runs the ancillary electrics. These can drain in certain circumstances, particularly if the car's electronics are being activated – perhaps by a third-party app communicating with the car – more often than the 12V battery is being topped up from the main traction battery. However, the problem seems to be less severe than in hybrid cars and users tend to report that (perversely) the 12V battery is less likely to die if the car isn't left plugged in for long periods With that in mind, my suggestion would be not to leave your new EV connected all the time. I'd just charge it to 80 per cent when the battery gets down to around 20 per cent; by my reckoning, given your mileage, you'll only need to charge a small EV like a Vauxhall Corsa E roughly once every three weeks. Don't forget to factor the cost of a charging point into your calculations, though – even a fairly basic one will still cost about £800-900 these days. If that puts you off, you could consider a hybrid car as an alternative – one of these should prove economical on your short local journeys. I'd be slightly more concerned about the 12V battery going flat in a hybrid, but you could always invest in a solar or trickle charger to keep it topped up. Dear Alex, My car is subject to the Citroën airbags recall. I have been told it is not safe to drive and that I may not be covered by insurance. The earliest appointment I can get is 14 miles along the motorway from where I live. The dealership says Citroën's advice is that it is safe for me to drive it there, but I think they should collect my car and fix it. My local garage could offer nothing until a month later. What should I do? – EJ Dear EJ, This recall programme has been going on for more than a decade, involving airbags manufactured by a Japanese company called Takata, one of the largest suppliers of airbags in the world. In 2013, it was discovered that some of its products could cause serious injury, or even death, as the metal casings could rupture when the airbag was inflated, sending shards of metal at explosive speed toward the driver. Since then, several manufacturers have become involved, but owing to the failure of the Takata subsidiary that manufactured the faulty parts to keep proper records, there have been issues in identifying which models they were fitted to. As a result, extra models have regularly been added to the recall, including Citroën's C3 and DS3, with owners being asked to visit dealerships to have their cars repaired in batches. However, earlier this year, a woman was found to have died in a crash as a result of injuries caused by a Takata airbag in a Citroën. At that point, Citroën issued the stop-drive warning and started to recall all the affected cars at once. As you can imagine, this has placed huge demands on Citroën dealers, whose workshops are now inundated. Which is why, as you've found, getting an appointment to have the work carried out is easier said than done. In an ideal world, Citroën would be required to pick up your car. However, I think a degree of realism is called for: the likelihood of each dealer being able to send recovery trucks for all the affected cars in their area is, as you can imagine, slim. And were you to insist on recovery or a driven collection, you might find yourself facing an even longer wait. You'd have to use your nearest dealer, for one thing and as you've already mentioned that would push your appointment back. I imagine most insurers will give you consent to drive your car in order for the repair to be carried out, in the same way they would for MOT repairs. Call your insurer to check. Assuming they said it was legally OK, get the recall carried out as soon as you can, then put the whole sorry saga behind you. If, on the other hand, the insurer says it will not provide cover for this scenario, contact Citroën customer service on 0800 093 9393 and ask whether they will cover the cost of transportation to the dealer.

When Vishwanath and Vengasarkar pulled off a miracle at Lord's
When Vishwanath and Vengasarkar pulled off a miracle at Lord's

Deccan Herald

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • Deccan Herald

When Vishwanath and Vengasarkar pulled off a miracle at Lord's

Bengaluru: As India began the uphill task of saving the fourth Test, losing two wickets before even getting a run, few would have backed them to survive the six-plus sessions remaining in a match thoroughly dominated by two former cricketers in different continents might have quietly believed India could pull off the improbable. Sunil Gavaskar (in England for commentary duties) and G R Vishwanath, connected through cricket and bound by family ties, had once done something similar 46 summers ago, though at different phases of the innings, on English soil but at the more storied Lord's. .Much like this fourth Test at Old Trafford, where India started their second innings staring at a 318-run deficit, the S Venkataraghavan-led team, back then, began the third innings of that match trailing by 323 after collapsing for 96 in their first innings. They too had eight sessions to bat vs England: Captain Gill silences doubters with coming-of-age performance. 'You never forget such moments, they live forever with you to cherish,' Vishwanath told DH, reflecting on Sunday's drama in Manchester where Ravindra Jadeja (107 n.o.) and Washington Sundar (101 n.o.) batted with heart to salvage the match after KL Rahul (90) and skipper Shubman Gill (103) had laid the foundation. .The 1979 Test had proceeded on similar lines. Gavaskar (54) and Chetan Chauhan (31) gave India a solid platform before Dilip Vengsarkar and Vishwanath wore down England's bowlers with brilliant centuries. Their 208-run stand saw Vengsarkar score 103 off 295 deliveries, and Vishwanath craft 113 off 337. They occupied the crease for 353 and 351 minutes respectively, falling within three runs of each other. But by then, their job was done. India had faced 148 overs, five more than they did in Manchester, marking the first of three times they batted that long after conceding a 300-plus humble, Vishwanath noted they were aided by some rain, unlike in Manchester. But, as he added, India still batted more overs that day, against Ian Botham and company..'It was a great feeling though the play was interrupted by rain. Yesterday, which we drew, that was a terrific effort. Almost playing out two days… I know the feeling. It's always a big task when you are playing the second innings. With a huge deficit, you are only trying to save the game. But it's not that easy because you are not sure whether you want to play your natural game or you want to see the situation, all these things cross your mind.'.'You need a sort of extra concentration. Of course, that's in the beginning, once you get going you have to play your natural game. And once you build the partnership, you always want to carry on with that because one wicket makes a lot of difference. And so, you don't want to give away the initiative. That's where the opponent will definitely come back. You need a different approach while saving the game. It was a tremendous effort.'.While Vishwanath and Vengsarkar were bona fide batting greats, the determination shown by Jadeja, whose batting has notably evolved, and Washington, long labeled a bowling all-rounder but now reasserting his batting prowess, was no less remarkable..'I think it's a huge task which India had,' Vishwanath said, shifting focus to the present-day heroes. 'And they came out brilliantly. Everyone talks about the wicket becoming slower but not on the fourth and fifth day. Because even on a good track, you will have some wear and tear and those footmarks and left-arm bowling (Liam Dawson)… All these things count. It's the effort of the batsmen, totally.'.'You get into the next Test with a lot of confidence. To draw from 0/2, credit should also go to Gill and Rahul. That's the foundation which was needed.'.As the match drew nearer to a hard-fought draw, Vishwanath couldn't help but recall the famous 1979 escape..'You always get into that frame of mind,' he said. 'Because you always go back to your innings. That situation and how I played, how the partnership which me and Dilip had. And then the team survived and all these things. So definitely, you feel that. We had a tremendous welcome (in the dressing room). When I went in, the whole team really appreciated that – 'what a marvellous innings' and all. The players and the managers… We never had the kind of support staff we have now but still, whatever we had, they all got behind us. So now you just imagine (what would have happened) when these two (Jadeja and Washington) got hundreds and got back. These are the moments you play for and cherish.'

Mike Trout can't play the field — and the Angels may be facing a harsh reality
Mike Trout can't play the field — and the Angels may be facing a harsh reality

New York Times

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • New York Times

Mike Trout can't play the field — and the Angels may be facing a harsh reality

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The timeline for Mike Trout to resume playing right field keeps getting pushed back, with little explanation. First, it was supposed to coincide with his return from the injured list on May 30. Then, he needed a short time to ramp up. When that didn't happen, the 33-year-old superstar said he hoped to come back after the All-Star break. Then, when the team returned home from its most recent trip. Advertisement None of that has happened. And currently, Trout is not preparing to play defense, citing soreness in his left knee — the same knee that needed two meniscus surgeries last season, sidelining him for five months in 2024 and one month in 2025. 'Still trying to get back out there, for sure,' Trout said on Sunday morning. 'But when I ramped up the intensity, it was getting more sore. I'm just trying to stay in the lineup. … I feel it a lot.' The question now is if Trout will ever be a regular defensive player again. As the Angels do everything they can to preserve his abilities for the duration of his contract, which runs through 2030, moving into a more regular DH role has to be on the table. Trout — who notoriously has hated talk of DHing — sounded more open to the idea, acknowledging that'll be a conversation 'down the road.' 'We'll talk about this stuff,' Trout said. 'The main thing is preparing myself, preparing to be able to be in the lineup, whether that's DHing or being in the outfield. … (This experience) has definitely given me repetition over a long period of time. But I enjoy playing the outfield.' Meanwhile, Trout's inability to play defense has created a significant roster problem with Jorge Soler, who is still owed nearly $18 million through next season. Soler has been asked to play right field a lot this season to keep both his and Trout's bat in the lineup. But Soler is also having the worst offensive season of his career. Those struggles have been rooted in groin and back injuries, which he said is directly related to playing outfield a lot. 'I haven't played the outfield for a while, for years,' Soler said on Saturday, after being put back on the injured list. 'Then coming here and playing, it's tough.' The Angels simply cannot employ Soler on their active roster, if Trout is going to need regular reps at designated hitter. It was probably poor foresight to trade for Soler, knowing Trout's health issues. And now it'll be nearly impossible to trade him to another team, given his injuries and subsequent ineffectiveness. Advertisement 'He was actually very good, to my eye, given the circumstances,' interim manager Ray Montgomery said of Soler's defense. 'But it's not something we can put on him through the end of the year. We've got to figure out something.' Beyond Soler, Trout's need to DH has forced the team to use more fringe players in right field. It's also forced Jo Adell to play center field despite rating poorly at the position. He's worth minus-13 defensive runs saved in center, after being a Gold Glove finalist in right field last year. Trout said he hopes to return to the outfield this season. But nothing related to his health is a given. And his track record is clear: he takes longer than expected to return from injuries nearly every time. When asked the possibility of Trout returning defensively this season, Montgomery said, 'Anything's possible,' while noting the will is there from Trout to make it happen. That's partly why Trout holds, and will always hold, a special place in the hearts and minds of any Angels fan. He's earned that, with a decade-long prime that exceeds nearly every player's in the game's history. But it's also true that the five-plus years and nearly $200 million he's still owed on his 12-year contract extension present a conundrum for this franchise. It needs to do everything it can to preserve every ounce of his abilities as he ages. Trout is hitting .232. Batting average isn't everything, but it's well below his standard. He's striking out 28 percent of the time in 2025, also much worse than his career numbers. Before this season, GM Perry Minasian said he expected Trout to have a 70-homer, MVP-caliber season in 2025. He was being purposefully hyperbolic, but the point was serious. He expected a lot. It's becoming clearer that the Angels need to navigate Trout's health differently moving forward and accept that he probably isn't going to be that player. Both offensively, and possibly, on defense as well. It's no longer a given he will take the field every day. 'When I'm feeling good, I'll go out there and try and get back out there,' Trout said. 'I just couldn't tell you when that could be.'

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