Altitude EV

15/08/2025

good news - CATL = world’s largest manufacturer of EV batteries

Facing a wave of electric vehicles exiting warranty coverage, battery giant CATL is tackling one of the biggest pain points in EV ownership: expensive battery replacements. Through its aftermarket brand Ning Service, CATL has launched a CTP (Cell-to-Pack) battery repair program that could reduce costs from around $13,750 to as low as $1,375–$2,750.

Why this matters:
CTP batteries are highly integrated, making traditional repairs difficult
Until now, damaged packs were often replaced entirely—costing up to 50% of the car’s value
CATL’s new service breaks the “replace-only” trend with targeted repairs
Over 1,100 service centers in 75 countries, including 800+ in China
Services include battery testing, maintenance, recycling, and reuse
Aims to support second-hand EV market and reduce long-term ownership costs.

24/12/2024

hilarious… happy Christmas everyone

01/11/2024

come and see our display at Motorfest today… if you are here at the right time - there will be bacon & egg rolls, also cocktail frankfurts - all enabled by Ross & Gail’s BYD ‘vehicle to load’ (V2L) power outlet

16/07/2024

Shop AltitudeEV Branded Merchandise - Get Your Hats, Tshirts, Hoodies, and More

Our shop with AltidudeEV Branded products is now live. You can purchase a range of AltitudeEV branded merchandise now Shop Now There are hats, Tshirts, Hoodies and more.

07/07/2024

GO IKEA and GO South Australia… the more distributed power generation & storage - the lower the demand on the remaining BIG coal generators - something that the coal/gas/nuke proponents don’t ‘get’ yet

07/07/2024

interesting https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/is-it-time-up-for-suvs-like-the-toyota-rav4-mazda-cx-5-and-mitsubishi-asx-the-return-of-the?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1MfIDridOKL_-jBFKVEBeZzDuBj-lxjU_0Kc9nNbu9JDmmBMN0eUTbj00_aem_uZXll5fOgTzOPESy0UyQgw

Something is happening in the car world that most experts didn’t think they would see. We’re talking about a shift away from SUVs and into hatchbacks and sedans again.

01/07/2024

account of our return Nullarbor journey - Norseman to Ceduna & on to Streaky Bay in our Tesla Model 3 LR

June 21: Norseman to Caiguna - total 373 km | did a small (security blanket) charge - 14 kWh at the Balladonia 20 kW charger (coinciding with coffee break) | consumption averaged around 160+ kWh/100km at 95-100 km/hr in a strong-ish crosswind | overnight at Caiguna Roadhouse & motel - attempted to charge with the crowd funded Biofil fueled DC charger assisted by the Caiguna maintenance man, however it failed to start even with 2 attempts/2 methods to jump start it. Staff generously allowed me to charge overnight free of charge from a 15 amp caravan/RV power outlet.
June 22: Caiguna to an overnight at Madura Pass motel - 158 km… with staff assistance, charged with the 20 kW Delta DC charger that carries a University of WA label (that I understand was crowd funded). Once again (4th time) the charger ‘came-to-life’ at the second attempt and charged faultlessly.
June 23: Madura Pass to Nullarbor Roadhouse - 378 km… stopped for coffee at the Mundrabilla Roadhouse - which is about the geographic centre of the Nullarbor ‘drive’ & observed the largest number of road trains in one place that I have ever seen | another point of interest is that the waitress who served us 2 excellent (fresh) toasted open sandwiches said they had allowed EVs staying at the motel to charge from a 3-phase outlet/however this had resulted in significant voltage drop in their electricity system!! For mine - the highlight of this drive is to cruise for about 150km close to the Bunda Cliffs & there are about 5 easily accessible lookouts to see them.
June 24: lay day based at Nullarbor Roadhouse/drove to Head of the Bight Visitor Centre & saw 2 Southern Blue whales 🐳 - neither did much, but it was great to see them & this is an outstanding ‘setup’ to observe this outstanding nature location with the whales as a bonus. Completed our charge for the next day at the outstanding diesel/solar/battery powered NRMA fast charger. Also took the time to look at the ‘original’ crowd funded, TOCEVA owned Delta 20 kW fast charger carrying (see pic). I expect this is hardly utilized nowadays with the availability of the NRMA fast charger at this location.
June 25: Nullarbor Roadhouse to Ceduna - 296km (charged at RAA fast charger) and on to Streaky Bay for a ‘cushy’ accommodation overnight stay.

General observations:
1. the return was an easier (zero anxiety trip) because there were no headwinds, however as cyclists know a strong crosswind can also increase aero drag… my rule-of-thumb is - either a headwind or crosswind of 30 km/hr or greater will have a significant effect on electricity consumption that should be taken into account/or countered by either making an additional charging stop or slowing down (aero resistance (kWh/100 km) is proportional to your speed squared).
2. at this time, I know of 6 designated charging ‘stations’ between Norseman & Ceduna - Balladonia, Caiguna, Cocklebiddy (3-phase socket outlet), Madura Pass, Border Village (3-phase outlet), Nullarbor Roadhouse (2)… at this time, neither Caiguna or Border Village can be considered reliable (for different reasons)…
OVERALL - plan your trip & anticipate having to adjust your plan…
3. Apart from the NRMA fast charger at Nullarbor Roadhouse, I do not know but think it likely that an underlying limitation to availability of additional DC chargers along the Eyre Hwy/Nullarbor drive is the need to obtain power from the all important diesel generators at the roadhouses & the significant current draw required for the reliable 20 kW Delta 20 kW chargers.

PIPE DREAM
Adopt & build a modified version of the proposed East West inter-connector along the Nullarbor route (current proposal is along Indian-Pacific route) with ‘taps’ to the roadhouses and other key locations - not just an essential piece of national infrastructure, but also as the catalyst for realising the potential of a Nullarbor tourism/economic corridor https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=4de2711f-2482-4d58-b72d-c1668c633260&subId=667142

25/06/2024

V2H for not too much $ https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/hoem-review/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3AVEW5CjkgP2e_ZaGY6bcTKbaVQC6lQUNVjE6SOmpS_Khv9rZoxaZwt0I_aem_AjNIdYvYf9B_LU2k_9weqA

HOEM unlocks the power of Vehicle-to-Home, allowing you to use your EV to fuel essential home loads daily or during a crisis.