EV hype hits the wall

EVs have become such a virtue-signal that the thought of driving one makes me want to puke.

The latest real-world testing from the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) delivers a sobering jolt. Many popular EVs are falling short of their advertised ranges by up to 23 per cent, leaving potential buyers grappling with the perennial problem that refuses to die – range anxiety. This isn’t just a minor glitch, it’s a fundamental flaw in the EV ‘narrative’ (there’s that leftie term again) that policymakers seem determined to ignore.

Let’s start with the facts, courtesy of the AAA’s groundbreaking independent testing program, launched to cut through the manufacturer spin and provide Australians with honest data. In their initial round of real-world assessments, models like the BYD Atto 3 SUV clocked in a staggering 111 kilometres short of its promised range – a 23 per cent deficit that translates to real frustration on the open road.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, EV hype hits the wall.

EVs have become such a virtue-signal that the thought of driving one makes me want to puke.

The latest real-world testing from the AAA delivers a sobering jolt.

Many popular EVs are falling short of their advertised ranges by up to 23%.https://t.co/UnctoMEXYJ

— The Spectator Australia (@SpectatorOz) August 11, 2025

Speakman silent while renewables wreck regions

Wendy Tuckerman has actively engaged with regional Australians impacted by reckless renewables.  

Blindsided by the resignation of frontbencher Wendy Tuckerman over the party’s limp support for Labor’s controversial renewable energy laws, NSW Liberals leader Mark Speakman has presided over a fiasco that exposes the deep fissures within the Liberals.

The crisis erupted when Tuckerman, the MP for Goulburn, sensationally quit the opposition frontbench in protest over her party’s handling of Labor’s rushed electricity bill. This legislation, aimed at accelerating the transition to renewables, has been slated for its lack of consultation and its blatant disregard for the impacts on rural landowners.

My latest in The Spectator Australia, Speakman silent while renewables wreck regions.

MICHAEL DE PERCY | "Blindsided by the resignation of frontbencher Wendy Tuckerman over the party’s limp support for Labor’s controversial renewable energy laws, Speakman has presided over a fiasco that exposes the deep fissures within the Liberals."https://t.co/MNv17yQEol

— The Spectator Australia (@SpectatorOz) August 10, 2025

Royal Enfield Intercontinental GT 650 bar end mirrors problem solved!

Royal Enfield 2025 Intercontinental GT 650 bar end mirrors problem solved!

When my brand new Royal Enfield 2025 Intercontinental GT 650 turned up, the bar end mirrors were slipping all over the place. The message from the workshop was that I would need to adjust them. They also didn't have any blanks to fill the holes left from the stock mirrors.

You can buy the blanking caps for the stock mirrors from Cafe Racer Club.

I bought these mirror blanking screws from Cafe Racer Club and fitted them with some 222 Loctite Screw Lock. Tip for new players: Use a piece of cloth or cardboard so the screwdriver doesn't scratch the paint off the driving slot on the blanking plug.

My GT 650 arrives.

I'd purchased the Royal Enfield branded mirrors but they just didn't seem to fit. Then I watched a YouTube video where the original bar end inserts were replaced when fitting some chrome Stadium mirrors. To get the bar end inserts out seems to be a two-person job. If you peel back the grips slightly, you will see a hole on top and bottom of the bar. These holes fit little lugs in the bar end insert to hold it in place. You have to depress the lugs in each hole simultaneously to remove the insert.

I intend to replace the original inserts when my new Cafe Rider Club bar ends arrive.

On the end of the original insert is a keyway that matches the original bar end caps. Some people file these flat but I wanted to keep the old parts. I also wanted my mirrors to stay in place. I found the metal and plastic sleeves provided in the bar end mirror kit were superfluous.

The sleeves are superfluous on the GT 650 and the original cap screw is too long.

But if you take the original bar end caps off, you can bolt the mirrors straight into the bars, leaving a small gap between the throttle and the mirror. I also put the mirror flush with the end of the bars (not the bar end lug). The mirrors will stay put.

I left a gap for the throttle.

Next, I re-fitted the original bar end caps by using a shorter cap screw (and with a full thread). This means the original end caps fit flush with the lugs on the original bar end insert.

The screw is a M6 x 16mm, 1.0 pitch, socket head cap screw. Works a treat! I will update this once I work out how to fit the Cafe Racer Club tapered bar end finishers.