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Post by michael on Feb 11, 2024 13:58:58 GMT 1
If you believe the politicians (who does) we will all be driving electric cars by 2030! (I might not as currently I have no licence (under medical investigation)).
I have a number of concerns:
i) Some of them have staggering performance beyond the capabilities. I know if two people with top end Teslas and at least one I do not believe is up to it. Maybe we need graded licences as with motorcycles?
ii) Recharging them seems a problem. The flat where I live now has limited residents' parking (why was planning permission allowed - probably by greased palms). If I get my licence back I would have to street park nearby. Millions live in tower blocks and terraced houses. It's a problem that has not been thought through!
iii) I am also concerned about the batteries. Like mobiles they use lithium. I had to buy a new mobile around four months ago. At first it would last two days in a charge but it has already dropped by half a day Lithium is toxic so recycling will not be easy. Finally lithium burns at 3500F (2000C). At that temperature if anyone unknowingly uses water they risk a hydrogen explosion.
I think people will change direction and the future is internal combustion engines using hydrogen that only produce water. And it allows V8's 😃
What do you think?
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Post by michael on Mar 22, 2024 13:53:00 GMT 1
Just got an advert for the all electric Ford Explorer on my PC. I would not want go go off road in an electric veicle as if you run out of "fuel" it is rather mre than just treking to few a couple of gallons of petrol!
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Post by Eddie on Mar 23, 2024 14:39:29 GMT 1
Interesting subject for discussion.
But I don't think any politician in the UK has said they want everyone to be driving electric cars by 2030. It was originally planned that NEW internal combustion engined cars would not be sold in the UK after 2030, but this was changed to 2035 when they realised that the infrastructure for EVs would be nowhere near ready by 2030. I suspect it will get pushed back again unless there is a huge increase in the number of charging points being installed.
And after 2035 you will still be able to drive petrol or diesel cars, just not buy new ones. I don't envisage being stopped from driving them in my lifetime.
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Post by Joe on Mar 24, 2024 15:08:53 GMT 1
I agree Eddie, my current daily driver is a 55 plate Audi A4 Estate with 150,000 miles on it, its nearly twenty years old but still looks smart, drives well, does over 50 to the gallon and doesnt seem to have a top speed...I paid £1,400 quid for it.
It should last anouther couple of years and when it dies it will be replaced with another old Audi/Passat or Octavia. That to me is the eco fiendly way to go motoring
I dont have a problem with the idea of electric cars but I dont see that they are the answer to the world poloution problems.#
I am however increasing allarmed by the electronic control systems, touch screens and connectivity the latest cars.
I had to drive my Mother in Law's Kia Sportage the other day and was constantly distracted by all the various bleeps and warning lights going off every time that I did something it wasnt expecting.
All these so called safety devices are all very well untill you drive a car without them. My Audi is quite a posh one and has parking sensors which is a great gimic (I might even fit them to my Zodiac) but when I get in my wifes's Audi A1 which doesnt have reversing sensors... I have to remember to actually look where I'm going......
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Post by Eddie on Mar 25, 2024 12:02:51 GMT 1
I agree Eddie, my current daily driver is a 55 plate Audi A4 Estate with 150,000 miles on it, its nearly twenty years old but still looks smart, drives well, does over 50 to the gallon and doesnt seem to have a top speed...I paid £1,400 quid for it. It should last anouther couple of years and when it dies it will be replaced with another old Audi/Passat or Octavia. That to me is the eco fiendly way to go motoring I dont have a problem with the idea of electric cars but I dont see that they are the answer to the world poloution problems.# I am however increasing allarmed by the electronic control systems, touch screens and connectivity the latest cars. I had to drive my Mother in Law's Kia Sportage the other day and was constantly distracted by all the various bleeps and warning lights going off every time that I did something it wasnt expecting. All these so called safety devices are all very well untill you drive a car without them. My Audi is quite a posh one and has parking sensors which is a great gimic (I might even fit them to my Zodiac) but when I get in my wifes's Audi A1 which doesnt have reversing sensors... I have to remember to actually look where I'm going...... I totally agree with this. My daily driver is a 2006 Octavia 2.0 petrol, which I have owned since new. Full VW/Skoda service history, 104,000 miles, fast quiet and comfortable (and parking sensors front and rear). I hate all the gimmicks in modern cars, especially touch screens which mean you have to search through several menus just to change the radio station, taking your eyes off the road for ages. On my Zodiac I just had to press one button to do the same thing. And don't get me started on electronic handbrakes!  I intend to keep the Octavia as long as possible, and if I do have to replace it will probably try to find a similar one. Living in London I would have to make sure that anything I buy is ULEZ compliant, so a ULEZ exempt classic is quite appealing! |
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Post by michael on Apr 11, 2024 17:26:47 GMT 1
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Post by cardaft on Apr 15, 2024 10:58:10 GMT 1
I have recently turned 70 and I know my generation had the best of it motoring wise, great cars to choose from and there was plenty of room to drive them.( remember driving across London and basically parking were I pleased!!!
The world has changed, but hay lets solve it by all driving Electric cars, ridiculous off course it is. Electric cars will cause more problems than solve,(were is the electricity going to come from? heavier, more wear on tyres and brakes, more polluting dust) personally I would not own one, I have driven them, I found them quick, but soulless, the idea of plugging the thing in at the end of the day is quite primitive, what happened to the idea of 'induction' an electrical supply loop buried or coated on the roads to induce a charge in the cars battery, with a small rechargeable battery in the car to power it on B roads or whatever. The idea of scrapping perfectly good cars is not good for the environment, Hydrogen could be used to power most internal combustion engines with adaption ( some issues with long term life of the engine, micro fractures etc but I'm sure that could be resolved) and the production of Hydrogen is expensive, but again that would come down, Hydrogen is the most common element in the Universe , so quite a bit about, interestingly Iceland (the country not the store) run a lot of their transport on Hydrogen, they produce it cheaply from thermal power, an advantage of living on top of a volcano I suppose, put water down a vent use the steam to turn a turbine, that turns an alternator, use that electrical power to split water (H2O) into Hydrogen and water, compress the hydrogen and there ya go, maybe even a Fuel Cell?
Synthetic fuels will become cheaper . So I think that V8 rumble will be with us for a while yet.
I have a Jag V12 engine and a Spitfire chassis in the shed (one of them) plan is to put them together and see what happens Ultimate Viking funeral (hopeful not for a while yet). I do intend to go out with a Bang.
CD
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