Electric cars a step nearer mainstream?

[Adrian]

Jon Green gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

No. If they ever were.

[Chris Shore]

Forces you to use both hands so you can't light up a cigarette while filling the car...?

[Mary Fisher]

Don't want an SUV, thanks, can't do with having to remove seats :-)

Certainly don't want LHD (thus opening a sub thread for all those folk who claim it's safer ).

And pay extra for importing???

I'm a Yorkshireman!!!

I've been in touch with Lexus and have interesting information which we'll consider. No rush though. Pre-owned (used to be called 2nd hand) are pretty cheap.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

Um, what's that to do with your point about being an essential user?

Red herring.

Mary

[Andy Hall]

Never assume anything. Very dangerous.

There is nothing incorrect about saying that I have not seen a fuel spill because of the latching mechanism being in use.

I am not disputing that this *can* happen, but certainly that it is a big problem as you are implying.

If you think about it, if it *were* a big problem, then either the handles would have been redesigned or the mechanisms set as they are here.

Since most other countries have the latch wires in the pump handles, it rather suggests that this does not cause an issue for any meaningful amount of measurement.

[Andy Hall]

There probably are. Some people smoke on petrol station forecourts. Some people smoke, period.

If there were a major issue with fuel spillage; in most U.S. states where there is paranoia about the carcinogenic effects of petrol vapour to the point that there is vapour recovery, these mechanisms would have been taken out of service.

In other words, you are describing a non-issue for all statistically significant values of measurement of issues.

[Andy Hall]

Chauffeur

... to meet ...

[Tony Bryer]

The only time I used an US filling station was with a hire car: I stood there like an idiot unable to fathom out how to work the pump. IIRC there was some form of screw attachment of the hose to the filler cap to stop petrol fumes escaping ... which in the Arizona heat was probably prudent.

[Tony Bryer]

News reports also said that Eddie Stobart and others have a fuel price clause in their contracts so far from being hit will gain as less business savvy hauliers go out of business. At one level I have a certain sympathy with the small guys, equally planning for contingencies is a part of business and if you don't, you shouldn't complain if they happen.

[Dave Liquorice]

One of my old cars would "blow back" when filling with 100% repeatabilty unless you with drew the pump nozzle an inch or so from fully inserted. I the slight out position the cut off would work 100% of the time and no spillage...

[Dave Liquorice]

Valid points but common sense says... ah I see the problem due to the nanny state most of the Great British Public and 4/5ths of bugger all common sense.

[Dave Liquorice]

That F.Blogs Haulier Ltd or Smiths Trucking are not using safe arguments to pitch their case for "essential user" status. They are a business just like any other. As someone else said, if they haven't got fuel clauses in their long term contracts or are so inflexable in job costings that actual fuel prices aren't taken into account more fool them.

It doesn't take a genius to use a calculator or plug numbers into a spread sheet to come out with a job cost. Lets see, average MPG of the truck, cost of fuel/litre, total round trip distance. A few other factors are also needed like depreciation on the truck and recovery of its capital cost, also drivers hours and pay (will it take more than a day? so overnight costs for driver and/or truck).

[The Natural Philosopher]

It is. Huge gets a bit more in a disco than I did in the defender..21mpg with maybe 23mpg pottering around at 50mph.

Frightening. I never got that low even on 4 liter blown XKR.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Its no worse than a small factory 3 phase supply.

[The Natural Philosopher]

But they are easier to upgrade, actually. Less of them than the consumers.

[Chris Shore]

Since almost every kind of productive economic activity relies on moving either things or people (or both) and almost always by road (because our rail freight system is not fit for purpose), it seems to me that high fuel taxes (especially on the haulage industry) are nothing more than an increasing drain on our economy.

Businesses, in most cases, have no option other than to move stuff by road. Increasing the cost of that (for spurious environmental reasons) helps nobody and hurts everbody because there is no viable alternative.

I'm sure it's a not insignificant part of the reason why everything is so expensive in this country, as compared with US or most of the rest of Europe.

Chris

[Dave Liquorice]

In the middle of "Englands last Wilderness" aka the North Pennines. Basically 20+ miles from anything other than a small Co-ops.

The local Co-op 2.5 miles away has the essentials like bread and milk bu= t doesn't stock some things we use, not to mention the prices being rather= high. 500g Bertolli =A31.75 in the local Co-op 1000g Bertolli =A32.05 in= Costco... Beer around =A31.60/bottle - Costco just over =A31.00.

Not performance wise like a combustion engine struggles for oxygen at altitude (you need to be getting rather higher than the highest parts of= the UK for that to be a problem) but you need to supply the potential energy to lift the car and occupants. See other post...

The trip from home to Penrith starts at 1400' drops to about 1000' in 3 =

miles, rises back up to 1900' in 6 miles, drops to 600' in 4 miles. The =

rest of the trip, about 10 miles, is "flat" only dropping about 150' but= has couple of short steepish bits.

[dennis]

Why? you assume stuff all the time.

Live or on TV?

Its also irrelevant.

The Americans don't have the same regard for safety as we do.

Well you circumvent the mechanism if you want, its obvious that you are an expert in everything.

[Steve Firth]

Throw the entire thing away and buy something proper. I don't understand designs for road cars that have a track significantly wider than the body. It's just a waste of road space.

That looks like driving a plane that someone has pulled the wings off, but driving it everywhere in reverse.

[Roland Perry]

In message , at 17:10:02 on Wed, 28 May 2008, The Natural Philosopher remarked:

Yes, it just means digging up every street. They did that round here for [renewing] the gas mains over the last three years.