Fuel cost: How to save petrol and diesel

I recall seeing an impressive hydrogen powered motorbike at one of the eco shows in London (way back). It managed to have some insanely high hydrogen pressure inside the tank without much by way of leakage.

The was a bus too along the same lines. Interesting flame from hydrogen (or methanol for that matter) you can't easily see it in daylight and it doesn't radiatively couple to its environment.

Most of the other things on show were toys. The most annoying thing was that there were big fuel cell systems on display (in Trafalgar Square) but none of them were actually operating! The whole show was powered by several nasty noisy smelly portable diesel electric generators!

Ho hum!

What does "radiatively couple" mean? Google isn't helping me...

I remember being warned about a methanol flame being "invisible" in daylight: when I was doing A level chemistry we were burning several different alcohols and I remember Mrs Taylor telling us to look for the air above the flame being distorted (like a mirage) because that is the only sign of the flame. The only other way to tell is if you accidentally put your hand in the flame...

Dunno. Do you?

Naturally.

I don’t believe in fairies and nor do I believe that governments can exist without tax raising powers. How they raise taxes changes over times. Whilst they’re set upon a carbon reducing agenda I think it’ll be some time before they we get screwed, especially as the shift to EVs is probably going to take longer than they hope.

Easy enough to find out using the appropriate app though.

And this is just one of the reasons why the shift to EVs being possible for everyone is going to take time to sort.

I will and I am thank you. ;-)

I doubt anyone does.

Tim

It doesn't feel hot from a distance until your hand is in the flame.

By comparison a normal fire with visible flames feels hot by radiation.

It is an issue in drag racing where they use methanol as fuel and drivers wear flame proof suits.

Ooi, which app is the appropriate one? Zapmap has been referenced several times in other places but as a nonEV owner it looks very confusing and a random search on the map is showing quite a few as out of order in places I would be likely to drive to. Similarly there are a few not shown but I know have existed for at least a couple of years.

In the days before disposable TB (Heaf) tests in schools, the Heaf test gun was disinfected between each test by dipping the end in industrial meths and setting that on fire, using a small meths burning wicked lamp. Over the 40 years or so that was done, there were quite a few accidents from the invisible flames, including one set of curtains going up in flames that I know of.

It's not a luminous flame and doesn't radiate (much) heat. You could stand quite close to a large burning hydrogen flame and wouldn't get toasted. Stand that close to a similar methane flame and you will get toasted if there is (as is usually the case, see any petrol fire) incomplete burning.

Neighbour has a 19 reg 1.8 hybrid Corolla which he paid just over £20K for new. Local Toyota dealer has offered him £18.5K p/x for a new one that won't be delivered until December/Jan.

Because I do a very low mileage, the price of 4* is irrelevant.

The £1500 grant for a plug-in was removed today without warning, I believe.

Be interesting to see how much, if any the actual price will go up by.

When I did 120 to 180 daily round trips for extended periods taking the ladders off the roof got an increase of 3 to 8 MPG. This was MWay/dual carriage way mileage most of the way - so I was driving the van at 90MPH when I could.

But my foot on the accelerator?

And I have to be the winner at Dunham Bridge.

You said I was obsessed about it. I am obsessed about it.

This is a race to the get in front of the car that was in front of you all the way to the crossing.

Top tips

I've driven vehicles that required paw to the floor a lot of the time. They were quite economical.

well, the lamp was wicked.

same as a diesel

My wife is disabled and is interested in a Motability car. As her existing assessment is due to expire, she cannot apply to Motability, until it is renewed (you need 2 years minimum to run). She put her paperwork in in August for her reassessment, as requested, but she is still waiting. Meanwhile the repeated changes to the grants have already doubled the up-front payment that she would have to make.

But without the nasty emissions

The BR carpark at Merstham Station, a couple of stops short of East Croydon used to be a popular station car park in the 1980's because it was easy to drive to (and to claim fuel on expenses) and meant for a cheaper season ticket to central London.

We then discovered that the 'pay on exit' barriers were a bit stupid, such that if we all drove nose to tail, it thought it was a very long car and didn't come down.

Free parking for quite a while until the station staff realised that the takings were too low.

Tuc tuc ?

And with piss-poor low-end torque needing much more use of low gears. I actually *prefer* my diesel over any of the petrols (incl two 1800 VW Golfs) that I've had.

I imagine a true electric, with no need to change from one gear ratio to another, and as much torque as the tyres will stand, would be great fun to drive. It's the range and (even more so) the very long recharge time that puts me off: I'm used to being able to drive as far as I like, only having to stop for 5 mins to add another 700 miles of range or 10 mins for a pee stop (extra time because of walking fromt he car park to the motorway service station building). Having to plan in much longer stops is a retrograde step.