OT: How the electric car revolution could backfire

Given there are loads of (mainly American) people who cannot travel without their emotional support animal I don't see why people shouldn't have an emotional support harp :)

Goodness me, I am lost as to why you think I am a socialist for querying if someone _needs_ a travelling harp - much as I might query someone who said "I need a 65 inch TV 4K TV and Netflix subscription".

You were a navvy? I thought you went from teacher to (hereditary) aerial rigger.

It would just mean you wouldn't be allowed to own a car *unless* you have charging facilities at your home.

The real cheat would be those self heating cans of stuff. I think we bought a couple and tried one and it worked ... just expensive and not much choice.

Hmm, interesting, we will have to give it a try to keep as an emergency option. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

There are millions of homes that do not have driveways or anywhere to put them (flats, terraces, etc.), how do you expect people who can't afford a house with its own land, but who do need a car for work to cope? Even people that do have a driveway might have large families and have genuine need of more cars than they can get offroad.

SteveW

Who said that then? No, we don't have to, 'most people' just do (and not of my doing). ;-)

Me too (to both).

Yes, you are right, most folk are the same and whatever that is, that's what sets, 'the norm'.

So, all I'm saying is (and I believe there are stats to support such) that 'most people' rarely travel any distance in their cars and many could make do with a car with restricted range, especially for their secondary car role. Many could but few have consciously considered the fact.

My Electric Moke had a range of 20 miles ... yet I could go to work (and back for 10 days), go to the shops, go to most of my family and friends and even the local hospital and back. What I couldn't do was all of those things in the same day but I rarely (if ever) needed to.

Cheers, T i m

And nor are you and your needs?

Did you have a point regarding what 'most people' actually need though?

Cheers, T i m

If this were done it would be possible in principle to exchange it for a precharged pack at service stations.

Yes, it can suffer from 'memory effect' but rarely does. The only time it was really seen (in a predictable way) was on something like a satellite where there was a constant load and batteries being charged from solar panels in a very repetitive cycle with no deep discharge.

To break that effect you often only had to break the cycle and things would return to normal (exercising).

Cheers, T i m

Charging an electric car from a 13 amp socket would be the equivalent of filling with petrol from bottles. As once was the only way in the early days of motoring - you got petrol from a chemist shop.

But when motoring became common so did petrol pumps. So safe to assume fast charging points will be common when electric cars are everywhere.

BTW, I'm not saying they (electric cars) ever will be. Except that this government, which is so popular on here, says they will be compulsory.

The BBC now influences how far most commonly drive? You should to something about your BBC paranoia, Bill.

council proivided district car parking units with charge facilities.

where I live the petrol stations have been pulling out LPG pumps over the last few years, due to less cars using it. If you have a dedicated LPG engine, then the resale value has drooped significantly. Fortunately, I live near highway leading to airport, and can still get LPG easily. But in 5 years or so, I think LPG fuel will not be practical (shame as it is cleaner than diesel).

Council's can't provide adequate simple parking (without charging), not to mention other services, yet you expect them to suddenly supply the facilities to charge electric vehicles.

You've thought that through even less than Gove has thought though his crazy idea.

Please, for once be a trend setter and lead the way.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Which is the joy of the A1. There is enough that is not A1(M), but just dual carriageway, with laybys. No, I certainly wouldn't stop on a motorway.

I was at a major promotion of fuel cell technology and the hydrogen economy held in Trafalgar Square some years ago. They had all the kit including a caravan sized fuel cell array that was capable of powering a telephone exchange. But despite all the fuel kit *being* there the entire show was powered by smelly noisy deisel generators on tickover.

The only fuel cells actually running were toy educational ones in test tubes. There was even a hydrogen powered motorbike (and several buses).

Methanol based fuel cell technology might yet make the grade for some applications. You get the benefit of liquid fuel even it is toxic.

In message , charles writes

Which is definitely slower? The A1?

Capitol explained :

Assuming they are similar to other batteries - 500 to 1000 recharges before the capacity becomes dire. Using 1000 and assuming daily full use, recharge cycle - that would make their useful life around 3 years.