Toyota accelerator recall

[Doctor Drivel]

How long have you had a Prius.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - that Dinky toy uses very little petrol

Why would different tests make any difference to the actual MPG in the real world?

It certainly needed to be. The original only managed 24 MPG overall in a real world test.

[Doctor Drivel]

You must eff off as you are a total Jocko plantpot.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Aren't you normally paralytic by this time? Would anyone know the difference?

[Frank Erskine]

I'd like to bet that in fewer than 8 years there won't be a suitable replacement battery because of physical size, voltage, charging arrangements or whatever. Just look at consumer 'brown goods' technology. So your 'pride and joy' eco-friendly car will have to be totally scrapped after just a few years... Just a bit less eco-friendly, innit.

I hate that American word "warrantee" anyway!

[Steve Firth]

Looking at secondhand values shows what a poor buy the Prius is. They depreciate faster than if they had been pushed off a cliff. And they're remarkably poor VfM even then, since one is buying a car with a battery that can cost £1000s to replace. An Avensis diesel has similar mpg claims (and much better real-world mpg) and it's a larger, more practical vehicle than the laughable Priapus.

[Steve Firth]

What a load of old c*ck.

BTW, "fewer", not "less". Then at least your statement would be gramatically correct although still being a load of old bollocks.

[Doctor Drivel]

You made that up.

[Doctor Drivel]

This pervo needs tagging.

[Tony Bryer]

I would have thought that the one thing that is likely to be available is replacement batteries. A failed transmission might be a different matter.

But the point is well made with regard to all cars; when I was young they rusted away before they wore out, or if they wore out replacing engines and transmissions was relatively cheap. I've been told, and quite believe it, that the cost of replacing the CVT transmission on a Honda Jazz (I owned two, brilliant cars) is such that on a 7+ year old car it's economically a write off.

[Jules]

Hmm, I'd like to see a vid of that - I imagine it'd be up there with that one of the Smart car being piled into the concrete block at high speed...

[Gib Bogle]

Did I say I had a Prius? If so, that was in error.

[tony sayer]

What I'd like to know is how much its going to cost to upgrade all the mains power infrastructure and where is all this extra leccy coming from anyway?..

[The Natural Philosopher]

1/. Quite a bit. Especially for windpower which is not generated where its consumed. Prces range from aboutr 1/10th of teh generation capacity capital cost for a nuke, to aboiut 1/3rd or ghgher for offshore windfarms. The 'african desert powers Europe' scenario places the transmission costs at or above the generation plant build.

And that doesn't even cover the overnight storage required.

2/. In the real world, nuclear and coal sets for the next 20 years. In LaLa land from any fashionable renewable resource you care to pay ten times as much for.

[Tim Streater]

My renewable favourite is tidal power (*not* tidal barrage, let me make it clear). Take your windmill, turn it upside down, and stick it in the water. Tides happen twice everyday, everywhere, and, conveniently, at different times around the country, thus evening out the power generation.

My niece who is in the renewables business, does emphasise to me that no single renewable solution is going to be a magic bullet. Not wind, and not my tidal jobby.

It's gonna have to be nuclear (and should have been all along).

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Dribble claims to own one. But that's an 'error' too. He's claimed to own just about every car ever made at various times. Claims to have a degree as well. He's good at claiming things. ;-)

[Tim]

I hate it when you find one of those on the beach. ;-)

Tim

[Jules]

What's the longevity of those like? Maintenance must be a right pain, and I can imagine salt water and critters cause problems rather quickly.

[Tim Streater]

Dunno, but it must be a similar technology to whatever they'd use in a tidal barrage. Salt water in both cases.

[Jules]

I thought the tidal ones were (taking a rather simplistic view) essentially big float -> pivoting axle -> gearbox -> generator?

In other words, the only bit in the water is the float, with all the serious gubbins above the water level. Not that there aren't issues with salt spray, I'm sure - but I'd expect it to last a lot longer than some kind of undersea windmill.

cheers

Jules