£5000 subsidy for electric cars.

[Groober]

peterperkins said:

Groober said:

reading all the news stories really infuriates me. The only concerns they seem to think the public have is affordability. At the end of the day I dont want an electric car wether it costs 50k or 50p. I love my petrol powered cars, the noise, the smell on a cold winter morning. I dont really need a car but I have one because I love motoring. The dawn of the electric car will suck big time and looks to spell the end for petrolheads like you and me.

What will become of our dear old friend the engine?

Sorry Groober time and the march of technology waits for no man.

Like the zillions of things that have come and gone in history the IC car, the hybrid and battery EV will come and go as something else "better" takes it's place. The IC has had a good innings but it's time to move on.

I'm not saying all old IC cars should be rounded up and crushed, they will just fade away as they become less desirable due to tax breaks, impossibly priced fuel, accidents etc.

Their numbers will be slowly whittled down but they will linger on with enthusiasts and collectors like you and me perhaps, brought out for a special trip at weekends.

They will fade away into obscurity becoming the objects of curiosity at some 22nd century nostalgia museum.

That will be a sad day I still reckon the ic engine will be around for some time yet though. Im all for change its beyond my control at the end of the day but I think these eco cars will have to be made slightly more desirable regarding the looks department. I notice you have an insight, and I mean no offence by this, but is not a good looking machine is it. They should just make them look like normal cars. A hybrid golf gti perhaps

[peterperkins]

Groober said:

That will be a sad day I still reckon the ic engine will be around for some time yet though. Im all for change its beyond my control at the end of the day but I think these eco cars will have to be made slightly more desirable regarding the looks department. I notice you have an insight, and I mean no offence by this, but is not a good looking machine is it. They should just make them look like normal cars. A hybrid golf gti perhaps

I agree the IC will be around for a while yet. No offence taken, beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all, and yes I agree new vehicles will have to look and perform well.

[chris watton]

I noticed the charge points had EDF plastered all over them, what's the betting they've made a deal with the government - and what's the chance of 'refuelling' costing as much as petrol/diesel once enough people own the electric cars....And where the hell is all this new electrical power supposed to come from, as we have (very badly acted) government (mis) information ads telling us that we need to be more careful with energy usage!

[sleep envy]

so when do I get my unicorn?

[G'kar]

sleep envy said:

so when do I get my unicorn?

2011, as long as there is a Labour government.

[Groober]

peterperkins said:

Groober said:

That will be a sad day I still reckon the ic engine will be around for some time yet though. Im all for change its beyond my control at the end of the day but I think these eco cars will have to be made slightly more desirable regarding the looks department. I notice you have an insight, and I mean no offence by this, but is not a good looking machine is it. They should just make them look like normal cars. A hybrid golf gti perhaps

I agree the IC will be around for a while yet. No offence taken, beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all, and yes I agree new vehicles will have to look and perform well.

To be fair if eco cars looked and performed as well as the current range of cars on offer today that would be great and I think people would start to change there opinions of them.

But be honest we would all miss the noise the ic car makes, the bellow of a V8 and the howl of a V12 would be a thing of the past.

[sleep envy]

G'kar said:

sleep envy said:

so when do I get my unicorn?

2011, as long as there is a Labour government.

I think there's a fair chance of that happening, it's only 4.5 hours away

[G'kar]

sleep envy said:

G'kar said:

sleep envy said:

so when do I get my unicorn?

2011, as long as there is a Labour government.

I think there's a fair chance of that happening, it's only 4.5 hours away

Sad when one is so desperate to get the horn.

[otolith]

The problem with the demise of the IC engine is paralleled by the end of steam; while I can see why people found these exciting and interesting:



you've got to be pretty odd to find anything interesting in this transport appliance:



That ^^ is what things like the Prius bring to mind. Efficient, rational, functional, dull, joyless.

[sleep envy]

Prius?? efficient?

have a word

[RichardD]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/5164511/Incent...

telegraph said:

Q. What is ultra low carbon likely to mean?

A. The Government is talking about fully electric or plug in hybrids. A Prius which also has a petrol engine would not qualify.

[otolith]

sleep envy said:

Prius?? efficient?

have a word

Relative to anything running on petrol with a civilised number of cylinders!

[s2art]

otolith said:

sleep envy said:

Prius?? efficient?

have a word

Relative to anything running on petrol with a civilised number of cylinders!

Doubt it when everything is taken into account.

[otolith]

Perhaps - I don't really care how efficient it actually is dust-to-dust, it's sold on the basis of fuel economy and since my own car averages 20mpg it's fair to say that it's more efficient on that basis. I don't own a car for efficient transport, I own a car because I like cars.

[XitUp]

I love all the people who think that promoting electric vehicles will mean they can't drive their petrol car. Stop being cry babies.

Mclovin said:

correct me but do we actually make any electric vehicles....this subsidy isnt even goin to benefit our economy...i think the peewizz is like 5000 imagine hell on earth...

Tesla Roadster is partly made in the UK.

chris watton said:

What was that car on Top Gear, that used a water based fuel, surely that's the way forward?

No. Top Gear is a light entertainment show. Please don't think they know what they are on about.

chris watton said:

I noticed the charge points had EDF plastered all over them, what's the betting they've made a deal with the government - and what's the chance of 'refuelling' costing as much as petrol/diesel once enough people own the electric cars....And where the hell is all this new electrical power supposed to come from, as we have (very badly acted) government (mis) information ads telling us that we need to be more careful with energy usage!

Most people would chose to charge up at night I would guess, when there is a surplus of electricity.

s2art said:

otolith said:

sleep envy said:

Prius?? efficient?

have a word

Relative to anything running on petrol with a civilised number of cylinders!

Doubt it when everything is taken into account.

It is.

[turbobloke]

XitUp said:

s2art said:

otolith said:

sleep envy said:

Prius?? efficient?

have a word

Relative to anything running on petrol with a civilised number of cylinders!

Doubt it when everything is taken into account.

It is.

Presumably you're one of the individuals who hasn't read the CNW Marketing Research report in full but went over to a green blog to get the propaganda summary version? The so-called environmental costs associated with design, construction, shipping, servicing, repair, and end-of-life decommissioning outweigh the small gains in road-use for a Pious and its ilk. If anybody believes in evil lemonade fizz, stick to your old car. The rest of us can carry on doing what we like and kick out the green-red hybrid party at the next election...not that the blue green hybrid replacement will be infinitely better but such is life.

[ewenm]

One of the great things about the petrol/diesel/lpg engines we currently use is the <5mins it takes to "recharge" them from completely empty to completely full. Electric cars will only become a viable mainstream alternative when battery charging technology and the associated infrastructure can match that. Until then I can see households having an electric car AND a conventional car, especially if there are congestion charge benefits to using an electric one. How many would replace a current car and how many would buy an electric car in addition I wonder?

As a G-Wizz driver said on the news, they are great if you do relatively few miles a day and always in an urban environment.

[turbobloke]

ewenm said:

As a G-Wizz driver said on the news, they are great if you do relatively few miles a day and always in an urban environment.

And avoid collisions of any severity beyond a bumper scuff with a well-built petrol or dieel engined car, e.g. BMW, Merc, Volvo. If a black cab hit one of those toys there's be nothing left (of the toy).

[otolith]

ewenm said:

As a G-Wizz driver said on the news, they are great if you do relatively few miles a day and always in an urban environment.

If I were in that situation, I'd be thinking walk/cycle/bus.

[ewenm]

turbobloke said:

ewenm said:

As a G-Wizz driver said on the news, they are great if you do relatively few miles a day and always in an urban environment.

And avoid collisions of any severity beyond a bumper scuff with a well-built petrol or dieel engined car, e.g. BMW, Merc, Volvo. If a black cab hit one of those toys there's be nothing left (of the toy).

Amazingly, I tend to do that anyway whichever car I'm in, bike I'm on or trainers I'm wearing.