An "Insight" into the future!
Discussion
With petrol prices and environmental concerns going the way they have been, I made the decision a while back to move to much more fuel efficient vehicles. I used to have a Saab 9000 Aero. I now own two UK spec Honda Insight hybrids (www.insightcentral.co.uk), and a self converted Bedford Rascal Lithium-Ion powered AC regen drive van. (www.solarvan.co.uk) I don't begrudge anyone there own choice of vehicles, free country and all that, these are just mine. 
1) My family has three vehicles and we don't pay any road tax on any of them. All band A or otherwise exempt
Thanks Gordon!
2) All are exempt from the congestion charge and parking fees in London Thanks Ken!
3) The Honda Insights are amazing vehicles, and driven at 50-55mph in good weather over 100mpg is achievable. (I'll post some speedo shots to demonstrate this later.)
I currently average about 90mpg on my 26 mile daily commute. Sadly there are only 257 Insights in the UK, only 70 of those are UK spec cars, and Honda have now stopped building or selling them, replacing them with the much poorer Civic hybrid IMO.
4) The cars produce much less CO2, and hopefully are better for the environment.
5) I'm saving a fortune as well as the planet.
The wife and I went to the Dordogne in July, drove 2000 miles in one of the Honda's on <£100 of fuel. 118mpg over one 200mile stretch
My advice, ditch the gas guzzler while it's still worth something, and get an Insight if you can find one, or a Toyota Prius and save wads of cash!
Regards and happy xmas to all.
Peter
1) My family has three vehicles and we don't pay any road tax on any of them. All band A or otherwise exempt
Thanks Gordon! 2) All are exempt from the congestion charge and parking fees in London
Thanks Ken! 3) The Honda Insights are amazing vehicles, and driven at 50-55mph in good weather over 100mpg is achievable. (I'll post some speedo shots to demonstrate this later.)
I currently average about 90mpg on my 26 mile daily commute. Sadly there are only 257 Insights in the UK, only 70 of those are UK spec cars, and Honda have now stopped building or selling them, replacing them with the much poorer Civic hybrid IMO.
4) The cars produce much less CO2, and hopefully are better for the environment.
5) I'm saving a fortune as well as the planet.
The wife and I went to the Dordogne in July, drove 2000 miles in one of the Honda's on <£100 of fuel. 118mpg over one 200mile stretch
My advice, ditch the gas guzzler while it's still worth something, and get an Insight if you can find one, or a Toyota Prius and save wads of cash!
Regards and happy xmas to all.
Peter
I'll keep driving my V8. I'm afraid mpg holds no thrill for me and being bored to death on the road is a real hazard.
I used to have a Honda moped that would do 200mpg and all I can say about that is...so what.
I'm quite happy to watch my car become worthless before I "beat the rush" to get into a car that is simply a desperately dull means of getting from A to B. When they force me to drive one, I will, but not before. Once you're on that spiral, it soon becomes a down ramp to electric bicycles and suddenly even an Insight becomes a threat to the planet.
I used to have a Honda moped that would do 200mpg and all I can say about that is...so what.
I'm quite happy to watch my car become worthless before I "beat the rush" to get into a car that is simply a desperately dull means of getting from A to B. When they force me to drive one, I will, but not before. Once you're on that spiral, it soon becomes a down ramp to electric bicycles and suddenly even an Insight becomes a threat to the planet.
Here is a link to a 15 min divx 100mb video of a Honda Insight Demo.
http://rapidshare.com/files/4019747/I
http://rapidshare.com/files/4019747/I
peterperkins said:
With petrol prices and environmental concerns going the way they have been, I made the decision a while back to move to much more fuel efficient vehicles. I used to have a Saab 9000 Aero. I now own two UK spec Honda Insight hybrids (www.insightcentral.co.uk), and a self converted Bedford Rascal Lithium-Ion powered AC regen drive van. (www.solarvan.co.uk) I don't begrudge anyone there own choice of vehicles, free country and all that, these are just mine.
1) My family has three vehicles and we don't pay any road tax on any of them. All band A or otherwise exempt Thanks Gordon!
2) All are exempt from the congestion charge and parking fees in London Thanks Ken!
3) The Honda Insights are amazing vehicles, and driven at 50-55mph in good weather over 100mpg is achievable. (I'll post some speedo shots to demonstrate this later.)
I currently average about 90mpg on my 26 mile daily commute. Sadly there are only 257 Insights in the UK, only 70 of those are UK spec cars, and Honda have now stopped building or selling them, replacing them with the much poorer Civic hybrid IMO.
4) The cars produce much less CO2, and hopefully are better for the environment.
5) I'm saving a fortune as well as the planet.
The wife and I went to the Dordogne in July, drove 2000 miles in one of the Honda's on <£100 of fuel. 118mpg over one 200mile stretch
My advice, ditch the gas guzzler while it's still worth something, and get an Insight if you can find one, or a Toyota Prius and save wads of cash!
Regards and happy xmas to all.
Peter
1) My family has three vehicles and we don't pay any road tax on any of them. All band A or otherwise exempt
Thanks Gordon! 2) All are exempt from the congestion charge and parking fees in London
Thanks Ken! 3) The Honda Insights are amazing vehicles, and driven at 50-55mph in good weather over 100mpg is achievable. (I'll post some speedo shots to demonstrate this later.)
I currently average about 90mpg on my 26 mile daily commute. Sadly there are only 257 Insights in the UK, only 70 of those are UK spec cars, and Honda have now stopped building or selling them, replacing them with the much poorer Civic hybrid IMO.
4) The cars produce much less CO2, and hopefully are better for the environment.
5) I'm saving a fortune as well as the planet.
The wife and I went to the Dordogne in July, drove 2000 miles in one of the Honda's on <£100 of fuel. 118mpg over one 200mile stretch
My advice, ditch the gas guzzler while it's still worth something, and get an Insight if you can find one, or a Toyota Prius and save wads of cash!
Regards and happy xmas to all.
Peter
I'd rather boil my eyes thanks.
Good on you - its all to easy to no actually do anything about this and I am pleased that you have done something. When this particular government wants to tax the lot of us off the road, I suspect that you will be better prepared than the rest of us at least.
I have to say though, I have no problem in doing what you have done. Its a good thing. What really bugs me is the misguided and frankly incorrect crap that gets banded around about cars, their contribution to "global warming" and how we are all evil child killers. I am sick to the back teeth of these sandal wearing morons who drive 22 year old Renaults (last weeks experience!) and complain about how MY car is killing the planet. Fecking eejet - the emissions from my car are considerably less than yours, you pillock.... Its not an easy as finger pointing.
Still, good on you and congratulations. Now, do you take the money you have saved and spank it on something that is contributing to global warming?
I have to say though, I have no problem in doing what you have done. Its a good thing. What really bugs me is the misguided and frankly incorrect crap that gets banded around about cars, their contribution to "global warming" and how we are all evil child killers. I am sick to the back teeth of these sandal wearing morons who drive 22 year old Renaults (last weeks experience!) and complain about how MY car is killing the planet. Fecking eejet - the emissions from my car are considerably less than yours, you pillock.... Its not an easy as finger pointing.
Still, good on you and congratulations. Now, do you take the money you have saved and spank it on something that is contributing to global warming?
While I think portraying Lith batteries as a "green" alternative to fuel is very very misguided I am very interested in your van conversion - At some point I would like to create an electric buggy (similar to an atom but smaller, purpose designed with girly weather protection) only using home built in-wheel AC motors (something I already do as a hobby )
Not for any environmental reasons though I'm afraid, it's just something I want to do!
Can I ask what make/model liths you used, where they were from and how expensive they were? the high power ones I use in models are HORRIFICALLY expensive and some only last between 200-300 cycles at max current.
) Not for any environmental reasons though I'm afraid, it's just something I want to do!
Can I ask what make/model liths you used, where they were from and how expensive they were? the high power ones I use in models are HORRIFICALLY expensive and some only last between 200-300 cycles at max current.
I would genuinely love to do my bit, but I am confused as to how. The Insight does crazy MPG but there are hardly any of them around; the Prius is no more economical than a Diesel of the same size; and I have concerns about the dust to dust impact on the environment of such vheicles, as their limited production runs bespoke components and batteries all cost more, environmentally, than their conventional equivalents.
No one without some enormous vested interest seems to be able to give us conclusive and accurate information on how we can all burn about with a clear conscience.
Some useful input into this topic from knowledgeable PHers would be welcome, as it is all to easy to just say "it's all crap" and carry on with the "What is the best colour for a Murcielago" type threads.
"The wife and I went to the Dordogne in July, drove 2000 miles in one of the Honda's on <£100 of fuel. 118mpg over one 200mile stretch"
I work that out to £50.00 per person fuel.
My family and I went to Cornwall and back on £80.00 of fuel with 5 of us in the car. That makes £16.00 per person fuel so that in effect makes me greener than you. Not quite so green as you thought you were then, plus of course the ferry/eurotunnel train emmissions each way.
Is there a "BatteryHeads" site somewhere?
I work that out to £50.00 per person fuel.
My family and I went to Cornwall and back on £80.00 of fuel with 5 of us in the car. That makes £16.00 per person fuel so that in effect makes me greener than you. Not quite so green as you thought you were then, plus of course the ferry/eurotunnel train emmissions each way.
Is there a "BatteryHeads" site somewhere?
peterperkins said:
My advice, ditch the gas guzzler while it's still worth something, and get an Insight if you can find one, or a Toyota Prius and save wads of cash!
Regards and happy xmas to all.
Peter
Regards and happy xmas to all.
Peter
Hmm having met several insites on the road (the Aero seems to attract them - perhaps they like the smell of Ash Frame or something?) they are intollerably slow vehicles. Ran with one in heaviy traffic coming back from bournemouth last year. WHen we hit the long uphill climb the poor thing slowed to a crawl and seemed to struggle somewhat - created a huge jam anyway.
It looks nice, but caries only 2 people and is not really any more economical than a smart car, that uses a lot less resources to build and also carries 2 people, and takes up less road space.
IF electric vehicles really allow you to park without cost in london (thats rubbish though surely - all the prius's on my walk to work have parking permits on them) it would be a good reason to get one. Still the insite with it's low volume, poor performance, lack of seats, and immense cost to build (All built at a loss apparrently) doesn't make much of a case for itself either environmental or economic...
Still each to their own... How do you tune one up then - fit a bigger battery?
One other question for you...
Knowing Liths ability to go into self-fuelling thermal runaway, leading to explosion and the release of lethally toxic gasses through nothing more serious than a single cell over discharge, how do you feel about the safety aspect of your van, and how have you overcome the need for cell balancing when charging that many?!
Knowing Liths ability to go into self-fuelling thermal runaway, leading to explosion and the release of lethally toxic gasses through nothing more serious than a single cell over discharge, how do you feel about the safety aspect of your van, and how have you overcome the need for cell balancing when charging that many?!
I don't disagree/object to any of the replies here, personal choice and all that. All entitled to our view. You can drive about in your (Insert car name here!) if you like. I choose my way so I could spend more cash on wine, women and song, or beer and girls if you like! I used Thunder Sky Lithium-Ion batteries in my EV, yes they are expensive £4500. Some posters have complained about these rare and expensive batteries, I take your point, but they are all now recyclable, you can't just chuck batteries away like we used too. So yes they cost a lot in small volumes, but can be recycled and as we move to a non fossil fuel transport economy they will improve, and come down in price. I agree an EV is a short range only vehicle at present. Just the other side of the coin. Regards Peter
peterperkins said:
I don't disagree/object to any of the replies here, personal choice and all that. All entitled to our view. You can drive about in your (Insert car name here!) if you like. I choose my way so I could spend more cash on wine, women and song, or beer and girls if you like! I used Thunder Sky Lithium-Ion batteries in my EV, yes they are expensive £4500. Some posters have complained about these rare and expensive batteries, I take your point, but they are all now recyclable, you can't just chuck batteries away like we used too. So yes they cost a lot in small volumes, but can be recycled and as we move to a non fossil fuel transport economy they will improve, and come down in price. I agree an EV is a short range only vehicle at present. Just the other side of the coin. Regards Peter
could you give me the specs on those packs please? that's very cheap compared to the ones I use in my aircraft!!! (one of my packs is £250 on it's own - and that's only 4 cell)
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