future for pistonheads
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surveyor

Original Poster:

18,691 posts

214 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
I was giving this some thought during today.

There is little doubt in my mind at least that as technology advances cars are increasingly going to be driven by alternative sources eg electricity / hydrogen etc.

This is probably the biggest revolution that the car industry has ever seen. Eventually as these cars take over and the demand for petrol/diesel dwindles the cost is going to soar and more importantly availability plummet.

It occurs to me that being a pistonhead may not even be an option and we'll be logged onto a forum called cellhead...

So 20 years time...

scenario8

7,957 posts

209 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
...people will still be trying to explain torque...

v8250

2,747 posts

241 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
that's a most astute observation. i'd quite happily change from PH to CH...though if hydrogen [yes please] we'll all still be PH'ers; ideally with ceramic engines.

interestingly, who's been reading up on graphene recently? an amazing technology which could transform the automotive sector over the next 20 years. the applications are endless!

surveyor

Original Poster:

18,691 posts

214 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
The Crack Fox said:
Electric cars and alternative fuels have been "coming soon" since about 1900... I think Pistonheads is/are safe for another century or two. smile
Things are changing

Renault range out. BMW range in 2013. Others I'm sure will follow.

Big Fat Fatty

3,315 posts

186 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
There were electric cars around during the early days of the twentieth century, in fact, they actually out sold their petrol counterparts. A number of reasons killed the idea off for a while, range, battery weight.......(sound familiar wink )

LuS1fer

43,517 posts

275 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
And the tech will overtake that too and we will look back on our cellhead days.... (see what a great joke that is...)

surveyor

Original Poster:

18,691 posts

214 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
Big Fat Fatty said:
There were electric cars around during the early days of the twentieth century, in fact, they actually out sold their petrol counterparts. A number of reasons killed the idea off for a while, range, battery weight.......(sound familiar wink )
Yes it does, but these have already been overcome to some degree. As the take up goes up the investment in developing the tech is only going to increase. Perhaps I'm negative tonight, but I really think the writing is on the pumps, in the longer term.

Obiwonkeyblokey

5,400 posts

270 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
we will all be driving 3.5 litre mapped diesel MX5s

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

234 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
surveyor said:
Yes it does, but these have already been overcome to some degree. As the take up goes up the investment in developing the tech is only going to increase. Perhaps I'm negative tonight, but I really think the writing is on the pumps, in the longer term.
Ever seen one of these?



If you are right and we are seeing the end of petrol cars then why was this ever invented?

Horses are still very much around but only as a toy



Seen one of these?



Do you really think the removal of petrol engine and replacing it with an electric motor would make it any more tedious


tali1

5,286 posts

231 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
The Crack Fox said:
Electric cars and alternative fuels have been "coming soon" since about 1900... I think Pistonheads is/are safe for another century or two. smile
Yes, even allowing for new tech powering cars - there will be millions of cars still running on the ICE- and the petrol stations still needed to fuel them.

Caulkhead

4,938 posts

187 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
surveyor said:
This is probably the biggest revolution that the car industry has ever seen. Eventually as these cars take over and the demand for petrol/diesel dwindles the cost is going to soar and more importantly availability plummet.
If non-fossil fueled vehicles take over vast majority of transport duties, the remaining petrol and diesel will last for centuries so we'll be fine.

surveyor

Original Poster:

18,691 posts

214 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
Caulkhead said:
surveyor said:
This is probably the biggest revolution that the car industry has ever seen. Eventually as these cars take over and the demand for petrol/diesel dwindles the cost is going to soar and more importantly availability plummet.
If non-fossil fueled vehicles take over vast majority of transport duties, the remaining petrol and diesel will last for centuries so we'll be fine.
Who will sell it and how much will it cost if demand sinks?

CubanPete

3,806 posts

218 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
A shortage of stone didn't end the stone age
A shortage of bronze didn't end the bronze age
A shortage of iron didn't end the iron age
A shortage of coal didn't end the steam age

When the next technology is right it will be jumped upon, the enthusiasts may be the first!



surveyor

Original Poster:

18,691 posts

214 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
thinfourth2 said:
surveyor said:
Yes it does, but these have already been overcome to some degree. As the take up goes up the investment in developing the tech is only going to increase. Perhaps I'm negative tonight, but I really think the writing is on the pumps, in the longer term.
Ever seen one of these?



If you are right and we are seeing the end of petrol cars then why was this ever invented?

Horses are still very much around but only as a toy



Seen one of these?



Do you really think the removal of petrol engine and replacing it with an electric motor would make it any more tedious
Your missing the point. If enough people buy electric and petrol use becomes marginalised then there is a distinct possibility that availability and price could make it very hard to run a petrol car.

Horses are easier as you don't need to refine their food, not drill into the ground for it.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

234 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
surveyor said:
Who will sell it and how much will it cost if demand sinks?
If your daily driver is electric and your toy is petrol will it be a large problem


Or are you a true petrolhead that will never give up your petrolcar

surveyor

Original Poster:

18,691 posts

214 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
I really don't think its that simple. Petrol as a refined oil is not cheap to produce, and if the demand is just from a few petrolheads trying to run toys I can see challenges in the future.


CubanPete

3,806 posts

218 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
surveyor said:
Who will sell it and how much will it cost if demand sinks?
All the true petrolheads will be running their non-turbo diesels on vegetable oil...

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

234 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
surveyor said:
Your missing the point. If enough people buy electric and petrol use becomes marginalised then there is a distinct possibility that availability and price could make it very hard to run a petrol car.

Horses are easier as you don't need to refine their food, not drill into the ground for it.
You do know that we get a few more things from oil then just petrol and diesel


Mafioso

2,411 posts

244 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
thinfourth2 said:
Ever seen one of these?



If you are right and we are seeing the end of petrol cars then why was this ever invented?

Horses are still very much around but only as a toy
I thought this was a stupid post. I looked at who'd written it and wasn't quite so surprised anymore... berk

pingu393

11,049 posts

235 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
I recall an interview with Jay Leno when he said (and I agree with him) that when horses stopped being the mass transportation system, the enthusiasts continued to use them, but they became a costly extravagance. This, I think, is the way, the petrol / diesel car will go.