Boycott the RAC?
Discussion
"Drivers in crowded cities should think twice before buying a big SUV, says the head of a motoring organisation.
Steve Gooding, from the RAC Foundation, said: "We should all choose the right vehicle for the right trip to cut the size of our carbon footprint."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56647128
Surely motorists organisations are to represent the interests of motorists and not to preach to us about what car to buy. Most of us could get by at a pinch with a small hatchback. I choose to drive a large estate car (RAC friendly as not SUV) because it is more comfortable and I sometimes need all the space.
Steve, bugger off!
Steve Gooding, from the RAC Foundation, said: "We should all choose the right vehicle for the right trip to cut the size of our carbon footprint."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56647128
Surely motorists organisations are to represent the interests of motorists and not to preach to us about what car to buy. Most of us could get by at a pinch with a small hatchback. I choose to drive a large estate car (RAC friendly as not SUV) because it is more comfortable and I sometimes need all the space.
Steve, bugger off!
Sten. said:
None of it makes any sense.
M5 Competition = Perfectly acceptable family transport.
X3 20i = You're killing the planet any everybody hates you. Doesn't matter it's smaller, cheaper, more efficient.
It's about nothing else other than people loving to hate SUVs.
Not a brilliant example, I can't remember the last M5 I saw, but the car park outside is full of SUVs.M5 Competition = Perfectly acceptable family transport.
X3 20i = You're killing the planet any everybody hates you. Doesn't matter it's smaller, cheaper, more efficient.
It's about nothing else other than people loving to hate SUVs.
And regarding those, if you buy the 320i Touring instead of the X3 20i, it's ~250KG lighter so uses less fuel in the city, and lower drag so uses less fuel at high speed.
weight 1735 kg vs 1495 kg
co2 176g vs 145g
JagLover said:
The RAC Foundation is a separate entity to the RAC.
They have been pro green and anti-motorist for a while I think. Certainly I seem to recall controversy about their past comments. No need to cancel your RAC membership.
Ah. See you are correct. Just another charity telling us what to do. They have been pro green and anti-motorist for a while I think. Certainly I seem to recall controversy about their past comments. No need to cancel your RAC membership.
Edited by JagLover on Thursday 8th April 13:43
Slightly off topic, but quite why the media treat the likes of Steve Gooding as some sort of authority on the matter is beyond me. Take a look at their backgrounds, he's a politics graduate who has made a career out of civil service, similar story with the bloke who heads up the AA. Their collective knowledge of the automotive industry, engineering and technology wouldn't fill the back of a beer mat.
clowesy said:
Slightly off topic, but quite why the media treat the likes of Steve Gooding as some sort of authority on the matter is beyond me. Take a look at their backgrounds, he's a politics graduate who has made a career out of civil service, similar story with the bloke who heads up the AA. Their collective knowledge of the automotive industry, engineering and technology wouldn't fill the back of a beer mat.
Just institution capture by the usual suspects.The National Trust is one of the largest examples of this.
thewarlock said:
irc said:
"
Steve Gooding, from the RAC Foundation, said: "We should all choose the right vehicle for the right trip to cut the size of our carbon footprint."
So does he think we should all have access to a fleet of vehicles so we can use the right one for the right trip?Steve Gooding, from the RAC Foundation, said: "We should all choose the right vehicle for the right trip to cut the size of our carbon footprint."
NB: SUV =/= 4x4.
IroningMan said:
He'd be correct if he did. That fleet would include bicycles, buses, trains, taxis and perhaps a car. Not many things that an SUV does that a car doesn't do better, though.
NB: SUV =/= 4x4.
Did you read the article? NB: SUV =/= 4x4.
It states:
"It shows that large SUVs - often known as Chelsea tractors - are indeed most prevalent in places such as Chelsea.
They are typically defined by their extreme size, and off-road features such as high ground clearance and four wheel drive."
I don't own a bus, train, or taxi, they're not part of my 'fleet'.
I did used to drive a 4x4 into the city most days, as I worked there. And lived on a farm.
And that's before you even get to freedom of choice.
I'm getting a bit tired of this "don't own this or that because of the carbon footprint" message. Because it's so selective. No-one says "don't have a 65 inch TV set, think of your carbon footprint", or "don't buy the latest smartphone made in the Far East, because carbon footprint".
I mean, a small TV would do, would it not, and an old Nokia, perhaps?
We live in a consumer world where, if you can afford it, you can choose whatever you want. So unless you're going to suggest we all turn off the heating, walk everywhere and sit in the dark, it is daft to pick on your choice of car in isolation. Perhaps the RAC Foundation would like us only to be allowed state-approved utility vehicles; a Trabant, perhaps? One might almost think the likes of Steve Gooding were closet socialists.
I mean, a small TV would do, would it not, and an old Nokia, perhaps?
We live in a consumer world where, if you can afford it, you can choose whatever you want. So unless you're going to suggest we all turn off the heating, walk everywhere and sit in the dark, it is daft to pick on your choice of car in isolation. Perhaps the RAC Foundation would like us only to be allowed state-approved utility vehicles; a Trabant, perhaps? One might almost think the likes of Steve Gooding were closet socialists.
thewarlock said:
IroningMan said:
He'd be correct if he did. That fleet would include bicycles, buses, trains, taxis and perhaps a car. Not many things that an SUV does that a car doesn't do better, though.
NB: SUV =/= 4x4.
Did you read the article? NB: SUV =/= 4x4.
It states:
"It shows that large SUVs - often known as Chelsea tractors - are indeed most prevalent in places such as Chelsea.
They are typically defined by their extreme size, and off-road features such as high ground clearance and four wheel drive."
I don't own a bus, train, or taxi, they're not part of my 'fleet'.
I did used to drive a 4x4 into the city most days, as I worked there. And lived on a farm.
And that's before you even get to freedom of choice.
Doesn't make a Q5 a better choice than an A4 for someone living in Kensington, though.
budgie smuggler said:
Not a brilliant example, I can't remember the last M5 I saw, but the car park outside is full of SUVs.
And regarding those, if you buy the 320i Touring instead of the X3 20i, it's ~250KG lighter so uses less fuel in the city, and lower drag so uses less fuel at high speed.
weight 1735 kg vs 1495 kg
co2 176g vs 145g
But is lower, so harder to load with kids etc.And regarding those, if you buy the 320i Touring instead of the X3 20i, it's ~250KG lighter so uses less fuel in the city, and lower drag so uses less fuel at high speed.
weight 1735 kg vs 1495 kg
co2 176g vs 145g
IroningMan said:
Good for you.
Doesn't make a Q5 a better choice than an A4 for someone living in Kensington, though.
Doesn't make it a worse choice either though. The Q5 has a bigger boot. That's easier to lift things in and out of. It can also tow more. It's also shorter than an A4.Doesn't make a Q5 a better choice than an A4 for someone living in Kensington, though.
Don't think that was the best example you could have picked
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