The end is nigh: first really plausible full-electric car

[JamesM]

They might be banned but I bet it wouldnt stop you from getting one if you really wanted it, plus because the filth would all be driving elecric bendermobiles you could just plant it and leave them in a cloud of rich, manly, cute little bunny rabbit killing petrol fumes.

fking lentil weavers.

[JamesM]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

It was the best I could do, what with insurance etc. I decided that having a car I could run into the ground for a few years before Im old/sensible enough to run some proper meal was the best way forward.

Plus if you get some chav behind you who wants to sit microns away from your bumper, dropping a cog and planting it leaves them in a nice healthy cloud of black smoke

p.s, you make a good argument aswell.

[chimera40]

God thats ugly, what is it about eco warrior cars, do they think they have to make them as stupid looking as possible to fit the market that buys them.

[deevlash]

and where does the electricity come from? a frigging power station. Heres an idea, why not make lots of little, relatively efficient power stations in each car. They could run on petrol.

[chimera40]

They are going to have one hell of a fight on there hands to ban the petrol cars, there are a lot of extremely wealthy and powerful people with a lot of money tied up in there private car collections that may object by means of there pocket power over Government.

The other argument is that it may do us petrol heads some good. If say in 20 years the majority of main stream cars are all electric or hydrogen or whatever the cost of fuel will reduce as supply outstrips demand. Most of your joe blogs drivers will be happy with their electric Ford fiesta or VX Vectra. That should then leave the rest of us to our toys.

Then again they might just bring out some bone crunching electric beasts that we all drool over instead and we can all talk about the purr rather than the growl.;)

Think we will just have to wait and see.

[deevlash]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

a coal power stations are about 40% efficient iirc, internal combustion engines are lucky to make 20% taking into account drive train losses etc. The processes for extracting its fuel are well refined however whereas hybrids and electric cars require hideous open cast mines for nickel.


Hybrids are usually 10% heavier than a normal car due to all of the batteries, electric cars are therefore even heavier so need more power to motivate themselves.

The national grid is still relying on nuclear and coal power and will for decades to come. wind power is a pipe dream. Windmills arent capable of producing power 24/7, tidal generation is still in its infancy and hydro usually requires vast dams to be built at great financial and environmental cost.

All in all electric cars are crap, their range is rubbish, theyre expensive, weigh too much, draw power from dirty sources and god knows how theyll be recycled when they come to the end of their lives. Hybrids are an even worse idea. All this money being wasted on hybrids and batteries should be being spent on hydrogen powered cars.

[ZeeTacoe]

chimera40 said:

God thats ugly, what is it about eco warrior cars, do they think they have to make them as stupid looking as possible to fit the market that buys them.

because then one can be seen to be saving the earth. If it looked like a normal car then the jones' wouldn't see you doing your bit in your elecy stbox.

[Mannginger]

I don't mind electric cars so much if they look and go right (Although I would miss the sound of a decent large capacity engine).

But why do all the manufacturers insist on making them so pigging ugly?

[thinfourth2]

Horses

just look at horses

Have you seen a horse recently or a horsebox or something horse related?

I bet you have

But you shouldn't of as the horse is redundant technology so be many folks reasoning it should be completely and utterly missing from the world.

But they aren't they have become a plaything which is what is going to happen to petrol cars. So while the petrol powered rep-mobile will vanish the caterhams and 911s will becoming even better playthings

[GKP]

I doubt if we'll have a nationwide infrastructure of recharging points within 15 years.
"Just popping out to fill the car up, luv"
"OK, see you tomorrow"

[amsie]

Well they have to do something, after all, petrol won't last forever, and the goverment want us to be power sufficient rather than importing our energy, actually one of the good things that there doing, apart from the taxation policies that come with it.

I can see petrol engines being banned in 15-25 years too, so at least i've had the pleasure of owning a few fast cars.

I just wonder though when everyone is driving there electric go-karts what the hell are they going to tax next? :-)

Oh, and in answerto the ugly question, I think there aiming at the family focus type market rather than us :-0

Edited by amsie on Sunday 2nd August 08:42

[Mannginger]

amsie said:

Oh, and in answer to the ugly question, I think they're aiming at the family focus type market rather than us :-0

I get that but this, the Prious and Insight are all seriously ugly cars in their own right though.

[eldar]

It sounds OK as a second car. It it has a range of 100 miles (or 50 thrashing it a bit) that would do for a large %age of journeys for the average person.

The more that they are used means less demand for petrol, so the price ought to fall...

Doesn't say if it has a heater or how one would work.

[reg_slr]

eldar said:

The more that they are used means less demand for petrol, so the price ought to fall...

right after the Govt start sending us all Xmas cards with £10 inside

[amsie]

Mannginger said:

amsie said:

Oh, and in answer to the ugly question, I think they're aiming at the family focus type market rather than us :-0

I get that but this, the Prious and Insight are all seriously ugly cars in their own right though.

I do agree with you, I looked at a Prious the other day, and asked myself the same question, why do they make these cars appealing only to Librarians and the like?

[madbadger]

GKP said:

I doubt if we'll have a nationwide infrastructure of recharging points within 15 years.
"Just popping out to fill the car up, luv"
"OK, see you tomorrow"

We have got one already.

Neither of my cars have been used for at least the last 10 hours they could have been plugged into my nationally available infrastructure point, of which I have several in the house and two in the garage, overnight and would both be fully charged by now.

As it is the Polo has 300ish miles of diesel in and the TVR has about 100 miles of petrol.

If I could swap the polo for something that cost £1 to fill up and would even do 50 miles before it stopped for a long period again it would be worthwhile. A greater range which will come just makes it a more attractive option.

Have you heard about the 'wireless' electricity? There is a working system that will provide power to a device without plugging it in. Similar to bluetooth. It doesn't take a great leap of imagination to imaging you could use a similar system to charge a car. Just park near you house and the car starts charging. Long term you could even have chargers placed along roads so you can charge as you go. 10 years ago you wouldn't have thought Wifi would work.

Save the petrol for proper cars!

[GKP]

madbadger said:

We have got one already.

Neither of my cars have been used for at least the last 10 hours they could have been plugged into my nationally available infrastructure point, of which I have several in the house and two in the garage, overnight and would both be fully charged by now.

Damn, I forgot to plug the car in last night. Oh well, I'll get up an hour and a half earlier and catch the bus to work.

Damn, I forgot to get petrol on my way home last night. Oh well, I'll leave 5 minutes earlier and fill up on the way.

[madbadger]

GKP said:

madbadger said:

We have got one already.

Neither of my cars have been used for at least the last 10 hours they could have been plugged into my nationally available infrastructure point, of which I have several in the house and two in the garage, overnight and would both be fully charged by now.

Damn, I forgot to plug the car in last night. Oh well, I'll get up an hour and a half earlier and catch the bus to work.

Damn, I forgot to get petrol on my way home last night. Oh well, I'll leave 5 minutes earlier and fill up on the way.

I remember to do lots of things everyday. Fill the car up, charge my phone, buy milk. It's not so hard and if you had to get a bus you would only forget once. (or take the TVR instead )

May not be for everyone but it would work for me for the dull commuter car.

[amsie]

Yes, just been reading the stats. Its possibly workable as a commuter car if you go from A to B and back, or live in a city, but for any days out or long journeys you would still need a normal car.

[GKP]

This will definitely see the return of the Inn and Coach House. Imagine having to plan an overnight stop on your journey down to Cornwall or up to the Lakes. And don't even think of driving on a cold, wet night or 'winter' as we call it here. You'll be stopping for a 30 minute recharge every few miles - and turn that radio off for goodness sake!