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This is the one subject that forces me to put finger to keyboard.
I like the Tesla, I've been in a few but agree that the whole electric car thing is a falsehood. You take the average Northampton street, 100+ vehicles with no permanent parking places or room for charging points. In fact take any suburban area built within the last 60 years - crazy 60's/ 70's housing estates where there is only community car parking which may have been fine in 1968 but 60 years later wholly inadequate for projected and practicable EV use.
We're generations away from car sharing.
Whilst public transport is patchy, unreliable and expensive, you wont prise people away from their vehicles.
I can still buy a car, insure it and drive to a long distance destination for less than the equivalent standard train fair - this is so totally arse about tit as I may even get to sell the car at the end for roughly what it cost.
Workers used to travel short distances to their places of employment, now people travel for hours for work.
Then theres the marketing - 'SUV' - the most insidious 'automotive oxymoron' yet. We didnt 'need' these vehicles but somehow marketing said we did and now many manufacturers push these vehicles at us, a continuous beating about the head with adverts about how great you'll look in a heavy, inefficient over stuffed but the latest must have if you want to text whilst driving or that it might match your handbag - yes, its is that bad.
Something went horribly wrong in the early 2000's. Cars were getting efficient and safe. You had the Audi A2 and the Mercedes A-Class, lessons in how to make small efficient vehicles that were safe and had a small footprint. Yes they had their flaws but the direction was there, cars were to get smaller and lighter.
But no...
I dont know what the **** happened but we got an arms race instead. Frighteningly heavy vehicles such as the Renault Espace, famously heavy - ok it was safe for its occupants but woe betide anyone if you happened to be hit by one. The Land Rover Discovery, nearly 3 tons, Range Rover Sport, something like a 3070kg curb weight and the BMW X5 and X6 - what on earth went wrong?
What justifies these vehicles? I cant understand how they came about yet marketing says we needed them. Clever marketing - we 'need' these vehicles'.
My works 2013 Fiesta 1.5 TDCi Van weighs 1575kg, my 1980 Rover SD1 V8 had a curb weight of 1360kg
The Mercedes W124 220e had a curb weight of 1635kg - this car was the basis for the Euro Ncap safety. It was and still is a 'safe' vehicle - it had airbags and crumple zones etc etc. So why is my Fiesta such a fat lardy turd? A new Range Rover sport is supposedly 2100kg, why? Why do you need a giant car? The Nissan Juke - a masterpiece of marketing. They are so cramped inside I dont know how anyone can live with them yet they sell like cosy warm muffins, same with the Cashcow, its an estate seen via a wobbly hall of mirrors image. Add to that the Jaguar F-pace. Daft looking 'suv' that demand bigger carparking spaces because they have 'shrunk' - when they havent, they vehicles have ballooned
Where are the MPG and safety details in current car adverts? Its not sexy is it, 'technology' sells or at least thats what we are told - again clever marketing and an onslaught of terrible adverts.
Then, if your car is older than 5 years, you are then seen as poor or a bit mad for driving such an old vehicle, why havent you upgraded to a newer cleaner vehicle!
I admit, I have a 20 year old Nissan Elgrand. It old school diesel, it does about 40mpg at best, its a bit lardy but its horribly practical with room for bikes and room to sleep. It can be easily serviced and repaired, the belts are at the front and are all accessible via the bonnet. It always passes its MOT without any advisories. Yet its more environmentally friendly than any new car because it already exists.
The missus car is 12 years old but looks a lot newer, is fuel efficient and is very safe, the private plate takes care of the age thing, it came with the car...
Other countries dont seem to have quite the same obsession and use their vehicles to destruction rather than throw them away after a few MOT's.
I dont know what went wrong, I work with cars and trucks every day. Old trucks get sent abroad where legislation is less or non existent. Emissions just get pushed elsewhere to become someone elses problem. Kids get sucked into personal contract plans so they can have that shiny new car regardless of what they'll have to fork out in 3 years time when the debt owed is more than the vehicles worth.
Its a sad mess. In truth, its fucked up. I'm sick of it, I cant be alone but manufacturers seem to have this hold over governments. It needs to end, it needs to change.
I like the Tesla, I've been in a few but agree that the whole electric car thing is a falsehood. You take the average Northampton street, 100+ vehicles with no permanent parking places or room for charging points. In fact take any suburban area built within the last 60 years - crazy 60's/ 70's housing estates where there is only community car parking which may have been fine in 1968 but 60 years later wholly inadequate for projected and practicable EV use.
We're generations away from car sharing.
Whilst public transport is patchy, unreliable and expensive, you wont prise people away from their vehicles.
I can still buy a car, insure it and drive to a long distance destination for less than the equivalent standard train fair - this is so totally arse about tit as I may even get to sell the car at the end for roughly what it cost.
Workers used to travel short distances to their places of employment, now people travel for hours for work.
Then theres the marketing - 'SUV' - the most insidious 'automotive oxymoron' yet. We didnt 'need' these vehicles but somehow marketing said we did and now many manufacturers push these vehicles at us, a continuous beating about the head with adverts about how great you'll look in a heavy, inefficient over stuffed but the latest must have if you want to text whilst driving or that it might match your handbag - yes, its is that bad.
Something went horribly wrong in the early 2000's. Cars were getting efficient and safe. You had the Audi A2 and the Mercedes A-Class, lessons in how to make small efficient vehicles that were safe and had a small footprint. Yes they had their flaws but the direction was there, cars were to get smaller and lighter.
But no...
I dont know what the **** happened but we got an arms race instead. Frighteningly heavy vehicles such as the Renault Espace, famously heavy - ok it was safe for its occupants but woe betide anyone if you happened to be hit by one. The Land Rover Discovery, nearly 3 tons, Range Rover Sport, something like a 3070kg curb weight and the BMW X5 and X6 - what on earth went wrong?
What justifies these vehicles? I cant understand how they came about yet marketing says we needed them. Clever marketing - we 'need' these vehicles'.
My works 2013 Fiesta 1.5 TDCi Van weighs 1575kg, my 1980 Rover SD1 V8 had a curb weight of 1360kg
The Mercedes W124 220e had a curb weight of 1635kg - this car was the basis for the Euro Ncap safety. It was and still is a 'safe' vehicle - it had airbags and crumple zones etc etc. So why is my Fiesta such a fat lardy turd? A new Range Rover sport is supposedly 2100kg, why? Why do you need a giant car? The Nissan Juke - a masterpiece of marketing. They are so cramped inside I dont know how anyone can live with them yet they sell like cosy warm muffins, same with the Cashcow, its an estate seen via a wobbly hall of mirrors image. Add to that the Jaguar F-pace. Daft looking 'suv' that demand bigger carparking spaces because they have 'shrunk' - when they havent, they vehicles have ballooned
Where are the MPG and safety details in current car adverts? Its not sexy is it, 'technology' sells or at least thats what we are told - again clever marketing and an onslaught of terrible adverts.
Then, if your car is older than 5 years, you are then seen as poor or a bit mad for driving such an old vehicle, why havent you upgraded to a newer cleaner vehicle!
I admit, I have a 20 year old Nissan Elgrand. It old school diesel, it does about 40mpg at best, its a bit lardy but its horribly practical with room for bikes and room to sleep. It can be easily serviced and repaired, the belts are at the front and are all accessible via the bonnet. It always passes its MOT without any advisories. Yet its more environmentally friendly than any new car because it already exists.
The missus car is 12 years old but looks a lot newer, is fuel efficient and is very safe, the private plate takes care of the age thing, it came with the car...
Other countries dont seem to have quite the same obsession and use their vehicles to destruction rather than throw them away after a few MOT's.
I dont know what went wrong, I work with cars and trucks every day. Old trucks get sent abroad where legislation is less or non existent. Emissions just get pushed elsewhere to become someone elses problem. Kids get sucked into personal contract plans so they can have that shiny new car regardless of what they'll have to fork out in 3 years time when the debt owed is more than the vehicles worth.
Its a sad mess. In truth, its fucked up. I'm sick of it, I cant be alone but manufacturers seem to have this hold over governments. It needs to end, it needs to change.
