'diesel' scrappage scheme
- Thread starter legrandefromage
- Start date
- Feedback
- View
I blame the industrial revolution. It was all downhill form there.
highlandsflyer
Retro Wizard
- Feedback
- View
Re:
Most domestic electric vehicles, (those pottering around a little plus a reasonable daily commute), don't need a full charge every night. Topping up whilst sat in the office is there for those who need to get further; for the cold weather, driving to the in-laws on a Friday night, or just facing a longer commute.
We waste lots of power overnight due to the way our energy system works. Electric vehicles are certainly one way of addressing that problem. The move towards 'smart' power management allows our homes to manage consumption automatically when there is a surge, as all those kettles go on during the soaps or we stick the tumble drier on at the same time as the dishwasher. In that scenario, the 4Kw required to charge a vehicle for half a dozen hours should be quite simple to manage on existing infrastructure.
As far as charging points are concerned; every single electric socket is a potential charging point for most electric vehicles, (albeit not as efficient as turnkey charging solutions).
Compared to current means of fuelling vehicles, that is mindbogglingly convenient and flexible.
We recently audited our transport needs; and at the moment electric doesn't fit our requirements. By a whisker.
Like I said, I would love to electrify an old classic car. That is where it is at for me, before they outlaw them.
Most domestic electric vehicles, (those pottering around a little plus a reasonable daily commute), don't need a full charge every night. Topping up whilst sat in the office is there for those who need to get further; for the cold weather, driving to the in-laws on a Friday night, or just facing a longer commute.
We waste lots of power overnight due to the way our energy system works. Electric vehicles are certainly one way of addressing that problem. The move towards 'smart' power management allows our homes to manage consumption automatically when there is a surge, as all those kettles go on during the soaps or we stick the tumble drier on at the same time as the dishwasher. In that scenario, the 4Kw required to charge a vehicle for half a dozen hours should be quite simple to manage on existing infrastructure.
As far as charging points are concerned; every single electric socket is a potential charging point for most electric vehicles, (albeit not as efficient as turnkey charging solutions).
Compared to current means of fuelling vehicles, that is mindbogglingly convenient and flexible.
We recently audited our transport needs; and at the moment electric doesn't fit our requirements. By a whisker.
Like I said, I would love to electrify an old classic car. That is where it is at for me, before they outlaw them.
Re:
The problem is we are making electric cars that are a facsimile of the overweight and overpowered internal combustion engine vehicles we have.
If the car didn't exist and hadn't developed into bloated mobile status symbol that it is and designers/engineers were tasked with developing a vehicle to be driven on a smooth surface to carry 4 people and some shopping, lets say 400kg, but more typically less than 100kg, as most cars are single occupancy, no one in there right mind would come up with the 1500kg+, 200bhp+ behemoths, that are typically scrapped and replaced after just a decade or so, that we currently drive around in.
The problem is we are making electric cars that are a facsimile of the overweight and overpowered internal combustion engine vehicles we have.
If the car didn't exist and hadn't developed into bloated mobile status symbol that it is and designers/engineers were tasked with developing a vehicle to be driven on a smooth surface to carry 4 people and some shopping, lets say 400kg, but more typically less than 100kg, as most cars are single occupancy, no one in there right mind would come up with the 1500kg+, 200bhp+ behemoths, that are typically scrapped and replaced after just a decade or so, that we currently drive around in.
highlandsflyer
Retro Wizard
- Feedback
- View
Re:
Very good point.
If you think Sinclair C5, then a lot of electric vehicles could be super lightweight and ultra efficient. Perhaps the current approach will persuade people into them to start with though. Better than nothing!
Very good point.
If you think Sinclair C5, then a lot of electric vehicles could be super lightweight and ultra efficient. Perhaps the current approach will persuade people into them to start with though. Better than nothing!
Osella
Senior Retro Guru
Re:
Sadly, Rudi would spin in his grave at what his engine has become..
The whole point; the ethos of the diesel engine was a simple, reliable engine that could run on any fuel available in localised, non-grid, disconnected parts of the world.
A lot of people have converted their supply to part-oil, part vegetable, or biodiesel, etc fuel and suffered no ill effects to the motor.
The very fact that there is a fuel we call 'Diesel' to use in a spark-less combustion motor is complete anathema to the creation of the engine. It is the fuel which should be moved away from, not the engine.
The more we scrap 'Diesels' all we are left with are coal/gas-burning 'electric' cars and fossil fuel burning petrol cars. Although it does not suit the government contracts or globalised businesses, Diesel engines are probably the best medium-term transport solution for independent vehicles, that we currently have available - they just need to be moved away from 'Diesel' fuel to reduce the particulate emissions.
Smaller growing/farming areas of biofuel, plant oil production, etc within the country (becoming self-sufficient, in a non-European UK) also then reduces the international transportation of crude, the need/number of UK refineries and the number of heavy road-damaging tankers traversing the country. Scrapping a few Peugeots is far less of an answer, but it's a simple populist measure that makes the decision-makers feel good while achieving precisely nothing.. So to be expected from politics, sadly.
Sadly, Rudi would spin in his grave at what his engine has become..
The whole point; the ethos of the diesel engine was a simple, reliable engine that could run on any fuel available in localised, non-grid, disconnected parts of the world.
A lot of people have converted their supply to part-oil, part vegetable, or biodiesel, etc fuel and suffered no ill effects to the motor.
The very fact that there is a fuel we call 'Diesel' to use in a spark-less combustion motor is complete anathema to the creation of the engine. It is the fuel which should be moved away from, not the engine.
The more we scrap 'Diesels' all we are left with are coal/gas-burning 'electric' cars and fossil fuel burning petrol cars. Although it does not suit the government contracts or globalised businesses, Diesel engines are probably the best medium-term transport solution for independent vehicles, that we currently have available - they just need to be moved away from 'Diesel' fuel to reduce the particulate emissions.
Smaller growing/farming areas of biofuel, plant oil production, etc within the country (becoming self-sufficient, in a non-European UK) also then reduces the international transportation of crude, the need/number of UK refineries and the number of heavy road-damaging tankers traversing the country. Scrapping a few Peugeots is far less of an answer, but it's a simple populist measure that makes the decision-makers feel good while achieving precisely nothing.. So to be expected from politics, sadly.
JamesM
Senior Retro Guru
02gf74":1zw3lpur said:
I bet if fossil fuels were in short supply we'd have fusion pretty quickly. Necessity is the mother of invention and right now we don't really need it or want it, at least in economic terms.
I'm no expert on the subject but I believe there are better ways of doing fission. Take a look at LFTRs (Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors) and molten salt reactors.
If we could generate lots of electricity from nuclear energy then we could separate hydrogen from water with oxygen as a byproduct and run our internal combustion engines on the hydrogen and the oxygen in the air. The result would be water vapor emitted from the exhausts of our cars. Full circle!!!!
Similar threads
- Locked
