Search found 634 matches

by Mark R
31 Mar 2023, 5:44pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

But the smell of car exhausts is a thing from the past, unless an engine has been started from cold
This is so obviously false, I'd suggest you are either an air pollution denier or have a defective sense of smell!
As the scientists remind us, it's pollution from tyres which is much more of a concern.
Also a highly dubious claim.
by Mark R
20 Mar 2023, 8:32pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

The single biggest problem for the diesel engine is that the green lobby convinced politicians to promote it for use in private vehicles which didn't make best use of it.
How was it the "green lobby"?

I think you would find it was the "motoring lobby"......They were told they had to lower the CO2 emissions of their products - they didn't like the sound of being forced to make smaller, lighter vehicles ( larger vehicles are much more profitable ). No problem, they could just start fitting diesel engines, motorists could be convinced that by buying a diesel they were "doing their bit" and business could continue unabated.

At the time medical experts (the "health lobby"?) raised the alarm over the extra pollution this would cause but our leaders were assured by the motor industry that advanced emission controls would soon be available and diesel exhaust pollution would cease to be a concern. Well we all know how that turned out don't we?
by Mark R
19 Mar 2023, 10:58pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

No I mean keeping the injection system in good order. Yes injectors need to be replaced from time to time and it's not overly expensive. Again blowby and leaky valve stems can be fixed by a rebore, new pistons, new guides and valves. If you've experience of working with engines I'm surprised you don't know about such things.
An engine rebuild is not "servicing" neither is swapping out injectors.

People don't rebuild engines or swap out injectors to achieve marginal emissions improvements - the MOT test certainly doesn't require it (the emissions have to be really quite horrendous in order to fail the UK emissions test).

For older vehicles it is pretty much uneconomical anyway (do you know much it costs to rebuild a diesel car engine?). Aging diesel cars are not going to become desirable future classics, (in the electric age they will be a major embarrassment).

Why is your average motorist going to pay to have injectors replaced or pay for engine work when it will not make any noticeable difference to MPG or performance? OK so it will it make it stink a bit less..... - most people don't care ("all that money..... just to make it smell better!") - they are not the ones who have to breathe it. They can just carry on changing the oil and filters and run it up to 3, 4 or even 500,000 odd miles. It will be eyewateringly filthy; toxic as hell, but hey it still does 50mpg - what's not to like?
by Mark R
18 Mar 2023, 6:25pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

Good...now go and read the section on diesel emission testing. Tell me which part of it represents a stringent test of emissions. The tests are reasonably strict for spark ignition engines but the diesel test is different and more lax. Evidenced by the number of filthy stinking vehicles which pass the emission test.
by Mark R
18 Mar 2023, 4:54pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

As far as I’m aware the annual MOT is pretty strict about emissions
This is unfortunately quite false

Due to the laxness of the MOT a diesel can be eyewateringly filthy and still fly through the emissions test.

There is now a requirement to look for visible smoke, which is of zero practical value - its not about what you can see - trust your nose - if it smells bad it is bad.
by Mark R
18 Mar 2023, 4:47pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

Oh yeah, go round measuring them and recording their maintenance history do you? The problems will be with those that aren't correctly maintained. What experience do you have of working on and maintaining diesel engine?.
What experience do I have - until recently I did it for a living. What is your perspective? (ATM it seems like a straightforward case of air pollution denial)

By maintenance I suppose you mean scheduled oil and fuel filter changes - the items in the service schedule? If you think this is enough to keep a high mileage diesel running cleanly you are very wrong indeed. Of course you could replace injectors etc. But that would be uneconomical and in any case, blow by gases past piston rings and valve stems add to the general filthyness of the exhaust emissions,

I have been hearing for years that only poorly maintained engines cause emission problems. It is false information which needs to be called out.
by Mark R
18 Mar 2023, 3:08pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

Providing this and the exhaust system, including any DPF, is maintained in good order there's no reason why emissions should increase greatly with age.
Top
Sorry but this is utter bunkum, clearly evidenced by the fact that pretty much all older diesels from cars to trucks to tractors to buses are now filthy and stinking.
by Mark R
18 Mar 2023, 12:59pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

Eh? The buses used to take children to school here are the same used by the bus company for it's normal services. Why should this produce more pollution on a school run than on a service route?
I'd suggest your experience is atypical. I reckon most people can relate to the problem of school buses belching heinous levels of carcinogenic filth- it is simply the nature of diesel engines as they age. All of your nice clean EURO6 diesels will be tomorrow's mingers stenching the place up. The biggest irony where I live is the PSV known as the "Enviro400" .....cancer on wheels would be a better name for it :evil:
by Mark R
17 Mar 2023, 8:08pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

The smelliest diesel vehicles around here tend to be the school buses that clog the streets twice daily, so I'm blaming the kids for damaging my lungs. I'll get my coat......
You make a good point about school buses being perhaps the filthiest vehicles of all. It certainly emphasises the point about diesel engines becoming massively polluting once they have significant wear and tear......and the toxic emissions from an Electric bus? Would they increase as the vehicle got older?
by Mark R
17 Mar 2023, 6:39pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: BEVs
Replies: 2122
Views: 108252

Re: BEVs

cost less to run than an equivalent petrol or diesel car
are reducing the harm done to our planet and its lifeforms
are quiet and smooth
can be refuelled with my own renewable energy production
can supply energy to the home and Grid
No! I am concerned they are just another way of making the car seem acceptable
That list of options is silly.

Its all about toxic exhaust emissions isn;t it?

BEVs don't solve any of the other problems with car use - congestion, resource use, obesity etc........but they do go a long wat to dealing with the toxic exhaust emission problem.

The diesel lovers on here need to face reality - once your dieselmotor is 10 or 15 years old with 100,000 odd miles it becomes massively polluting - belching carcinogenic filth which everyone else, including vulnerable children, have to breathe. The junk has no place on the roads of a civilised country, not least because it makes cycling and walking a lot less healthy and pleasant than it should be.

The emissions of BEVs on the other hand do not increase as the vehicle ages - and this is the obvious advantage of BEVs
by Mark R
15 May 2022, 4:15pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Air Pollution - Will They Act Now?
Replies: 141
Views: 8194

Re: Air Pollution - Will They Act Now?

Maybe wood burning stoves are being used to distract us from bigger pollution sources, such as combustion transport? Do local and national government happen to use combustion vehicles much, perchance? Do their elected leaders?
Sounds like air pollution denial combined with a heavy dose of whataboutery!

Residential areas away from busy roads and industry should not have unhealthy air pollution levels . The one reason they have is the unfortunate woodburner fad.

edit - actually that's not quite true - idiots burning rubbish in their gardens is the other major air pollution blind spot - passive smoking anyone?

Where I live in North Devon the quality of life should be pleasant enough. As it is my children's sleeping room regularly smells of wood smoke (or worse still bonfire smoke). It wasn't like this 7 years ago when we moved in. Over the last few years a small handful of people have decided to start burning wood and the air quality has got trashed as a result.

Retrofitting a woodburner in a residential area is an antisocial act (...and burning waste in an urban garden is IMO on a par with leaving dog faeces in a playground) - it degrades the quality of life for those around you. The point needs driving home again and again because air pollution denial is apparently still common.
by Mark R
25 Aug 2021, 7:43am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Electric everything.
Replies: 549
Views: 27509

Re: Electric everything.

There is a very interesting primer on currently available heat pump tech from the most excellent "Fully Charged Show" (but they don't say too much about noise)

In optimal conditions these systems can deliver 5kw of heat for 1 kw of electical input

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a63HkWetENk

I think the "heat battery" will become one of the go-to solutions for retrofits.
by Mark R
7 Jul 2021, 8:45pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Moving
Replies: 166
Views: 7043

Re: Moving

Using alternative sources of energy, such as solar power..solar panels not allowed



Could you get round this one by siting the panels on a garden structure e.g. a large shed?
by Mark R
4 Jul 2020, 11:38pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: E-scooters
Replies: 55
Views: 1515

Re: E-scooters

RickH wrote:Driving licence - a requirement at the moment while these trials happen as the are still classed as powered vehicles (which may change after the trial - they may become classed like e-bikes) although the law has been tweaked to allow them to use cycle lanes & tracks and also to remove mandatory helmet use. I presume the scooters have some sort of GPS tracking so in the event of an incident there will be some comeback on the rider & insurance is in place if any damage is caused.

Other places seem to cope (although they probably still have the same problems with idiots whatever their mode of transport). I was watching a short video (only 49 seconds) from Paris created mainly to show the contrast between 2012 & now at the same junction. What also struck me was the scooters (including a couple of kids on push along ones) were just part of the flow of traffic.

Its on twitter but I think you should be able to view it without having to jump through any hoops.

https://twitter.com/OConnorOisin/status ... 54306?s=09


Thanks for posting the link - that is one seriously uplifting video :D
by Mark R
1 Jul 2020, 8:04am
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution
Replies: 598
Views: 83026

Re: Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution

So did anyone listen to the podcast?

https://fullycharged.show/podcasts/podcast-67/

One interesting topic was why, during the lockdown, PM pollution (which is currently the most toxic of the major air pollutants) did not fall as expected; in fact it spiked to dangerous levels.

https://airqualitynews.com/2020/05/04/air-quality-making-headlines-during-the-coronavirus-lockdown/

The main reasons for this:

1, Agricultural muck spreading
2, Industrial pollution from Northern Europe
3, Garden waste burning

Given the fact that PM pollution levels in London for example, depend largely on the prevailing wind direction bringing in pollution from far afield, we really should get away from this idea that bonfires are not harming anyone as long as they are:
"(not) in a built-up area that affects neighbours".