The end of tailpipe emissions?

[Lance Dopestrong]

At least in France...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... cron-volvo

It would be nice if our Government grew a pair and did something as positive, though I'm not holding my breath on that. Of course, some of us have been ahead of the curve for a while, but I can't see the British public going for it en masse without a boot up the backside of this sort.

[meic]

It is so far in the future, that a lot of us on this forum will never know if it actually comes to pass.
It will not even be influencing the choice of what I buy to replace my present car in eight years time.

[Lance Dopestrong]

It didn't influence me, but I went electric anyway.

[Bowedw]

How many Nuclear power stations will be needed to generate the electricity needed for this revolutionary idea? Perhaps the solution to the combustion engine may not be so magical as it seems.
What needs doing in the immediate future, is for all Elected members of Parliament, to come up with a National Policy to restrict all the waste miles, that people undertake on a daily basis. One minor example is European law, requiring tenders for goods to be obtained, resulting in goods travelling thousands of miles whereas they can be bought local. The list is endless and could involve some restrictions that we may not find pleasant

[Cyril Haearn]

How many Nuclear power stations will be needed to generate the electricity needed for this revolutionary idea? Perhaps the solution to the combustion engine may not be so magical as it seems.
What needs doing in the immediate future, is for all Elected members of Parliament, to come up with a National Policy to restrict all the waste miles, that people undertake on a daily basis. One minor example is European law, requiring tenders for goods to be obtained, resulting in goods travelling thousands of miles whereas they can be bought local. The list is endless and could involve some restrictions that we may not find pleasant

+1

Coal-fired power stations too

Could be plenty of pleasant things too. Exotic foods will become more expensive. Let them eat parsnips! Here is a news report from the near future

The Nottingham-Derby agreement is being copied by pairs and groups of towns all over the world. Thousands of people are swapping jobs instead of commuting between A and B while others travel from B to A to do similar jobs. There is an agreement between Bradford and Leeds too, and even a treaty between Yorkshire and Lancashire. Thousands of people are immediately richer (most importantly they have more free time) and plans are afoot to remove the second bypasses at Shrewsbury, Newbury and elsewhere. The M62 will be narrowed and one carriageway will be converted to a cycle expressway

[Lance Dopestrong]

How many Nuclear power stations will be needed to generate the electricity needed for this revolutionary idea? Perhaps the solution to the combustion engine may not be so magical as it seems.
What needs doing in the immediate future, is for all Elected members of Parliament, to come up with a National Policy to restrict all the waste miles, that people undertake on a daily basis. One minor example is European law, requiring tenders for goods to be obtained, resulting in goods travelling thousands of miles whereas they can be bought local. The list is endless and could involve some restrictions that we may not find pleasant

I got 5kW solar at home. Even on a dull day I'm charging mine without drawing a single electron from the national grid.

[al_yrpal]

Only 11% of emissions are down to diesels. Electric cars need cheap power, that means more power generation and charging points everywhere. Lots of ignorance around on this subject. Volvo have always been a prime example with their energy sapping headlights always on for years before the arrival of LEDs even when they clearly weren't needed. A marketing gimmick aimed at the naive.

Al

[Lance Dopestrong]

But the subject is tailpipe emissions, those pumping into our lungs from a metre away. Those who complain about some aspect of the alternative are often the very same people pumping those emissions daily.

I've done it, its not difficult. The objections are just excuses to carry on polluting.

[Vorpal]

Only 11% of emissions are down to diesels. Electric cars need cheap power, that means more power generation and charging points everywhere. Lots of ignorance around on this subject. Volvo have always been a prime example with their energy sapping headlights always on for years before the arrival of LEDs even when they clearly weren't needed. A marketing gimmick aimed at the naive.

Or, perhaps aimed at the law in Scandinavia, where Volvo cars are built.

[Vorpal]

Speaking of Volvo https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archiv ... re/532659/

[reohn2]

How many Nuclear power stations will be needed to generate the electricity needed for this revolutionary idea? Perhaps the solution to the combustion engine may not be so magical as it seems.
What needs doing in the immediate future, is for all Elected members of Parliament, to come up with a National Policy to restrict all the waste miles, that people undertake on a daily basis. One minor example is European law, requiring tenders for goods to be obtained, resulting in goods travelling thousands of miles whereas they can be bought local. The list is endless and could involve some restrictions that we may not find pleasant

I got 5kW solar at home. Even on a dull day I'm charging mine without drawing a single electron from the national grid.

This is the approach needed,however the capitalist system whilst knowing the answers can't "grow a pair" to implement policy change against profit margins.
IMHO that is the major obstacle,I think things are changing but whether fast enough is debatable.

We need some radical thinking and radical politicians to prepared to implement,nationalised public transport(PT) renewal both rail and road.
ICE powered vehicle need to be banned from town and city centres in favour of PT,which should be clean affordable,joined up and very regular when most needed.
Renewable energy at local level roof top solar panels etc and local water and wind powered systems where practical.
But the operative words are radical,clean and green,for the good of all
My 2d's worth.

[661-Pete]

I never understood the DRL rule for headlights, in Scandinavia, which has been around for decades. On my one-and-only trip to that region, with car, I complied (sort of) with the local law by keeping my sidelights on. My car used dim-dip mode whilst the engine was running, and I hoped that would suffice to meet the rules. At any rate, no-one bothered us. And because we were there in summer, with almost 24 hours of daylight, the rule seemed pretty redundant to me. Oh well.......

Concerning the moves by Volvo and now France - well at first sight it makes sense. But there are a few wrinkles that I personally would have to have sorted out, before I went either hybrid or electric. I frequently have a journey of over 600 Km to make, a lot of it on motorway, and with no guarantee of charging points (nor indeed, enough time to spare to re-charge) along the way. That puts the present generation of electric cars out of the ball-game, I'm afraid.

So - hybrid? I did in fact briefly - in the early 2000's - consider changing my car for a Toyota Prius, which was at that time one of the only hybrids available. But I was put off, partly by the high cost, partly by warnings about unreliability and high service costs, and partly by the apparent reluctance of any Toyota dealer within striking distance to offer me a test drive. Their excuse was that there were not enough of these cars available. Anyway, I never got to drive a Prius or any other hybrid, I stayed with my diesel.

Another important point about both electrics and hybrids. They show their colours mainly on short journeys. On a long motorway run, such as what I mainly use my car for, the hybrid displays little or no economy over the equivalent petrol-only car - and falls well short of a diesel.

Don't imagine that I don't agonise over the question of still having my diesel (which of course I bought long before the present controversy erupted). Not something I'm proud of. But I think it's best to wait.

Come a family-sized electric car off the production line with a 1200-plus Km range on one charge - I'll swap. Not before.

[reohn2]

Only 11% of emissions are down to diesels. Electric cars need cheap power, that means more power generation and charging points everywhere. Lots of ignorance around on this subject. Volvo have always been a prime example with their energy sapping headlights always on for years before the arrival of LEDs even when they clearly weren't needed. A marketing gimmick aimed at the naive.

Al

I can think of worse power sapping details such as the sales push on large 4x4s with overblown huge gaz guzzling diesel and petrol engines,which put DRL's into perspetrive

[old_windbag]

I think a major issue of electric vehicles is cost. The range for commuting is workable to some degree but probably much more worrying when looking for a charging post which are a lot more sparse than petrol stations. Also the more electrics vying for charging posts in cities will add to the problem. A concerted effort has to be made to build the infrastructure and create sub 10k electric vehicles. Teslas may be wonderful but not real world prices, we can do better. Also electric drives are low cost to make have much fewer parts than a typical ic engine. Downside the battery pack and cost, to own or lease etc. Its early days and we will get to low cost mass market but it"ll be a few years yet. I mentioned velomobiles elsewhere and as a green transport for general commuting etc they"d be good especially with electric assist for initial acceleration and hills. Take up less space, cheap to run, could be low cost in mass manufacture. I"d be happier seeing a lot of them on our streets rather than even electric cars with their green credentials. Just an alternative view of mobility really.

[reohn2]

Velomobiles will never be mainstream in the way 'bents won't for the same reasons,electric cars and pedelecs OTOH will increasingly become more popular if the restrictions on ICE powered cars in towns and cities become the norm.
As stated we needed some radical rethinking on transport,both public and private and similarly so on working practices where applicable if we want to stop people from choking to a slow death.