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Norway’s just about done with internal combustion
The last new petrol-powered car could sell as soon as April 2022
Electric cars - food for thought . . .
- Thread starter AleNod
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"Of course, there is the small environmental sticking point that this largesse is sponsored by Norway’s oil and gas exports"
Hmmm. Will that make Greta happy? Somehow I doubt it.
Hmmm. Will that make Greta happy? Somehow I doubt it.
In Norway electric cars kind of make sense because 90% of their own electrickery comes from hydro power plants.
In the UK though most of the power is still from fossil fuels. So instead of burning fossil fuel in my engine I'll let somebody else burn it and I'll use most of the resulting electrickery to drag half a ton of batteries round with me everywhere I go.
In the UK though most of the power is still from fossil fuels. So instead of burning fossil fuel in my engine I'll let somebody else burn it and I'll use most of the resulting electrickery to drag half a ton of batteries round with me everywhere I go.
Recently in Avonmouth near Bristol there was a huge fire at a scrap metal site caused by discarded lithium batteries,took days to put out and probably caused more air pollution in that time than all the electric vehicles have saved!
Talking of the Bristol Channel.
Few years ago there was plans to create a man-made lagoon type thing on the south wales coast. Turbines would be driven by the tide flowing in and out of the lagoon.
Imagine that. The rise and fall of the tide in the bristol channel is one of the biggest in the world. Up and down. Regular as clock work. The time and amount of water flowing through the turbines could be forecast way out into the future generating an exactly forecastable amount of power.
But instead they went for wind. One of the most unpredictable things ever.
I smell cronyism. Somebody had shares in wind turbines and the plan for the lagoon got dropped.
So now we have those fuggely wind farms popping up all round the cost.
Few years ago there was plans to create a man-made lagoon type thing on the south wales coast. Turbines would be driven by the tide flowing in and out of the lagoon.
Imagine that. The rise and fall of the tide in the bristol channel is one of the biggest in the world. Up and down. Regular as clock work. The time and amount of water flowing through the turbines could be forecast way out into the future generating an exactly forecastable amount of power.
But instead they went for wind. One of the most unpredictable things ever.
I smell cronyism. Somebody had shares in wind turbines and the plan for the lagoon got dropped.
So now we have those fuggely wind farms popping up all round the cost.
How many tidal rivers are there here in the UK? These rise and fall twice a day every day and always will ( unless someone breaks the Moon) But then again this might impact the poor old Brown Crabs
Tony.
Tony.
And electric/battery cars, IMO, don't have a big future anyway.
I think the future is Hydrogen. One of the most common elements and the 'exhaust' is just water.
But maybe 'cars' won't make sense in the long term either. We should have those Futurama tubes everywhere - and suicide booths.
I think the future is Hydrogen. One of the most common elements and the 'exhaust' is just water.
But maybe 'cars' won't make sense in the long term either. We should have those Futurama tubes everywhere - and suicide booths.
Affecting crabs. Actually there might be a bit of truth in that. When the tide goes out in south wales it goes OUT bigtime. Miles and miles of mud flats and sand banks. One of the opposing arguments for that tidal lagoon I mentioned was that it would confuse the wildlife that lived on those mudflats.
So instead of confusing the wild life we 'mesmerise' it with all them windfarm cables.
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- Joined
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One of the tidal lagoons' problems was the dodgy geezer taking large amounts of WA money and achieving very little. Allegedly. (Private Eye
passim ad nauseum)
passim ad nauseum)
Interestingly, in this article they are saying that leccy cars dont overtake diesel cars in CO2 emissions until 136 000 miles - some other good stuff in there too
I know Volvo did a study and said their break even point was around the 75K miles, even so they arent neccessarily as green as we're often led to believe
I know Volvo did a study and said their break even point was around the 75K miles, even so they arent neccessarily as green as we're often led to believe
I don't think it does anything for the environment or the world as a whole. But I can see the advantage in big cities. Zero emissions zones etc.
In that case hybrid cars make more sense where people commuting from outside the city run on petrol and charging the (smaller) batteries most of their journey then just as they enter the city emission zone they switch to battery power for the last couple of miles.
Anything else though is just politics.
In that case hybrid cars make more sense where people commuting from outside the city run on petrol and charging the (smaller) batteries most of their journey then just as they enter the city emission zone they switch to battery power for the last couple of miles.
Anything else though is just politics.
Has been said before after we have all bought Electric cars they will announce Hydrogen is the way.
This years Tory party conference at Blackpool had a Hydrogen car in the foyer!
This years Tory party conference at Blackpool had a Hydrogen car in the foyer!
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The severn/ Bristol Channel is the 2nd highest tidal river in the world. No brainer isn't it? Plans have been around since the 70s and still nothing.
Indeed. On a similar note Germany is closing all its Nuclear Power Stations, mainly due to the Green Party, and Germany imports lots of electricity from France that is produced by ........... Nuclear Power
German government is usually a coalition including the greens.
In the past it usually meant that the majority party steamroll everything through but allow the minority greens to do just one 'green' thing in exchange for their support.
Things are changing now though and nowadays the greens do get a lot of votes so have a bit more influence.
But I remember way back in the 80's I think it was one of the first times they had any input in local goverment in the north of germany where I lived back then. Their first great idea was to stop putting salt on roads. Said it damaged roadside trees.
That was a laugh. It snowed and snowed and the snow just got compacted till it was over a foot thick with grooves in the road for your wheels. Getting on to the road was one thing. Turning off was a whole new experience. If you missed your 'off groove' you'd be stuck in the train with all the other cars who'd also missed their turn.
In the past it usually meant that the majority party steamroll everything through but allow the minority greens to do just one 'green' thing in exchange for their support.
Things are changing now though and nowadays the greens do get a lot of votes so have a bit more influence.
But I remember way back in the 80's I think it was one of the first times they had any input in local goverment in the north of germany where I lived back then. Their first great idea was to stop putting salt on roads. Said it damaged roadside trees.
That was a laugh. It snowed and snowed and the snow just got compacted till it was over a foot thick with grooves in the road for your wheels. Getting on to the road was one thing. Turning off was a whole new experience. If you missed your 'off groove' you'd be stuck in the train with all the other cars who'd also missed their turn.
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And on the news a couple of nights ago, they slipped in the comment that Belgium is reversing all its moves to wind and solar beacause they are so unreliable ..........
What are unreliable?
"Unpredictable" might be a better word
The wind has been "unreliable" this year. Recently, I understand, they had to use Coal fired stations at West Burton and Radcliffe on Trent to top up the grid where wind and solar had not provided enough power.
Tony.
Tony.
Are we talking about the Belgiums ?