Electric cars getting interesting?

[bump]

I would go for an industrial strength Scalextric type of charging system in motorways. 2 tracks, drop down slippers and you could charge on the go. Build solar farms along the sides of the motorways to reduce cable losses.

That was actually considered in a recent study and then ruled out

 

[DAPPH]

Sorry if you misunderstood, I’m in complete agreement with you, my post was directed at the one you quoted, not yours! There’s no way hydro is anywhere near going to be a major part of this countries generation - not to say it doesn’t have a place but we just don’t have the right conditions for it. As for wind companies sending people around to collect dead birds at night - tosh!

Agreed .
There is so much openly provable crud out there by Face Book & other social media experts about wind turbines , electric vehicles , vaccines and any other controversial subject it is mind boggling . Things are moving on apace , what was the scene a year ago is now like ancient history pre BCE was in the year 2000.

There are in fact a lot of private small head elongated water wheel hydro generators that can run with 1250 mm head of water with a 50 mm flow across a 20 mtr weir . Also a few Archimedes 10 mtr racks of screw at 20 degrees or so utilizing a 2 to 3 mtr head of water flowing some 100 mm or so of water into the screw cases .

 

[daleyd]

It is not an assumption or a claim that they are a fix all solution, merely an observation based upon engineering facts and of course MONEY. Engineering experts have shown they are more consistent in their power generation abilities and provide much more power than wind turbines through this consistency and this cannot be ignored, in much the same way experts claimed a new nuclear site based on Thorium could be built for £50M and a traditional nuclear site would cost £250M so which did they go for? the one costing £250M. This decision was apparently influenced by big business as they would rather have 20% profits on £250M than 20% of £50M, but hey its only our money so why should Governments care.

Actually daleyd hits the nail on the head.

The hysteria I was talking about was your original post!

Thorium? An interesting idea but the notion that it was going to replace the Hinckley nuclear site is laughable - from Wikipedia “As of 2020, there are no operational thorium reactors in the world[1]”. So quite where this figure of £50m has come from to produce a working plant capable of producing the equivalent output as a conventional nuclear plant I have no idea.

Hydro on the Trent? I don’t know much about the area but my understanding is the Trent is a largely “flat“ river, and to achieve the best results you need a decent head of water. I’d be interested to read the article you mention but can find no reference to it.

 

[Kayos]

I dont have an Internet link but I was working for a chap from Hull University who did a big tidal electricity study, they built a model and had fantastic results, they built a bigger model and had slightly disappointing results but carried on. When they got to full size they found it didn't really work.
At that point they didn't know why but it seems the tech doesn't scale very well, I don't know if they have solved it yet

Im not going to post my argument against EV as last time people seemed to think it was OK to tell me the issue is how I live my life and run my business, not the fact an EV is not and will not be suitable for me until they massively increase range and load capacity

 

[Maker]

Thorium? An interesting idea but the notion that it was going to replace the Hinckley nuclear site is laughable - from Wikipedia “As of 2020, there are no operational thorium reactors in the world[1]”. So quite where this figure of £50m has come from to produce a working plant capable of producing the equivalent output as a conventional nuclear plant I have no idea.

Oi, thorium is the future!

But like fusion power, it always will be.

 

[Jay1st]

i distant future cars will all have a miniature ITER under the bonnet ( or hood depending where you're from )

 

[Nick DV]

Is that all? I can get 55mpg out of my TT at close to legal speeds ....and have fun doing it

If I take it easy I've had 63 over 200miles

That's bl00dy good mpg for a TT Nice one

 

[Nick DV]

Realise it's not a direct comparison but currently there are more than 2000 more public charge points compared to service stations in the UK.

Trouble is, there's never one close when you need one

 

[mike os]

That's bl00dy good mpg for a TT Nice one

it does go down a bit when i boot it

 

[Nick DV]

Im not going to post my argument against EV as last time people seemed to think it was OK to tell me the issue is how I live my life and run my business, not the fact an EV is not and will not be suitable for me until they massively increase range and load capacity

I completely agree with you here, the internal combustion engine will be around for many to come for those exact reasons

 

[stuvy]

Do you think the trade of motor mechanic is going to disappear over the coming decades ? It'll be a bit like being a fireman on a steam train, or a lamplighter ? Simply no longer required ? Very little mechanically to wear, no new exhausts to fit as the old ones rot out, no oils to change, ditto clutches and knackered gearboxes, brakes are regen, so no real wear on pads or discs.

So the bushes and suspension won’t wear out with all the extra weight?

i was told when I did my apprenticeship that I’d be out of work at 30 due to electric cars, I’m 36 and we still don’t have flying cars

 

[cheb]

There might not be as many mechanics needed but I'd guess the demand for auto electricians will rise.

 

[stuvy]

it does go down a bit when i boot it

just drove to Skegness from Bedford and got 42mpg in our 1.0t 3cylinder fiesta ST line

I tried to use cruise control all the way and will try without on the way back

 

[Nick DV]

just drove to Skegness from Bedford and got 42mpg in our 1.0t 3cylinder fiesta ST line

I tried to use cruise control all the way and will try without on the way back

Wish I could get close to that in my Toyota 4x4 - less than 20 mpg around town, and lucky to get 25mpg on a run Then again, it's great fun

 

[stuvy]

Wish I could get close to that in my Toyota 4x4 - less than 20 mpg around town, and lucky to get 25mpg on a run Then again, it's great fun

the Landy I have 3.9 v8 does 220 miles to 100 but sounds glorious I still use my Rav4 as it’s so economical I will zero the trip meter when I next fill it up

 

[Nick DV]

the Landy I have 3.9 v8 does 220 miles to 100 but sounds glorious I still use my Rav4 as it’s so economical I will zero the trip meter when I next fill it up

Ah, the sound of a V8, fantastic I have a Lexus V8 sat in my garage but still undecided whether or not to chuck it in the Surf!

 

[Jay1st]

what about charging the EV when it's raining, is it safe ?

 

[Nick DV]

what about charging the EV when it's raining, is it safe ?

 

[DAPPH]

what about charging the EV when it's raining, is it safe ?

It seems it is safe as the units in the pond will have automatically closed down . Obviously a photo of a river that's burst it's banks and flooding the charging area is a great wheeze .


Ask the EV Experts: Is It Safe to Charge My Electric Car ...
https://pluginamerica.org/ask-ev-experts-safe-charge-electric-car-rain/
We all know that water conducts electricity, so shouldn't we be concerned that charging your car in the rain is like swimming in a lake during a thunderstorm? Fortunately, electric car chargers are weatherproof and are specifically designed to protect both the car and its humans from electrical shock.

 

[ronan]

The Japanese, specifically Yamaha getting in on the electric scene.