NFR - What vehicles are we all driving

[snarks]

!972 VW Camper and a passatt

Gosh 1970's brakes were (and still are) rubbish

[The Rational Fan]

Anyone gone all electric or hybrid....what are we we all driving & any problems with your vehicle?

I drove a "Mitsubishi i-Miev" eight years ago for work, which is a fully electric car. And, i also know a bit about them.

In theory, the design and manufacter of electric cars should have much less problems, because they have much less moving parts.

In practice, the design and manufacter of electric cars while easier, has not yet been perfected, so normally more problems.

My experience is they run quite well and very few problems, but when you have a problem a few people knows what to do. The bigger the city you live in (London is Perfect) the less of an issues these things are and every location is getting better over time.

Things to consider especially for pure electric cars include:
i) what is your driving range and is this less than a degreade battery range?,
ii) do you care about resale value as that fluctates radically for different to electric cars?, 
iii) how quickly do the batteries in your car degrade?,
iv) whats the cost to replace the batteries?;
v) what are you options for servicing it? and
vi) do you have good options for charging it?

If it was my money, i'd spend the extra money on a hybrid, but its still a little bit of labour of love.

I now drive petrol, even though my electric car experience was very good (less number of issues than petrol).

[The Rational Fan]

A friend has just bought an electric and he's pleased with it, except that it will only do 70 miles between charges! Until they get that up to something more practical - like, say, 200 miles - I can't see it catching on. And they need to provide charging points, of course, you can hardly knock on someone's door and ask to plug in.  It must take longer to charge than to fill up so concourses will need to accommodate a lot of vehicles while people hang around waiting. The only place I've seen charging points is in Ireland, none in the UK though there must be some somewhere. As ever, like fibreoptics, we're years behind.

I can't see why we didn't go hydrogen for vehicles, which could be filled as quickly as LPG and is produced by electrolysis of water so the source is the same as for electric cars.

There are plenty of charging points in Putney and at motorway services.

If your aim is to be "green", hydrogen by far the best option, but who is going to stump up the money to create the supply network. It will of course still need energy and raw materials to build the equipment, create, distribute and dispense the hydrogen.  Electric has limitations and will have a limited life especially once people have first hand experience of how much a replacement set of batteries will cost. Remember we still have to generate the power for electric cars and that means either fossil fuels, nuclear or renewables, all of which add to the overall demands for electicity. Hybrids a good short term alternative as most of the energy is recaptured from driving. Sure that needs a petrol engine but none of methods available in the near future are totally green.

The Electric Cars were commerical sold 120 years ago, but the Hydrogen Car is yet to have a commerical viable version.

Ferdinand Porsche first design was a hybrid car in 1898, he went on to design pertol cars the "VW Bettle" and the "Porsche".

I think Hydrogen Cars, maybe more green in the future, but Electric Cars are as Green as whatever is coming off the Grid.

Ultimately, Electric Cars reduce in city polluition and they store energy which makes solar and wind power more viable.

[bobbo]

!972 VW Camper and a passatt

Gosh 1970's brakes were (and still are) rubbish

I'm jealous 72 camper , my sons' got a 64 slit sceen.

[KJS]

Just brought the New Kia Stonic '3' and it is very good, 1.0L Turbo petrol version is really powerful and the standard kit is incredible  :54: averaged 52 mpg on a trip from Brighton to Plymouth really impressed.

[ScalleysDad]

!972 VW Camper and a passatt

Gosh 1970's brakes were (and still are) rubbish

It would seem braking in the 70's was more of a polite request but it does mean you have to drive as in coax, nurture and think as opposed to just sit there surrounded by knobs, gadgets and airbags. Braking systems are one of the reasons older vehicles are now MoT exempt. The new standards and testing regime simply could not be applied to a basic pads and drum system. The emissions test is another tricky area now although I maintain, actually I can prove, that my landie is cleaner than many vehicles half her age, sometimes by quite a long way.

[keith]

Peugeot 307.

[Ronnief]

At my age an electric mobility scooter is likely to be my next vehicle. When I get one I'll start up the Rustington Grand Prix.

[f321ffc]

Has anyone got a Horse and Cart ?

One step up from horse and cart, 1963 Ford Anglia, see pic left.

[H4usuallysitting]

Driving a Volvo V40 but have put a deposit down on a Polestar 2.


That is very exciting.....

Is Polestar part of Greeley - they're behind the new PHEV London Taxi....priced around £65k

[fcfulham55]

I have a Tesla Model S, Mrs has the new Leaf. Highly recommend, especially if you work somewhere you can plug in for free as an added bonus.

Hardly any moving mechanical parts, much less maintenance no road tax!  310 Mile range on my Tesla, little lower during the cold weather.

[Mince n Tatties]

Ban all cars and other traffic from the roads,bring back horses n carriages, let's go back to a slower way of life,all these people tearing about all over the place.
🐎🐎🐎🚂🚂🚂

[Woolly Mammoth]

Ban all cars and other traffic from the roads,bring back horses n carriages, let's go back to a slower way of life,all these people tearing about all over the place.
🐎🐎🐎🚂🚂🚂

Exactly, plus all that manure will do wonders for my vegatable patch.

[filham]

Ban all cars and other traffic from the roads,bring back horses n carriages, let's go back to a slower way of life,all these people tearing about all over the place.
🐎🐎🐎🚂🚂🚂

Exactly, plus all that manure will do wonders for my vegatable patch.

So you are one of those who put manure on their rhubarb whereas most of us prefer custard.

[ffcwickford]

I have already gone nearly green by buying cars over 20 years old on Ebay!

No pollution from the factory producing carbon emissions from manufacturing, shipping parts etc making the car.

If my used car produces pollutants it would probably take another 20 years to match the cost of a new one - therefore I am happily 'carbon neutral' and have a considerably healthier bank balance!

[Woolly Mammoth]

Ban all cars and other traffic from the roads,bring back horses n carriages, let's go back to a slower way of life,all these people tearing about all over the place.
🐎🐎🐎🚂🚂🚂

Exactly, plus all that manure will do wonders for my vegatable patch.

So you are one of those who put manure on their rhubarb whereas most of us prefer custard.

As my horse Dobbin once said to me, " you will never enjoy eating your rhubarb as much as I enjoyed making it".

[Woolly Mammoth]

Has anyone got a Horse and Cart ?

One step up from horse and cart, 1963 Ford Anglia, see pic left.

Yes the Ford Anglia, a very popular reliable car in those days.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Nobody has mentioned a Steam Roller, which is unusual, and surprises me.

[David I]

Subaru WRX 2.5...  great fun accelerating up to 70 mph (no higher officer)

[GloucesterWhite]

Driving a Volvo V40 but have put a deposit down on a Polestar 2.


That is very exciting.....

Is Polestar part of Greeley - they're behind the new PHEV London Taxi....priced around £65k

Yes. Polestar is the sister company to Volvo, both of which are part of Geeley.