Times they are a changin'

One step closer to a world without internal combustion engines..... a main stream manufacturers taking a bold(ish) stance. Although it is plain to see that electric and hybrid is taking over from diesel now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40505671

It certainly is going that way. I work at Land Rover and strange to see hybrid RR being built, but it certainly is the way forward. Be interesting to see how they plan to recoup the lost tax on fuel over the next decade/s

Not sure they have spotted that black hole yet, can't put home power up so it will be to be via car tax.

The times won't be a changin' that quickly since battery prices and electric cars in general are still far too expensive IMHO. The previous tax incentives on buying alternatively fueled cars in the UK have already all but disappeared, and unless purely electric the road tax is no longer zero, I think the Government are not completely sleepwalking into this issue.

California has a split rate tax on home electricity - up to a certain amount it's assumed to be domestic, but anything used above that is taxed at a much higher rate. Which seems equitable; if you have PV systems on the house you can store that directly in a vehicle at no on-going cost.

But the bigger problem is one I have mentioned here before, I think: the amount of energy used in petrol every day *just by cars* is approximately the total amount of the UK's power generation capacity. We're going to need twice as much generation, sharpish...

Though I'd seriously consider converting a coupe with a dead engine to electric, were the motors and batteries at something approaching a sane price.

What I can't figure out is that 5 years ago we were told that the country was 24 hours away from our lights having to be turned off yet they want us all to have electric cars???

And that's my point...

There's a small company here in Upton that converts petrol cars to electric, they finished a Black Cab last year that runs on its original gearbox which I thought was clever.

I've been eyeing them, Joe... just don't have the ten or fifteen grand for a conversion.

Now if I could find a trashed / rolled Tesla...

Mmmmmmmm. Tesla S in ludicrous mode !!

You'd need a G suit.

I'm interested to see how well the new "cheap" Tesla sells. I suspect they'll be a hit over here.

France has announced moves to ban oil exploration and ban sales of fossil fuel cars by 2040. Expect PSA group, which recently moved to acquire Vauxhall to follow volvos lead in the coming weeks.

https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/6/15929552/france-ban-fossil-fuel-cars-2040

We are not too far away from the self driving electric car revolution. I do wonder if my baby boys will have to learn to drive in a couple of decades.
I also wonder what will happen to classic cars by mid century. Priceless assets or worthless scrap?

Total motoring revenue including fuel duty and all road tax is in the order of 35 billion (ONS-2016) is less than 2% of expenditure or revenue. It ll either just add to the deficit or they'll recoup elsewhere.

Interesting. I guess there'll be a transition to some kind of new tax system for road use. We'll still have the problem of congestion so they'll want to charge to keep the lid on it.

£35 billion for 20 million cars; nearly two grand each in fuel duty? (Ah, some of that will be for lorries/busses, but still?)

You're going to be paying something, even if it's not as much as a gallon of petrol... you're paying 75-85p on a litre of fuel; you'll still be paying the equivalent on your fuel bill, unless you get a nice big pv system on your roof.

The water-powered car (hydrogen) was going to be the next big thing, but inventors were bumped off or threatened.

WaterPoweredCars

Only if we can find a suitable source of electricity that will allow us to create the hydrogen needed and then it’s only acting like a bettery to store energy already put in. It’s not a magic bullet.

Conspirecy theorists aside most of not all water powered cars are not what they purport to be with processes which don’t really make sense and have been found to be fakes or frauds.

And now Mini (BMW) follows suit... and to be made in the UK which is nice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40718892

According to The Independent, petrol and diesel is being gradually phased out altogether in the UK, first with no new cars being available with petrol or diesel engines. I can't remember the exact timescale but I remember thinking it won't affect me and my Coupe because I will probably be too old to drive in 2040. But so much for selling the Coupe in the future as a classic car! Who will want one, when they can't be legally driven? I bet Jeremy Clarkson will be slightly miffed.

There's a company conveniently located in Upton-upon-Severn which makes electric car conversions. One of these days I should like to pay them a visit...

http://indra.co.uk/

Meanwhile, in other news, yesterday the Gummint announced that they would also be pushing local generation of power - wind and PV. This they say can be stored in 'old car batteries'... it seems to have escaped their notice that there's a reason old car batteries are discarded.

New petrol and diesel cars to be banned from 2040.

But I don't want to drive a Coupe that whirs along sounding like a milk float!

My wonder is what will happen with IC cars in the long term. Selfishly, I'm concerned about my Alfa (though I'll be 74 by the time they even stop selling IC cars so I'll be dead before they're banned on the roads).

I wonder if IC cars will become more valuable or less so (or, more likely, a mix as with now only exaggerated).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1xvyTdBZI

For me the internal combustion engine is one of mankinds greatest feats. I am always in wonder at the complexities that we all take for granted every day. Each time we press that button or turn that key (or have your mate give you a push start - depending which model of coop you have) an amazingly complex set of machinery sparks into action. The timing, the close tolerances, the machining, simply amazing. I think some iconic cars (coop amongst them?) will increase in value. Might be worth wrapping a good one in cotton wool and stashing it away for 30/40 years! The guy that owns the Trafford Centre had the right idea he has a Mercedes 1960's 250 SL on show in the warm & dry heated shopping arcade. On a plinth & behind behind ropes to keep sticky fingers away as a tribute to his Mum. Yeah right

Ha ha Barnacle - I remember Ernie very well, I recently sold a teddy on eBay that was a Benny Hill celebrity bear dressed as Ernie, so I'm sure we're not the only ones ... At the time I thought Benny Hill was a bit naff, like Carry On Films and Dick Emery, but now I miss them all ...

I would like to say that the first single I ever bought was Hong Kong garden by Souxie and the banshees bit it was really Ernie by benny hill

Mine was "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies!

"Convoy" by that American bloke

I miss those folks too.
My mum, now in her 70's, had a massive stroke and is now in a nursing home.
I buy and enjoy watching Hi de Hi and Ello ello vids with her. Miss the quality comedy of them too.
Also Ain't half hot, mum

Ps Sorry Tobe for the massive thread deviation.

They don't make Sitcoms like that any more. Steptoe & Son, Rising Damp, Porridge were great too ... All brilliant with an undercurrent of comi-tragedy.