WILL OLDER MEMBERS WELCOME THE ALL ELECTRIC PROPULSION. ?

HERBIEMERCMAN

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hi everyone, i have visited the isle of man tt races for the past fifty years and for the past two years we have been given the experience of the all electric sports bike race, these machines look fantastic but IMHO that is where the praise ends, you could not hear them comming and they also went by silently, no smell of "castrol R" etc. if all the tt races went this way then that would be the end of it for me and many others.

there was a similar feeling when the steam trains were replaced with the boring electric trains were you could not tell the lead engine from the carriges, 90% of the train spotters just gave up.

so automobiles, i love my old diesel bus, the noise it makes, the torque, etc, petrol cars would not do it for me, and an electric car would be just a to b invalid transport.

i have to appreciate that fosil fuels are well in decline but i am gratefull that i have experienced and enjoyed the propulsion of coal, gas and diesel fuelled transport and motorcars.

would you like a completely boring silent car which would take you 150 miles on one charge for £5. ? this is then "transport", the pleasure and fun of motoring has gone. WHAT DO YOU THINK. ? herbiemercman.
 

peterwhayward

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As a 60 year old...............no i dont like the idea at all. Was there not some talk originally that electric vehicles were going to have some sort of audio device fitted so that pedestrians could hear them coming.
You could have a tiny electric, no guts, no speed no fun car but have the sound of a CL65 AMG.:)
 

mikestrivens

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I have been contemplating an electric car for short local journeys but I'd not give up my V12 or V8 or large estate willingly as they are too much fun/practical.
 

cleverdicky

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Your dreaming if you think the Government would let anyone travel 150 miles by any vehicle for 5 pounds.
Maybe until they convince us to switch. Then there will suddenly be a 'green' tax for the rest.
 

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Certainly useful for going to the shops and town centers,,,I might think about one. I would fit an exhaust tail pipe and couple the throttle to an amp that gave an AMG blast of sound when accelerating
 

Frontstep

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Please please, perfect silence, totally insulated from the outside world gliding above the road in comfort please please.
I don't want to hear or smell my car,
I don't want to "feel the tarmac" done that got many T-shirts for it.
Bring on the Mercedes Maglev.
 

cleverdicky

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Please please, perfect silence, totally insulated from the outside world gliding above the road in comfort please please.
I don't want to hear or smell my car,
I don't want to "feel the tarmac" done that got many T-shirts for it.
Bring on the Mercedes Maglev.

I've still got my mums old mobility scooter you can try ;)
 

Frontstep

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You may mock but VW are starting on one :lol:
 

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hairyg

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It's only the price that is stopping me getting an all electric for all our local driving, my pension won't stretch that far. There is no way this would be a replacement for the SL or SWMBO's Audi though, just a choice of which car to use for any journey.

As already said in this thread, once there is significant take up of electric vehicles the government of the day will be forced by economics to find a way of raising revenue from their use. Until then there is a window of opportunity for cheap, even subsidised, motoring.

The motorsport community at large has discussed the problem of lack of noise informally and consensus appears to be that this could be overcome by adding a sound system of the driver's choice. If you heard Queen singing "Don't stop me now" coming towards you you might be inclined to get out of the way. You could even have the sound of a V12 coming from a mobility scooter.:lol:
 

brandwooddixon

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I wouldn't be the first to admit that I love the sound of large capacity V8 when on song.

The cost of running one will only get more expensive and if that means replacing it with an electric car then so be it, but on one condition: it must be as convenient to use as my current car.

That means:
1) A range of 400 miles at a cruising speed of 70mph or more.
2) The ability to "refuel" in 5 minutes.
3) The ability to "refuel" in as many places as we currently can with fossil fuels.
4) If I'm being forced down this route due to ecology factors then it must be less detrimental to the environment than my current car.
5) Cope with climatic extremes just as well as my current car.

In my opinion the rechargeable, battery powered vehicle meets none of theses factors.
1) Range is pathetically small with a low top speed.
2) 6 hour charge anyone?
3) Hmm ... now where do I plug it in?
4) Mining and refining of lithium and nickle is hugely damaging to the environment, plus batteries have a finite life span.
5) Batteries hate the cold having vastly reduced power delivery and what's the first thing that you do when you get into a frozen car? Put the heater on!

The only way forward is hydrogen, fuel cells. Yes currently they have their issues, but why waste billions on trying to make battery powered vehicles work when everyone admits that they're only a stop gap before the fuel cell is perfected.
 

Frontstep

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Yes you have a point paying £30,000 for a garden shed irks most people, the range of these vehicles is as exaggerated as MPG claims now.
It could work for some but the vast majority of us would set off on a long journey in an electric vehicle with some trepidation.
Maybe they should fit auxilary heaters in them diesel webasto's would be nicely ironic.
Oh and tow a generator, diesel ?
 

taxii

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All that will happen is the same as diesel. They will subsidise it until everyone has one then they will bump the price of electric up as they did with diesel. They have tried to get people to go the LPG route with ideas of doing the same but people have got wise and haven't fallen for it.
 

peterwhayward

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Please please, perfect silence, totally insulated from the outside world gliding above the road in comfort please please.
I don't want to hear or smell my car,
I don't want to "feel the tarmac" done that got many T-shirts for it.
Bring on the Mercedes Maglev.

Boo, send him off ref;).
 

turbopete

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im not sure what counts as an 'older' member, but i am certainly not looking forward to that day coming! and im 37
 

hairyg

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The only way forward is hydrogen, fuel cells. Yes currently they have their issues, but why waste billions on trying to make battery powered vehicles work when everyone admits that they're only a stop gap before the fuel cell is perfected.

Fuel cells are an amazing technology but until someone comes up with a "green" method of producing hydrogen they still only move the source of pollution, not eliminate it.
 
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HERBIEMERCMAN

HERBIEMERCMAN

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so, if we have large reserves of coal why can we not re introduce steam trains for the longer journeys out in the sticks, they are slower than the electric trains, but more reliable, there are also lots of old guys queing up to drive them for free.

we could also get obama to feel guilty for his country squandering all the worlds oil and go all electric so we can have their oil.(lol).

there must be more ideas out there for the best way forward.

this morning it was minus seven and my diesel 7 seater bus was pure white with frost, struggled to get the door open, i just waited for the orange light to go out and she started to burble away, five minutes and screens are defrosted and then lots of heat from the heater, it's a big safe six airbags machine, can carry 7 people 550 miles on one fill up, etc, etc. do i want an electric one, NO, NO.

i fully agree with brandwooddixon's comments. herbiemercman.
 
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Fleetwood

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I Will NEVER HAVE AN ELECTRIC CAR !!!

The bigger engine the better for me ! ( I own several American cars )

I have no kids so no planet to leave them

Plus the company at my dad works for have just sold all their hybrids as Honda said after 4-5 years the batteries need changing ! Cost of new batteries ? 4k !
 

SL63 Mark

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The only way forward is hydrogen, fuel cells.

Isn't one problem that hydrogen is the smallest atom, so nothing can contain it and it just seeps out over time.

Also, I am not sure why this thread is limited to "older members" ? Us middle aged ones have a view too ;)
 

Rockall

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Electric - Nah never.

Can you imagine going to your shed and instead of getting out your nice shiny spanners to tinker with your fine diesel engine, you would be taking hold of one of those volt tester thingies with all the flashing lights and secret codes that you have to try and decipher.

No give me pistons and liners any day

Chat in the future - What did you do to your Merc today? - I rebuilt the battery!!

Regards

Bill
 
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Fleetwood

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Changed the battery if anything !

Then again there was a post on changing batteries and not many people knew how to do it correctly !
 


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