G-Wiz: Electric cars

[Dirty Gertie]

I've just seen an item on the BBC news about these electric cars. Personally I'm not keen, they're totally impractical for anyone who has to travel any distance, or carry any load or passengers and with a top speed of only 40 mph, they are only suitable for urban driving. What I would like to know however is; if the 'road fund licence' AKA car tax IS for funding roads, and all associated things; how come these things are tax exempt? They are using the roads like any other vehicle, they are not pre '73 (?) registered, so where is the fairness in allowing the owners of a new vehicle which is unsuitable for most drivers/families, (and lets face it, is probably bought as a 2nd 'commuting car') and, when all is said and done, has created as much pollution in its production as an internal combustion-engined car, to be exempt from paying for the use of the country's roads??
And, excuse me, but where does electricity come from again....? Is it the PowerGen fairy???
 No.....
  Oh yes, big, dirty, polluting power stations, some of which produce dubious nuclear waste, and others which use, oh, goodness.... Fossil fuels with all their associated greenhouse gases!! :(thinkhard): Isn't it strange how little research seems to go into these decisions, or could it be that the marketers of these "clean" cars have friends in high places??? :(bigangry):

[datalas]

As you say currently electric vehicles are somewhat imperfect specifically for anything other than town traffic.

Ironically I live in a city and of all things a Gas leak yesterday (and quite possibly today one I leave the house) delayed my journey to work by two hours, and would have put me outside of the range of an electric car...

Anyhow that asside, you did ask what the purpose of an electric car might serve was, especially when you consider that the fuel source itself is most likely fossil at some point.  The basic premise is one of locality.  Regardless of whether it is a realistic opinion or not, nothing apparently happens outside of the cities in this country.  A reduction in vehicular emmissions would most likely lead to a better inner city environment and possibly a reduction of associated health problems...

Granted, it would just be moving the problem to where fewer people see it, but isn't that what government policy is for ?

[landyman Ash]

I live in London (right in middel of west end) and I have to say Im a BIG fan of the g-WIZ

Forgetting the implicatiosn of global warming etc these cars do have a grand use in London and I see probably two or three a day

London is WAYYYYYYY over crowded with cars and the G-wiz takes up a very small foot print.  They are silent so now road traffic hum or rattle of diesels.  The G-wiz is free to park, free to charge up, free to tax, No congestion charge and whatever you think, is better for the environment.

They are 100% recylable and G-wiz offer guidlines to the councils on how to do this.  

Allthough they run on elec produced by fossil fuels the elec needed to run on will produce a tiny fraction of green house gases that any little smart car would, let alone a big disco that I drive.

For rural living, forget it.  But for a city as bad as london, I'd like to see a ten fold increase of them.  I think there a great idea and at only £6k, well if I had to travel a little further (I walk to work) I'd be getting one!!!

[beast5680]

at least my V8 is safer, you can hear it coming if your a pedestrian so you get out the way unlike an electric car that creeps up on you :lol:  good idea though for town centres i agree but why do the reporters have to compare it with a 4x4?

[Dirty Gertie]

Forgetting the implicatiosn of global warming etc

Ah, there lies the rub! Why are the powers that be ignoring the source of the fuel, and proclaiming them to be 'clean' ??- they are simply removed from the source of their polluting power; It's still polluting alright, but SOMEBODY ELSE'S ENVIRONMENT!!  - and as for being 100% recyclable; isn't the Land Rover one of the most recycled vehicles ever???

[landyman Ash]

Forgetting the implicatiosn of global warming etc

Ah, there lies the rub! Why are the powers that be ignoring the source of the fuel, and proclaiming them to be 'clean' ??- they are simply removed from the source of their polluting power; It's still polluting alright, but SOMEBODY ELSE'S ENVIRONMENT!!  - and as for being 100% recyclable; isn't the Land Rover one of the most recycled vehicles ever???

Look at what I wrote.  The energy required to run a G-wiz is tiny, WAYYYYY more than any Land Rover and the fossil fuel burnt to create that elec is far more efficient than any Tdi or V8.  

Im not saying the G-wiz is the answer, buts a bit step forward.

And although as Beast said you can hear a V8 and not a G-wiz, in london that doesnt matter.  Its so dam busy you cant hear anything and most things dont travel faster tha 5mph because the grid-lock

[V8MoneyPit]

..... They are 100% recylable and G-wiz offer guidlines to the councils on how to do this.....

In terms of manufacturing emissions, this only works if the components are just bolted on to another vehicle. If they have to be 'processed' to generate some other component, they still generate similar manufacturing emissions as a new part. The major difference is, of course, that they are not sent to a land fill at the end of their useful life.

I agree totally with the electricity generation. The amount of emissions generated purely to power an electric vehicle are massively less than those generated by an equivalent IC engined vehicle.

[landyman Ash]

 isn't the Land Rover one of the most recycled vehicles ever???

I think its somethinbg like about 4th or 5th ever.  The indians and Russians recycled their bits better then our land rovers and sodbury sortouts :D

[V8MoneyPit]

That just reminds me about the Hindustan Ambasador, basically a recycled Morris Oxford that they still produce in India. While at Lotus we had a couple arrive for 'ride and handling' assessment..... yes, you did read that correctly  :lol:

They were the Indian domestic version rather than the ones destined for the UK, so the build quality was just a tiny bit dodgy! Where panels didn't fit properly that had just hit it with a lump hammer and welded where it touched!

The dash was out of a Datsun and was too wide for the shell..... so they roughly cut the ends off and bolted it in!

But they serve a purpose out there. They are tough, simple and easily repaired by a blacksmith  :D

[landyman Ash]

Which in far flung parts of the world is what you need!!!

Bit like cuba, they run nearly all 1950's motors and they are nearly all repaired by near perfect craftsman that can build anything from anything!!!

Puts our mechanics to shame!!!

[POTASH]

the only problem is you need one hell of a plug lead to drive around :lol:

[landyman Ash]

the only problem is you need one hell of a plug lead to drive around :lol:

I think mayor ken is talking about putting scaletrix track in.  That will solve it  

[The Fat Controller]

I think mayor ken is talking about putting scaletrix track in.  That will solve it  

 :?: who gets the inside track
 :?: who has the controller
 :?: will there be a lap counter if they extend it to the M25

[landyman Ash]

I think mayor ken is talking about putting scaletrix track in.  That will solve it  

 :?: who gets the inside track
 :?: who has the controller
 :?: will there be a lap counter if they extend it to the M25

Ooooo if only I was Mayor.  We'd have so much fun!!!!!!!!! :lol:  :lol:  :lol: