It was good whilst it lasted, but it seems as if the recent love affair with electric cars is slowly waning. Stocks of brand new cars are piling-up, and the second-hand market is very poor. I have even read that BMW are returning to concentrate on their petrol/diesel cars again.
The big fuel players, BP, Shell, etc, are now heavily re-investing in fossil fuel excavation, and have abandoned the whole idea of net-zero.
The basic idea of electric cars was a good one, but they needed to be run from bodywork entirely constructed of solar-cells, with no need to plug-in every couple of hundred miles.
'The World Solar Challenge' was/is a race across Australia, north to south, for 3,000 kms. The cars were entirely fueled by the sun, and they worked very well. I think my old Alma Mater even entered a vehicle one year.
Really, the best fuel for the future of travel is Hydrogen. Once a small machine (that would fit in the boot) has been invented to separate Hydrogen from Oxygen, and one fills-up with tap water, then we'll all be happy.
I would never buy an electric car, so I can't say I'm sorry to hear of their decline. No doubt there'll always be a few around, but Petrol and Diesel is very much here to stay.
Another problem for EV's is that Tesla's owner, Elon Musk, has made himself none too popular at the moment, and I hear that it's affecting his, and other EV Co's, sales drastically.
So, for once, I have to agree with Tr*mp; drill, baby, drill.
Electric cars have a place in big towns and cities but you need places to charge them without trailing cables across pavements or being ripped off at public charge points.
ReplyDeleteI hope petrol is here to stay or at least for long enough to see me out as I've just paid £895.44p to have mine given a good seeing to and it's only an AYGO for christs sake.
I run on petrol, and I'm sure it will be my last car.
DeleteThe fundamental limitations of EVs were apparent over 120 years ago when there were several battery alternatives to the early internal combustion and steam powered cars. Batteries are not a lightweight and energy dense power source, so will always be at a disadvantage to petrol/diesel. For similar reasons hydrogen has limitations - as the lightest and least dense element it simply cannot compete especially when the weight of suitable compressed gas or liquid storage vessels are taken into account.
ReplyDeleteTaking into account the higher PM2.5 particulate generation from the heavier EVs, they are not more environmentally friendly either, especially as the whole Nut Zero scam is just that, CO2 is plant food and not a dangerous pollutant (and certainly not some kind of global thermostat when produced by humans as a tiny addition to naturally occurring sources).
Particles of rubber and brake lining <2.5 microns are killers in their own right. Not to mention all the wee Africans digging up the minerals for the batteries.
DeleteWill, I'm sure you're right. EV's will always be with us now in some form or other, but fossil fuels are so plentiful that they will always be more popular.
DeleteI understand that EVs are not so great in cold weather weather either.
ReplyDeleteBetter across that Australian desert.
DeleteThere are more electric vehicles than petrol and diesel vehicles on Norway's roads and last year 90% of new cars sold in Norway were EVs. "Drill Baby Drill!" is a thoughtless two fingers at the future from an ignorant wannabe autocrat.
ReplyDeletePetrol and Diesel are here to stay, and the world's reserves are HUGE.
DeleteIn a large country with many uninhabited areas, EV's aren't really that convenient if there is a lengthy distance between recharging points. As a friend of mine pointed out, imagine the queues at charging points on motorways at holiday times - they could stretch for miles! Then there would be the wait for the vehicle to re-charge.
ReplyDeleteNorway has a large land mass but the population is small and mostly located around the southern part of the country. It can also be very cold in winter, so that must affect vehicle performance.
It's quite scary when I'm walking along with the dog and an electric vehicle comes up behind me (no pavements here), no advanced warning at all.
None of those things you mention seem to have been taken into account. If the bodywork of the cars was 100% solar panels, and you lived in a sunny country; then OK. Otherwise no thanks.
DeleteIn the long term, probably hydrogen will be the answer. The fueling infrastructure needs to be built, but that is where rechargeable electric was 15 years ago. For the little that I drive, my little VW will outlive me.
ReplyDeleteMy 'Compact Royce' will certainly outlive me too. Thank goodness.
DeleteHybred/EV's are a disaster here in cold and snowy northern New England. Turn on the heat or defroster and a fully charged car drains out quickly and you're stuck. Horrible. Never pondered owning one, even a moment. We see tourists driving them in warm summer months and I've often wondered where they're charging up for the drive home. I agree with Coppa's girl and find their lack of engine noise a good way to possibly get clipped while walking through a parking lot or walking the dog.
ReplyDeleteCharging must be the worst problem. A neighbour has just bought an EV which claimed to do over 400 miles before re-charging. In fact he said it did just over 200.
DeleteThere are quite a few electric vehicles on the island and a lot of motorbikes/scooters. They're not as popular as diesel vehicles though.
ReplyDeleteTheir silence is very dangerous, especially the motorbikes.
I agree, the electric bikes are a menace. They whizz around on the pavements.
DeleteEV's do not hold power in the cold nor the high heat. I have no interest in owning an EV.
ReplyDeleteI am told hydrogen might well be the future. The downside of hydrogen is that it is highly flammable. Imagine cars exploding in an accident.
Plenty of EV's are exploding too. Not something that happens with either petrol or diesel.
DeleteTo separate water into hydrogen ond oxygen, and to win electricity out of oxygen, you need a lot of "green" energy. And about half the energy is lost during the process. The efficiency is about 50 %. Mercedes experiments with electric trucks. At the moment, a grear part of their capacity has to be used for the transport of their own batteries.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that the EU and the national governments have rigid plans for the automotive industry and there are high fines if the targets of electrification are not reached.
Hilde in Germany
I have a feeling that those targets might be scrapped. There are too many myths about petrol cars.
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