What next... electric cars capable of towing
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Caravan touring is doomed and not from electric cars but from today's caravan owners, season lets becoming more popular and now caravan storage on site where you leave the van on site and the site owner moves it off the pitch and back on a pitch when you need it, it's all coming to an end, welcome to the towable static very sad.
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I may be living in the past, but at least it was comfortable!
So OK is Diesel is so evil , But please explain the following to me. I drive a modern turbo diesel, Euro 6 compliant . In addition it runs on Ad Blu to minimise emissions. But it is evil because it is called a Diesel. Electric is the way forward and is overall the saviour of life in the future.
So can any one explain to me the following! A few years ago the Govt announced that in order to move us all upwards and onward and greener, they were going to electrify the main rail line between Paddington and Swansea and also the west coast line, initially from Paddington to Bristol Templemeads . - eventually to Plymouth. This would be far better for the environment and would be the flagship for rail in the future.
But the project fell years behind schedule, so instead of finishing it, the Govt came up with a brilliant idea! They would fit all of the new electric trains with Diesel engines!!! What a great idea! So where does that leave the Govt announcement that Diesel engines were evil and must be outlawed??
This is NOT a fairy tail. I live next to the new Hitachi depot at Stake Gifford, and visit quite often. The new electric trains are great, but the depot is busily converting all the fleet to be bi-modal by fitting 3 new 21 litre Diesel engines to each 5 car set. All running on AdBlu . So where is the logic in that?
But I bet the Govt will still cane my car in the next budget. So how do you explain that???
TF
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Easily explained TF, you/we are a source of revenue...
I watched an online episode of Channel 4s Dispatches yesterday, about cruise ships, which apparently run on low grade heavy oil and as a result emit as much pollution as 1000 hgv's... The pollution on deck was in some places as high as Piccadilly Circus.
Apparently there is a new cruise liner dock being built to the east of Greenwich where they will be welcome to dock and run their engines 24/7 to maintain power for the ships systems whilst those on-board visit the city. I think this is the same London that want's to improve air quality and deter diesels vehicles from entering the emission zone by charging a high fee per day...
Oh and the 2000 people on each ship, they are a source of revenue too
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Sadly the hobby of touring by caravan as we know it today is due to come to an slow end.
Over the next few decades, the sight of a large caravan being towed behind an equally large car will be a rare sight indeed.
Restrictions on the use of engines using fossil fuels and the increased use of Electric Cars will make towing a No No.
Small motorhomes and campers powered by electricity will be the vehicle of choice for those who still want to enjoy touring and staying overnight on camp sites. -- Sites which will require charging points on each pitch.
The world moves on and new innovations evolve. There will always be the enjoyment of true touring,, but not by towed caravan.
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I had been having a look at these with a thought to purchase one (LOL) did notice that the new Model3 that is due to come out next year US price around $35000,what price do you think this will be sold for in UK.Todays exchange would make it £27000. One thing i did like when reading the X Style Options list was The Bioweapons Filter? very good thing to have!!!.Think i will save some money and just get a full Haz Pack Suit and wear that instead.
Steve
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Not suitable for our members for a very long time! Lets get real and make sure that those people living in cloud cuckoo land who's parents probably weren't married, realise that there is a real world out here that has to manage on far less than a new Tesla will cost.
Also while our precious Govt who previously pushed the environmental advantages of the diesel, and who have now decided that they cannot afford to complete the electrification of the main line between Paddington and Swansea, and so have decided to fit the brand new fleet of Hitachi Electric trains with DIESEL engines! Speak with forked tongue about such matters. Why should we take that much notice of what they say?
TF
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The real problem is this is political being driven (no pun intended) by enviromental concerns and to that end it hasn't been thought through very clearly. By far the biggest polluters are HGV's, ships and planes yet we haven't heard anything about them. The carbon cost of producing and disposing of electric vehicles is far greater than our current vehicles. What about the manufacture of polymers? This isn't about being scared of change its more about getting the whole question about saving the planet correct.
PS is this whole subject being driven as we don't want to be reliant on Russia for future oil and gas supplies
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Not sure about Tigerfish but when I was younger and fitter and had less time due to working then 350 miles would not be out of the question and I would have wanted a spare 50 miles in the 'tank'.
When I have been across water driving then about 310 miles to ferry after a 20 mile run from work and so would want some spare miles on other side and a charge point convenient.
Maybe, for me 400 range would suffice if that took me to a charge point!
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2040 is a very conservative target and, in any case, does not exclude hybrids. Norwegian car sales are now 29% electric and there is a substantial infrastructure of charging points. People seem hung up about what is available today and not in 20 years time. I have no doubt that battery technology will continue to improve along with other things like lighter materials. Volvo has already said that they are discontinuing diesel/petrol engines in favour of hybrid/electric.
I would like to see a much more aggressive target, say 2030. This would give the incentive for manufacturers, designers and innovators to push forward rapidly.
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By that time Mick, I'll be making the grass grow.😂😂😂😂😂. I look at electric cars and think they'll never be able to tow anything any distance. I noticed Tesla charge points being installed on a motorway services on the M6 the other day. They are serious about it then?
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Safefill is the way forward, Merve, not charging up with electricity.
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If you want the facts rather than the bullsh*t in the papers I suggest you have a look at what National Grid have said here. No need for new power stations.
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My interest is limited as I do not expect to be around in 2040. I am not convinced that the infrastructure will be either. In order to be meaningful for the brave new world the necessary infrastructure needs to be in place by 2030 in my opinion in order to encourage take up of E vehicles. Maybe it will?
If I am around I shall be 88 and unlikely to be driving.
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Are you currently able to tow 1,000 miles without refuelling ?
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If you're not convinced and think this is all a long way off look up some of the developments that have been going on for quite a while....this is about range extenders.
A pity this months Club mag has a dinosaur type letter about "the future of towing." The Club could at least attempt to join the 21st century.
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EVs don't take hours to charge now let alone in 20+ years time. In 15 years time I guarantee that you will be able to tow a 1,500kg van with an EV for say 300 miles and then refuel in much less than 15 minutes. Anyone that is able to tow for more than 300 miles without a 15 min break obviously has better stamina (and bladder) than me.
As to all the comments about infrastructure the two great things about electricity are that it is very easy to transport from generator to consumer and secondly it is already virtually everywhere. Installing charging points is hardly rocket science - even the Caravan Club (sic) could manage it.
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So we have a traditional fuelled engine to produce charge (with losses I imagine) sounds a perfect solution.
For me a range of 300 miles (plus a bit spare) would have been ample provided that I could refuel overnight Wherever I Overnight on a journey. That requires infrastructure all over the UK. All this might effect a 50 year old but unlikely to effect anybody presently much older than that.
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In 15 years time I guarantee that you will be able to tow a 1,500kg van with an EV for say 300 miles and then refuel in much less than 15 minutes.
And where in this country do we find the parking areas for all these recharges? Maybe there will be less cars on the road? Yes a present I would be fine provided CC ups their EHU to 32 amp. Death knell for some CLs probably.
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Here's another article, might be useful to read see here
There are already thousands of electric points all over the UK, in all sorts of places. You can find them on various web sites. There are four types of charge ranging from slow to fast plus the extended range vehicles.
Enough from me, we pick up a hybrid car next week, if it's awful I'll let you know.
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If you think laterally about EVs and Caravans there could be some interesting positive developments. At the moment your caravan can run very little in terms of electrical items when off-grid because it has battery with about 1 - 1.5kWh of juice in it. Imagine an EV with a 100kWh battery in it (some Teslas already do), plug your van into the car and you will have all the juice you need. Or a motorhome with a say 300kWh battery pack. All you need do is pop off site to the EV charger every few days to top up. No need for gas and duel fuel appliances.
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At home
Car parks
Supermarkets
Fuelling Stations
Camp sites
Every street lamp has electricty running to it.
It really isn't that difficult
Don't agree about CLs, see my previous post.
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Don't worry - all the hype is just a government ploy to get more cash for the treachery, it won't happen for many years and you and every motorist with a diesel will make sure it does not increase your cost of ownership - WITH YOUR VOTE.
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Good to see that the Luddites are alive and kicking. Enormous lack of lateral thinking amongst many of these posters I.e. thinking about today’s technology and not what might be available in a few years time! Electricity will have a variable cost depending on the time of day and your smart charger will monitor this to give you cheapest recharge, quickest recharge etc. There will be many, many other innovations.
Just imagine that electric cars were standard and there was a proposal to introduce petrol as an alternative fuel.
Press Announcement: The Government are going to build petrol filling stations with massive tanks underground to store the fuel. These tanks will be regularly filled from giant road tankers (meanwhile the filling station will be closed). The fuel is smelly and highly flammable. You can’t store it at home, you have to get in a queue with other motorists to fill up. It has to be burned in your engine to get the car wheels to turn and in doing so produces nasty exhaust gasses and requires lots of parts in the engine like injectors that will occasionally stick and leave you stranded.
Any supporters? I know, another stupid government idea. I’ll conceived and not thought through.
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what is the point of hybrids anyway. they all have petrol or diesel engines so that fuel and service stations will never disappear. seasick Steve got it right when he was on top gear by stating there is more pollution produced to make a vehicle whatever fuel it ran on than running one for a lifetime.
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