Winter tyres are great in winter ..... because of the cold (!!) and/but are made of a different compund to normal tyres of course which does not perform that well in the warmer weather. They also have a different tread pattern which is good in snow but less so in the wet....
Most of us will be aware of all this anyway but:
https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/safety/winter-tyres-in-the-uk
It always perturbed me that Alcoholics Anonymous would provide advice to drivers though...
Oh dear......
Thus they had better get "planting"......
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/50382898
Only about 1% is from the cars of course... c.50% for transportation (not including spectators either)
but Lewis Hamilton has been encouraging fans to 'Go Vegan' of course
As for EV options I watched a Formula 'E' Race once though - very similar to giant Scalextric....
I understand what you mean there Brian but again it is easy enough (in theory !) to explain with spacesaver to "use for 10 miles maximum or somesuch", and even put that on information on the yellow label (?) If drivers are such idiots as to ignore this then perhaps we should have realised they would do that earlier and only allow full-sized spares (?)
Absolutely agree about all the other Manufacturers 'fiddles' too but at least that was not so dangerous (.....except to our atmosphere !.......)
Gilbertd wrote:
davew wrote:
Err..... because, unlike a flat, a blown bulb is not going to mean you are then motionless by the roadside and maybe in a dangerous situation ??
So why wouldn't they also supply a spare battery, coolant hoses, ignition coils and anything else that can fail without warning leaving you stranded in a dangerous situation?
You did not say that, you said bulbs, and so that is not a valid comparison to a spare tyre..
and adding a list of adiitional things now really does not change that
davew wrote:
Your remark about manufacturers (albeit tongue-in-cheek) is correct: We have to 'ask nicely' and pay for stuff so they will provide safety equipment that might save our lives....
No, I most definitely did not say they are selling 'illegal' cars so your 'logical' extrapolation on that is incorrect too.....I never said you did but if you were to buy a car in a country where a set of spare bulbs, hi-vis vests, warning triangle, etc is mandatory then without them the car cannot be used legally. So if a manufacturers supplies a car without them,the car itself isn't illegal but cannot legally be used.
**Your 'logical extrapolation' was a very strong (and slightly extreme) implcation however; It's generally best to react to what I actually say (or seek clarification before reacting to what I didn't ?)
Ah, wait.... you mean semantics B/S ? How very helpful ! **
We can indulge in stupid wirds games all day Richard but that is not going to change the fact that not making such 'safety equipment' mandatory here (like some countries do for some reason, perhaps they are smarter than the UK ) it is both subjecting us to greater danger and also frankly taking the 'P'' !
In fact I now wonder how many fatalities have resulted from cars without spares waiting for someone to bring one... say on a Motorway without a hard shoulder ?
"Saving weight" for Emissions reasons my 'A' !!
Err..... because, unlike a flat, a blown bulb is not going to mean you are then motionless by the roadside and maybe in a danegrous situation ??
Your remark about manufacturers (albeit tongue-in-cheek) is correct: We have to 'ask nicely' and pay for stuff so they will provide safety equipment that might save our lives....
No, I most definitely did not say they are selling 'illegal' cars so your 'logical' extrapolation on that is incorrect too.....
but what I am clearly actually saying is that they really don't give a 'S' what we want ....and that's B/S !
Overall it seems that in order to meet new Emissions Standards they are just removing (or just not including) things that might be beneficial for the sake of 'weight reduction' issues. The steel used in thinner, the cars don't last as long and then they say we 'care about the Environment'.
Finally I personally don't care about 'exciting' Bluetooth connectivity etc etc....or any of their other superficial gimmicks, and, unless I am also 'mistaken' about this I understand I am entitled to my opinions (and experiences) on all this too !!
( Incidentally still on the topic of 'survival' this was a 'good idea' by 'motoring experts' that was proved wrong too:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/removing-motorway-hard-shoulders-increases-danger-say-motorists)
(Again) Richard "Marketing B/S" would be if they said "you have to have one of these spacesavers because of Regulation changes"..... and (again) I will let you know what they say. I suspect it is down to Emissions changes and thus associated weight reduction or worse than that - eg. "car buyers are asking for more boot space" and similar nonsense... ie The real B/S: ~ 50% of new cars don't have spares and yet many drivers find this out 'the hard way' ?!
-And perhaps these manufactrers have not noticed all the potholes either - 'great' for sidewall damage - as these really don't seem to feature in their ads. !
Similarly I don't think the comparison with folks carrying spare bulbs (etc) is particularly valid, although isn't that a requirement in France ? (Along with a warning triangle... and which should also be compulsory too. along with a high vis jacket !)..... and a rubber mallet, long breaker bar for the wheel nuts, plus tow rope, shovel....bright hazard lights etc et. (or maybe that's just me !)....
Anyway, that Merc collapsable spare wheel is quite an expensive gimmick too of course.... and I hope they provide a good pump for it in the cars too (and presumably a vaccum pump is needed later so you can actually get it back in the well (?). Not a great believer in "runflats" either, another expensive gimmick, particularly as using them for 10 miles or so trashes them. 'Great' to get you to the nearets tyre fitter but guess what... "special order guv. - but we can get them in a day or two" !!
Perhaps overall the real answer is to ensure manufacturers for both ICE/Hybrid EVs quote MPG/range figures for real world..... a couple of passengers, some 'standard' luggage, a spare wheel and so on.... (and all the other things their lobby would avoid) !
A bit harsh to describe these spacesavers as "B/S" Richard, particularly as one might save your life.....
If there is any B/S it is actually surely from car manufacturers for not providng them in the first case (?)
(I for one will not drive a car without one either)
(Again) I will let you know what RoadHero say about 'Regulations' but here is another spacesaver company with their rationale ! :-
https://www.tyremen.co.uk/guide/what-space-saver-wheel-and-tyre-0
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/sponsored-content/sponsored-content-tyreman/
OR:
https://www.lockingwheelnutremover.co.uk/universal-spare-wheel.html
The (Alloy) RH one I have in fact I had rebored (slightly) so i can use it on more than one of my cars (and I just threw the goop away...)
As stated saving weight seems more something within the context of ICE/Emissions so i don't know why EVs have them...
and considering their weight I would not even trust/entertain one ! Insist on a full-sized spare with your EVs folks !!
You have to be 'amused' by 'regulations' where if the spare/spacesaver you have isn't legal then you just take it out to pass the test though !
The Road Hero I have is actually bright orange (and so it would be obvious to anyone in authority.... ) Quite pricey though... too pricey to fit under the floor where the cheap/nasty/rusty so I keep it in the boot instead..... Technically I thus have two spacesavers both possibly non-IVA as the label fell off the rusty original one ! I'll also ask RH about their sticker size if/when they reply about the regs. change....
Well I must have made it up then Richard !
" Road Hero is a space saver wheel kit, designed to eliminate the danger of being stranded and to get you home safely !
Vehicles manufactured after 2012 are no longer required to provide a spare wheel, due to regulation changes. "
(EDIT: Just e-mailed them to seek clarification)
It also seems barmy (and unsafe) if you have a flat to stay on the side of the road and call the AA instead (particularly on Motorways)....
One of my cars has the "spacesaver" option whereby it is attached under the car: Not had the problem (yet) but presumably with a flat on the back would have to lift it up with the jack and then get halfway underneath to retrieve it ? Hmmmm.... Give me a "wheelwell" in the boot (with a wheel in it) any time... These wheels are just painted steel (cheap) and over a few years start to resemble the Titanic too !
As many 'spacesavers' are about half the width of the originals I really would not want to drive in the rain with one on the front either.
If they are not installing spares as standard on EVs due to "weight saving" that's somewhat misleading too.....
Hmmm... Ok then I have now decided to get an EV but along with a folding bike/dynamo - in case I am 'running out of juice' and I can't find a Charging Station....
In fact I noted some compact Portable Generators for sale in Lidl for £300 (and that may be cheaper than the bike...). Wonder what would happen in Central London if they caught me charging my EV like that ?....
Seriously when I am asked about EVs I tend to tell folks about the need to carry these hefty batteries around with you ALL the time, kind of like having to carry a full tank of (ICE) fuel everywhere (and also a car full of people for that matter) and it seems to focus their minds...
Just had a look at that Niro spec. Not bad.... (some say with a 239-mile range, some say 282-miles... a bit too specific for my liking - again - but they should really quote 'typicals' not 'best' scenarios of course - as range is the primary concern for EVs. It probably needs more independent test results to 'convince and reassure' us all too...
As for the change in Regulations so cars don't need spare wheels any more it is clearly barmy (and is putting a strain on the AA etc too..)
the "A bucket of goop and a pump" kit just does not do it for me... One of the reasons for this seems to be the 'Start/Stop technology'..
whereby the (much) bigger battery takes up all that space in the boot instead. That's 'progress' for you though..
It is quite hard to write a response whilst I am also peddling hard (and charging my PC with a bike dynamo) so bear with me.....
(and YES, that is also a 'joke'...)
but I am quite disturbed now to be informed that some of the stuff on the 'Net is just lies though ! Presumably this is a subset of the statement that "Bad News Travels Fast But Fake News Travels Fastest" !?
So, and very briefly..... For the record I detest Microsloth and have also lost count of the number of CC kids I have spoken with about iPhones from China and also the whole "financial backstories" on Lithium and Cobalt .... but I reapeat kids do think differently that we did as kids (Surprise Surprise) Just why that is is a Long Story of course...
perhaps 1,.21 or 31 years
And I meant any 'advantages' for hybrids not actually having plug-in facilities at all...
Damn... a puncture.... lights dimming.... should have bought a plug-in bike, obviously !
" The thing with that is those services rely on huge datacentres, that guzzle electricity 24/7, so unless its coming from renewable sources, it would probabbly work out to giving a bigger carbon footprint than the traditional DVD type distribution. "
What ? That's not what Microdsoft are saying Brian ! https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=56950
You will be telling us that the Internet harms our health next !!
Thank goodness all their servers are wind-powered: https://www.goclimateneutral.org/blog/the-carbon-footprint-of-servers/
Like many I have no idea what the (perceived/presumed) advantage of a non-plug-in hybrid is/was either...
Ah, I see LPGC; But don't hybrid drivers get Emissions Zone 'breaks' anyway ?...
Incidentally the Hybrid drivers i have spoken with have major issues with their expected overall MPGs too......
eg. "Might be OK for pottering about but not on the open roads"...
Maybe you should watch the fuller video and/or.read the EV1 book though, as it was clearly GM who did it.with 'encouragement' from the oil lobby !
Not sure the Betamax/VHS analogy works too well here (as both were developed in parallel) but perhaps a DVD/Cloud comparison works better (?) in which case EVs will be leased-only and/or shared ownership.... wait.... that was GM's EV1 model ! (But to be fair their batteries were pretty bad 20 years ago....)
Seriously though kids don't want DVD's anymore - thanks to Netflix/Broadband etc of course and (- wait for it -) their need for smaller Carbon Footprints !
Unfortunately Richard I have had some dealings myself with Local Authorities / Councils - and they seemed pretty clueless. eg In one meeting we were shown 'lovely' sketches of their planned Public EV Charging Stations ... but they clearly had no ideas whatsover of the likely demand and/or how much they would charge for using them... (except it would be more expensive that at home because of installation costs and 'convenience premiums' ). It needs a lot of additional work/research/etc but in the meantime I suspect Councils will mainly compete in terms of just how many Public Charging Stations they have as compared to the others (?).
Similarly if they are banning diesels from town centres due to pollution concerns does that mean they will providing Park/Ride schemes instead ??
As for your Fleet Legacy work the Polar Bears will be impressed for sure !!
The Leaf you mention sounds like one of the worse cases i have heard of ... maybe she just left the hand-brake on (?!) but seriously is the kind of thing Manufacturers should think about (as apparently the whole ICE "over-stated MPG" fiasco should have taught them something (?)
Yes Lpgc, the psychology of 'car-buying for kids' is definitley changing too and will conitoune to thanks to EVs, and I would say we are on a bit of a 'cusp' too, but it's down to price of them too (notably second-had, or "pre-owned" as the like to say these days (as though that makes any difference...) but c.5K is too much for most kids. Lots more manufacturers are now jumping on the EV band-wagon and that will 'trickle down' (eventually) too. Not sure that many kids are attracted to the idea of an 'old' EV (with limited battery life etc). Many kids are staying at home more due to appaling Property Prices and in theory have more 'disposable' incomes but as far as cars themselves are concerned Insurance costs in particular work against that - and it does not surprise me that so many now seem to prefer Public Transport and/or bikes anyway !!
A quick aside, how many hybrid-owners are converting to LPG ?
Another quick aside but this makes good watching/reading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car%3F
Meant to post it up earlier but I am sure many of you know the story of GMs (lease-only) EV1s...,
and now all crushed....Short Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3OnYjP4FTk
Well as far as I can tell Richard diesel vans would be excluded (but would be charged per day instead).
However the problem with these schemes of course is when local coucils start to try to 'out-green' one another.
You will no doubt already be aware that many folks think EVs are car tax exempt too; Lost count now of the number of times I have had to explain that is for the First Year only and then it is typically £320 pa (Tesla). Ditto for Hybrids (eg/ Typically £35 First Year then £135 - Prius)
Obviously this is all less of an issue with Business vehicles but, as I also keep having to explain to prospective (and overly-optimistic) EV/Hybrid customers, "It's a diiferent 'model' to ICE"... and it is not all good news ! Incidentally my own interest/scepticism started a few years ago when someone from Nissan stated the range of a Leaf was "£109 miles.." No mention of driving conditions, terrain, battery life etc of course... just £109 miles...!!
"Coming Soon To a City Centre Near You" (?)
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/city-council-congestion-zone-diesel-3483921
(If Bristol can pull it off it will be copied elsewhere of course..... )
And quite a few Scientists who are smarter too fotso.......
(and many of these short-sighted Politicians will be history in 11,21,31 years time of course... these kids won't...)
RRST - Range Rover Shopping Trips - as a measure of CO2 Pollution ?
"If I drive a Range Rover to the supermarket I produce about 400g of CO2. Should we measure environmental morality in Range Rover Shopping Trips – RSTs? An RST is an ugly spectacle: me a paunchy middle aged guy, my wrap-around shades, in a ‘commanding’ driving position, nonchalantly palming my giant car between trolley-pushing pedestrians in the Sainsbury’s car park. Meanwhile in a studio nearby, a designer, loving the precision of razor sharp edges, draws a gorgeous slender bookshelf out of steel. It weighs 500kg, making about 1.5t of CO2, so jot him down for 3,750 RSTs: a daily Range Rover drive to Sainsbury’s and back every day for 10 years – and that’s just a morning’s work for him. An engineer churns out the same old steel picture frame instead of a timber one – that’s 2t of steel and 6t of CO2: she’s on 15,000 RSTs. A planner that insists on a brick facade produces 253t of CO2 – 632,500 RSTs. Bricks are bad. They’re baked, doh! If a contractor, balking at the unknown, persuades a client to make a block of flats concrete instead of cross laminated timber that’s 2,300t of CO2. Now we’re on 5.76 million RSTs. No matter that we’re peddling around on our Bromptons. We are actually all driving the Range Rover to Sainsbury’s... a lot."
These are being taken seriously (apparently):-
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/can-easyjet-short-circuit-electric-airliner-flight/
Alternatively you could just have a (concept) EV _based _on an airliner, or a cheetah, or a basking shark .....(?)
Not sure abot mowers but these will have BIG FANS (so maybe Dyson can help ?!) :-
https://www.electrive.com/2018/04/16/electric-aircraft-startup-wright-electric-teams-up-with-jetex/
Another interesting idea - this time from the Aeronaytical Industry and planned for "around 2050" or so.
Not sure what the bigger problem is though, carrying their batteries everywhere with them... or the fact that jel fuel/jkerosene has over 50 times more 'energy per kg' than Li-ion batteries do... ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_density (See chart)