Going electric

[anneed]

So we are all going to be driving electric cars in the not too distant future - but what about that great fossil fuel guzzler the cruise ship? Will the ships have to plug into charging points at ports of call or will they be equipped with solar panels and wind turbines? Or how about going back to the good old days of sail?

I believe HMS Victory is still in commission!

[david63]

Now come on - we all know that cruise ships have a long cable that they plug-in in Southampton (other ports are available) to provide them with electricity

I believe HMS Victory is still in commission!

She certainly is and is the flagship

[towny44]

Battery capacity along with a reduction in weight is essential before fully electric cars are viable. At present their range is about 150 miles, and even then charging will be a minimum of 30 minutes at one of the high speed points. All these factors need to be improved if they are to adequately replace the internal combustion engine; but the target date of 2040 does give manufacturers an incentive, however I doubt it will affect me as I will be 96 by then.

[Stephen]

I'll be knocking on as well John. The only electric thing I'll be using by then will probably be a wheel chair

[Mervyn and Trish]

I see the small print is out and as ever the devil is in the detail. The internal combustion engine isn't dead yet as hybrids will still be allowed.

If we are to go all electric they need to get on quickly with building the infrastructure including hundreds of thousands of public rapid charge points and power stations. And you have to wonder how people living in homes without their own garages or off road parking will charge their cars overnight.

Of course once we've all bought battery cars there will be a huge charge to dispose of the highly toxic batteries when they expire.

Like Towny I suspect my licence will have been confiscated before 2040 if I'm still above ground.

But for now the ideal car for us would be a plug in hybrid. Plenty of battery range for our daily use but an engine to top it up on longer trips. But there is such a limited choice of models and prices are insane.

[Stephen]

S*d it, I'm still thinking about going for the petrol Nissan Qashqai. Plenty of time for electric once I get the blanket over my legs and the joystick in my hand

But then again, I could always rent a Farrari for an hour

[towny44]

Merv, have you looked at the Kia Niro a Focus sized petrol hybrid crossover, or Hyundai's Ioniq petrol hybrid saloon. They both use the same platform but offer a different driving style, and they are well below the Prius prices.

[London Cruiser]

I quite like the idea, however how will the chancellor raise revenue he looses from fuel duty, vat etc?

[Manoverboard]

Have never had a ( dirty ) diesel, always petrol but Hybrids are the way to go for us me thinks.

As for ' all ' electric .... fast charging will doubtless reduce the life of the battery cells and it's ok for you townies but us rurals wont have a charger for 50 miles or more, even if we did there would be a never ending queue for it. The idea of leaving a cable dangling off the power supply all night in a Town or City doesn't appeal either ... there'll be yobs with insulated cable cutters all over the estates in the small hours snipping away.

Tis probably best to stick with the red tinted tractor fuel for a while longer

[qbman1]

Have never had a ( dirty ) diesel, always petrol but Hybrids are the way to go for us me thinks.

As for ' all ' electric .... fast charging will doubtless reduce the life of the battery cells and it's ok for you townies but us rurals wont have a charger for 50 miles or more, even if we did there would be a never ending queue for it. The idea of leaving a cable dangling off the power supply all night in a Town or City doesn't appeal either ... there'll be yobs with insulated cable cutters all over the estates in the small hours snipping away.

Tis probably best to stick with the red tinted tractor fuel for a while longer

Just don't take your tractor to Belgium - the little devils are currently fining boat owners with traces of red diesel in their tanks - 500 euros to you sir !