Petrol and diesel ban by 2040

[Dean]

Just for further discussion. The plan I believe is to have charge points sank into the road, or not just points but a permanent sunken grid as they renew surfaces.

A pad underneath your car will pick up the charge via wireless technology and charge your car as and when needed, debiting your credit card automatically.

So no need for plugs and leads and you should be able to set your vehicle to ignore the charge points if it isn't needed, otherwise you will constantly be charged for topping up your battery.

So many more opportunities for fraud to take a grip of your account balance, but still a requirement for an extra 20 power stations.

[SteveClem]

Glad I'll not be involved in all that techno-rubbish. Us baby boomers really have lived through a good era. We've had choices and ridiculous amounts of state support...education grants,family allowance etc.
More importantly it's been a very interesting and exciting time to live through...we could plough our own furrow and make our own mistakes,learn from them and suffer when it went wrong.
Seems to me that our kids are getting swamped in a politically correct state controlled Orwellian nightmare .

[Budgie]

Rolls Royce has just announced their new Phantom model ...... I doubt they'll be converting that to electric in 2040 !

[palacebear]

Fit a heck of a lot of AAA batteries under the bonnet though

[Budgie]

yeh

[greendefender123]

Afew years ago on top gear they had a hydrogen car. Seemed like a good idea to me. Wonder if it will catch on. Anybody heard anything else?

[palacebear]

Very small fleet of hydrogen buses running in London for evaluation purposes. Have been for a few years now. Seem successful although I believe prohibited from some roads.

[greendefender123]

Apart from the dangers of it it seems like the ideal solution to me. Electric cars just seem pointless, especially when trying to save the environment. Tho I suppose they'd be good as commuter cars that you can charge in garage overnight.

[myoldjalopy]

Seems to me that our kids are getting swamped in a politically correct state controlled Orwellian nightmare .

Too true. Quality of life is decreasing. We are increasingly controlled, spied on and brainwashed in a society that values consumerism above anything else of real value.We are over-crowded, our natural environment is diminishing and our built environment is increasingly ugly, noisy and depressing. The sad thing is most don't seem to notice and are happy to accept it without question.

[SteveClem]

I believe there are two types of hydrogen cars. One that burns hydrogen using an internal combustion engine and another that uses a fuel cell to generate electricity. A proper engineer will probably be along soon to explain properly
It seems that hydrogen isn't that cheap or 'clean' to produce either.

[palacebear]

Not sure on the safety issues. The hydrogen (fuel cell/elec generating) buses in London were initially kept away from the Thames bridges and tunnels. They're still prohibited from the tunnels (as are all vehicles carrying 'explosives') but they cross over the Thames via Blackfriars Bridge and pass beneath the southern abutment of Waterloo Bridge to stop at the Festival Hall. They're eerily quiet. Faint motor hum. Bit of transmission/tyre noise. Visibly just a bit of vapour exiting the tailpipe, which is at roof level.

[BrianHawley]

Not sure on the safety issues. The hydrogen (fuel cell/elec generating) buses in London were initially kept away from the Thames bridges and tunnels. They're still prohibited from the tunnels (as are all vehicles carrying 'explosives') but they cross over the Thames via Blackfriars Bridge and pass beneath the southern abutment of Waterloo Bridge to stop at the Festival Hall. They're eerily quiet. Faint motor hum. Bit of transmission/tyre noise. Visibly just a bit of vapour exiting the tailpipe, which is at roof level.

[D T Rennie]

We'll be fine for petrol/diesel, it's just we'll have to get it in cans rather than from a filling station. Electric engines still need oil for lubrication as well, so as long as the modern engines need oil, we'll still get the petrol/diesel from the refining process. Saying that, even if the cars don't need oil in the future, there will still be petrol/diesel left over from refining oil into tarmac for the roads. It's all good, unless we get hover cars that don't need oil.

[firedrake1942]

The possibilities for mods are endless. Hover Minor anyone ??

[jagnut66]

Hi,
I think one of the points of publicising the 2040 ban on the production of all internal combustion powered vehicles now is to get us all talking / thinking about it, so by 2040 we'll all be used to the idea and just accept it.
As mentioned earlier, by then all new and most of the pre-existing cars on the road will be driverless anyway, so the fun will have long since gone out of new vehicle ownership anyway. Plus with manufacturers already embracing the idea with their 'hybrid' vehicles and investing now in the research to develop completely electric vehicles, the internal combustion engine may have already been superseded by 2040 anyway.
The problem for classic car owners will be getting hold of fuel, if its still available (and there's no cast iron guarantee of that), plus the draconian restrictions on usage that will in all probability have been introduced by then. As has been said we should enjoy the privilage of relatively unrestricted usage and freely available fuel whilst we can.

Post by SteveClem » Fri Jul 28 2017 4:25 pm

Glad I'll not be involved in all that techno-rubbish. Us baby boomers really have lived through a good era. We've had choices and ridiculous amounts of state support...education grants,family allowance etc.
More importantly it's been a very interesting and exciting time to live through...we could plough our own furrow and make our own mistakes,learn from them and suffer when it went wrong.
Seems to me that our kids are getting swamped in a politically correct state controlled Orwellian nightmare .

A very good point and sadly nearer the mark than most people are willing to accept or contemplate. Indoctrination on all political and social levels that has been going on for some years (decades) now, introduced quietly and slowly, so the 'kids' will see it as the norm and won't see it coming.........
Of course the other side effect is that it will devalue all classics, as most people won't want an old relic sat in the garage that is 'neither use nor ornament' and is only allowed resticted usage if you can find / afford fuel to drive it anyway.
Relatively speaking we have preserved quite a few classic cars, buses etc (of all makes) and there will be only so many museums for such that will be viable. Which will inevitably start to drive prices down, as they won't have any 'investment' value anymore.
So we can take comfort that long term those pushing the prices of classics up for their own financial gain WILL get their fingers burnt when they don't jump off the bandwagon quick enough.......
Best wishes,
Mike.

[les]

When do you suggest we sell up?

[philthehill]

We have not got the full details of the proposal yet and it turns to all doom and gloom on here!
Must think positive.

[jagnut66]

When do you suggest we sell up?

Your house or your car??

We have not got the full details of the proposal yet and it turns to all doom and gloom on here!
Must think positive.

Like I said, I suspect this particular cat has been let out of the bag to get us all talking and thinking, it's not 'doom and gloom', it's inevitable.
With driverless technology on the horizon and I'm sure I've heard somewhere that even the oil companies are getting in on the 'electronic revolution', with a view to providing the electronic 'filling' points at their existing fuel stations. I think they are even investing in research and development as well, the Shell Electronic Driverless car anyone........

They are driven by profit, so it's the next logical step for them, plus they may choose to be in the driving seat rather than just a passenger, so to speak.

Add to this all the politicians are getting very twitchy about car / lorry created pollution and you have to accept it will happen.
Maybe sooner than 2040, once its (technology /) momentum gets going.....

Enthusiasts don't need to worry in one sense, as we'll keep driving our classics till we drop.

Investors looking for a fat profit may need to watch this space................. (serves them right!).............

Best wishes,
Mike.

[ianmack]

'most people won't want an old relic sat in the garage that is 'neither use nor ornament'''

Actually without fuel it will be an ornament.

[jagnut66]

But not much use though..................................