Morris Minor Owners Club

les wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2026 8:40 pm Perhaps he doesn’t own a Minor

I do - but my aim would be to convert it to electric, for local use. Plenty of possibilities if the DVLC don’t ban them completely.

Widen your horizon and look up Electric Classic Cars for conversions, is my suggestion for the more narrow minded members.

Why are you so rude with your comments on this forum ? There is no need for such venom.

According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, narrow-minded is an adjective defined as:
• Not willing to listen to new ideas or to the opinions of others

Narrow minded works both ways, as I have responded several times its an opinion/ point of view, of which there are many. Get off your pulpit and stop preaching.

While your conscience is clear and your not polluting on your local runs in your electric minor, spare a thought for the other types of miner and impact on their local area.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Cobalt Workers: The DRC produces 60% to 70% of the world's cobalt. Studies by the U.S. Department of Labor and human rights groups estimate that tens of thousands of workers—including hundreds of thousands relying on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)—face hazardous conditions, with reports indicating that a large percentage experience forced labor or occupational injuries.

Indigenous and Local Communities (Lithium and Nickel): In regions like the lithium-rich salt flats of Chile and Argentina, mining operations consume millions of gallons of water, impacting local Indigenous communities and farmers who depend on shrinking groundwater and freshwater sources for survival. In nickel-producing areas (such as parts of Indonesia and the Philippines), open-pit mining and deforestation affect local ecosystems and contaminate community water supplies.

I admit I had intended to stay well clear of this discussion but I can no longer stop myself

The thing that bothers me most about the "green/eco" agenda is that it seems to just offshore all of the nasty, dirty, polluting, dangerous extraction, processing, manufacturing away from first world countries to much poorer countries. The eco zealots in Islington get to feel oh so virtuous but the poor people in Africa get poisoned and their environment ruined by pollution. Out of sight and out of mind. It's disingenuous. Here in the UK we have highly regulated systems on health and safety, pollution, strict labour laws (pay, conditions, etc) and that of course makes the cost of our manufactured goods high. In addition our manufacturing is expensive because our clean energy costs are so high but in other countries they are happy to burn coal (on our behalf) as much as they want. Then there's the question of how long these eco batteries last and what to do with them when they are worn out. These issues need to be considered in a total system approach, not just how nice it is to breathe clean air in UK cities or how much virtue can be signalled to others.......

Stephen

oliver90owner wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 9:33 am

les wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2026 8:40 pm Perhaps he doesn’t own a Minor

I do - but my aim would be to convert it to electric, for local use. Plenty of possibilities if the DVLC don’t ban them completely.

Widen your horizon and look up Electric Classic Cars for conversions, is my suggestion for the more narrow minded members.

Raises an Interesting point. I wonder what's better overall for the environment/humanity for the future? The impact of:
a) converting an otherwise usable classic car to a battery with all the mining, manufacturing, shipping, fabrication (guessing a good proportion of this will be fossil fuel powered + environmental impacts to locals), charging power etc? or
b) Just continue using as is powered by a bit of petrol? (albeit with the upstream cost of that too)?

I wonder how many miles you'd need to do to balance the equation?

CoPilot would suggest ~30,000 miles

Wes wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 2:21 pm

oliver90owner wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 9:33 am

les wrote: ↑Wed Oct 07, 2026 8:40 pm Perhaps he doesn’t own a Minor

I do - but my aim would be to convert it to electric, for local use. Plenty of possibilities if the DVLC don’t ban them completely.

Widen your horizon and look up Electric Classic Cars for conversions, is my suggestion for the more narrow minded members.

Raises an Interesting point. I wonder what's better overall for the environment/humanity for the future? The impact of:
a) converting an otherwise usable classic car to a battery with all the mining, manufacturing, shipping, fabrication (guessing a good proportion of this will be fossil fuel powered + environmental impacts to locals), charging power etc? or
b) Just continue using as is powered by a bit of petrol? (albeit with the upstream cost of that too)?

I wonder how many miles you'd need to do to balance the equation?

CoPilot would suggest ~30,000 miles

As things stand....there is no future.
BTW, CoPilot is A I. A search using A I uses ten times the water of a search not using A I.

BTW, CoPilot is A I. A search using A I uses ten times the water of a search not using A I.

Another inconvenient truth ;-)

" BTW, CoPilot is A I. A search using A I uses ten times the water of a search not using A I.

It doesn't use water as people assume , it takes in water, uses it for cooling and then puts it back where it came from...

John ;-)

Sleeper wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 3:45 pm " BTW, CoPilot is A I. A search using A I uses ten times the water of a search not using A I.

It doesn't use water as people assume , it takes in water, uses it for cooling and then puts it back where it came from...

John ;-)

Even CoPilot says that an A I search uses 'significantly' more water than a google search.

John.

Sleeper wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 3:45 pm " BTW, CoPilot is A I. A search using A I uses ten times the water of a search not using A I.

It doesn't use water as people assume , it takes in water, uses it for cooling and then puts it back where it came from...

John ;-)

Not quite true. In the UK the ones with open loop cooling systems take water in from local potable/drinking water sources and then either lose some via heat exchange venting to atmosphere or the used/blowdown/heavy/grey water is disposed of into local swage system. So its treated water in and water out needs treatment.

les wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 11:36 am Why are you so rude with your comments on this forum ? There is no need for such venom.

It was you who suggested I did not own a Minor. MYOB might have been a suitable reply, but if you keep on making comments like that, expect a stiff response.

We're getting way off topic .....
But....

svenedin wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:42 pm Out of sight and out of mind. It's disingenuous.

Stephen

Applies to many areas.....
Turbines from the first great 1990s wave of wind power are reaching the end of their life expectancy.
Blades are getting buried in the biggest landfill sites you can image. Only now are so-called recyclable ones starting to enter service....

The RAAF retired it's F-111 fleet on December 3, 2010, after 37 years of service.
The aircraft fuselages contained asbestos in the adhesives of their bonded panels. Dismantling them safely would have required expensive specialised hazmat facilities, protective gear for hundreds of workers, and high legal and environmental risks.....
So they buried them.....
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/heres-w ... etirement/

oliver90owner wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 6:06 pm

les wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 11:36 am Why are you so rude with your comments on this forum ? There is no need for such venom.

It was you who suggested I did not own a Minor. MYOB might have been a suitable reply, but if you keep on making comments like that, expect a stiff response.

Stiff response—-You mean you’ll carry on being rude.

Bill_qaz wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 11:55 am
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Cobalt Workers: The DRC produces 60% to 70% of the world's cobalt. Studies by the U.S. Department of Labor and human rights groups estimate that tens of thousands of workers—including hundreds of thousands relying on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)—face hazardous conditions, with reports indicating that a large percentage experience forced labor or occupational injuries.

Bill, you are so behind with your protestations. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, the safer choice of Lithium ion batteries are in the majority of cars these days and - and cars with Sodium Ion batteries are already on the market. I am sure that no new BESS systems use Cobalt (which, btw, is not one of the Rare Earth group of metals) so are LiFePO4 or Sodium technology.

You are not aware that Cobalt is used in the manufacture of petrol? So there is some more news for you to look up!

My Minor is not yet electrified (and none of my vintage machinery will ever be electrified, either).

As an aside, my home BESS is derived from a ‘scrap’ Mercedes hybrid battery that I have repurposed. It cost me 250 quid for about 15kWh. I am also having the Natural Gas mains connection removed from my house, hopefully in the next week or two. I, at least, am trying do my little bit towards eventual zero burning of fossils.

geoberni wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 6:22 pm We're getting way off topic .....
But....

svenedin wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 12:42 pm Out of sight and out of mind. It's disingenuous.

Stephen

Applies to many areas.....
Turbines from the first great 1990s wave of wind power are reaching the end of their life expectancy.
Blades are getting buried in the biggest landfill sites you can image. Only now are so-called recyclable ones starting to enter service....

The RAAF retired it's F-111 fleet on December 3, 2010, after 37 years of service.
The aircraft fuselages contained asbestos in the adhesives of their bonded panels. Dismantling them safely would have required expensive specialised hazmat facilities, protective gear for hundreds of workers, and high legal and environmental risks.....
So they buried them.....
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/heres-w ... etirement/

But those turbines did their job over many years didn't they? Fossil fuels have to be dug up every day. Renewables are winning out because they are cheaper. Fossil fuels literally cost the earth.
I saw a programme the other day where a pair of lock gates were being replaced on a canal. The new gates were made out of.....recycled turbine blades.
They were expected to last for at least 250 years; which, as things stand, is a lot longer than humans are going to last.

oliver90owner wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 7:05 pm

Bill_qaz wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 11:55 am
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Cobalt Workers: The DRC produces 60% to 70% of the world's cobalt. Studies by the U.S. Department of Labor and human rights groups estimate that tens of thousands of workers—including hundreds of thousands relying on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)—face hazardous conditions, with reports indicating that a large percentage experience forced labor or occupational injuries.

Bill, you are so behind with your protestations. Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, the safer choice of Lithium ion batteries are in the majority of cars these days and - and cars with Sodium Ion batteries are already on the market. I am sure that no new BESS systems use Cobalt (which, btw, is not one of the Rare Earth group of metals) so are LiFePO4 or Sodium technology.

You are not aware that Cobalt is used in the manufacture of petrol? So there is some more news for you to look up!

My Minor is not yet electrified (and none of my vintage machinery will ever be electrified, either).

As an aside, my home BESS is derived from a ‘scrap’ Mercedes hybrid battery that I have repurposed. It cost me 250 quid for about 15kWh. I am also having the Natural Gas mains connection removed from my house, hopefully in the next week or two. I, at least, am trying do my little bit towards eventual zero burning of fossils.

Blablabla
a forum for classic petrol car is hardly the place for evangelistic save the planet preaching.
You are rude, condescending and presumptuous in your responses, commenting on what I know and don't know, based on a post from a person you have no actual knowledge of .
I will not comment further on any of your posts and would prefer you do the the same on mine.

I'm now going out in my diesel suv to get some logs for the woodburner as despite the global warming it feeling colder

Years ago it was stated by sustainable living gurus in the Whole Earth Catalog that a car had to last at least 20 years to have been worth its resourses.
Minors well qualify!
A car that has done 40 mpg for all that time can't be bad. And a lot of it is made of rubber...

stuffedpike20 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 7:20 pm

But those turbines did their job over many years didn't they? Fossil fuels have to be dug up every day. Renewables are winning out because they are cheaper. Fossil fuels literally cost the earth.
I saw a programme the other day where a pair of lock gates were being replaced on a canal. The new gates were made out of.....recycled turbine blades.
They were expected to last for at least 250 years; which, as things stand, is a lot longer than humans are going to last.

I agree, I'm just illustrating that nothing is as straightforward as some would have us think.

stuffedpike20 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 08, 2026 8:00 pm Years ago it was stated by sustainable living gurus in the Whole Earth Catalog that a car had to last at least 20 years to have been worth its resourses.
Minors well qualify!
A car that has done 40 mpg for all that time can't be bad. And a lot of it is made of rubber...

Charles Ware won a 'Green Apple Award' in 2003 for "environmental services to the motor industry", associated with his concept of the Minor as a 'durable car' capable of long-term maintenance, instead of routinely scrapping and making new cars.