asperity Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Fatshaft, I agree with most of what you say. However I will take issue with your claim that you can drive from Warrington to Aberdeen quicker than the train journey. Perhaps if your car is invisible to speed cameras or you have diplomatic immunity!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 One here for you Shelley, it wont solve the problem we face though but will at least give some people a sort of viable option and ?75 a year fuel costs is very appealing, my van costs more to 3/4 fill with diesel than that. Plus they are exempt from congestion charges. http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/news/article4187546.ece Now if these vehicles weren't such death traps perhaps they would have a future? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 One here for you Shelley, it wont solve the problem we face though but will at least give some people a sort of viable option and ?75 a year fuel costs is very appealing, my van costs more to 3/4 fill with diesel than that.Plus they are exempt from congestion charges. http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/news/article4187546.ece Now if these vehicles weren't such death traps perhaps they would have a future? Thanks, very exciting news. It will double my range. Looking forward to getting to Manchester and Chester by the back roads. As to the safety, the G-wiz isn't for everyone on a number of counts. I wouldn't advise a large person to buy it either. It's sized well for someone my size, 5'6". My husband who is 5'11" and thin is about the limit. I'm used to the safety advantages and disadvantages of small vehicles in general. I drove a moped for a couple of years when I was at University. You learn to drive with the assumption that you are invisible. I just recently was on the phone with Goin Green about a replacement windscreen and asked them about the safety issue, and they said it has improved in the newer ones, but also for all the scare about it, there haven't been any serious accidents with them. The crash tests aren't as important as what actually happens on the road. Back when seat belts first came out, my father had a funny attitude about them. While I don't totally agree with it, I think it had a kernal of truth. He felt they gave people a false security. His attitude was that all accidents could be avoided with good enough defensive driving, and that seat belts would make people less careful drivers, sort of like duck and cover and nuclear war. That probably isn't quite true, but believing it does have some advantages over just accepting that crashes are a way of life and turning our vehicles into armored tanks. Admittedly, though, there are times when I have felt unsafe in it. The first time I took it on the Birchwood Expressway was really scary. There are certainly times when I wish it could go faster, but you learn coping strategies. Today's drive to Birchwood in it reminded me how much fun it is to drive even after two years of the novelty wearing off in spite of the scare stories. It's not for everyone, though, and needn't be, because bigger, safer, and faster ones are coming. If you are really lucky you might even be able to pick up a Berlingo Electrique on ebay. The G-wiz isn't the future. It's merely the cardboard mock-up of the future. It's what gets these charging grids going so that people will be brave enough to buy the more expensive better ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Shelley you have to see these. If the Government are serious about reducing emissions and using greener forms of transport why are Councils not obliged by our Government to set us an example and use these vans. They have 100 mile range which would be fine for most local council uses and for supermarket home deliveries etc. I even like how they look. http://www.modeczev.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Fatshaft, I agree with most of what you say. However I will take issue with your claim that you can drive from Warrington to Aberdeen quicker than the train journey. Perhaps if your car is invisible to speed cameras or you have diplomatic immunity!! Done it in 4 hours, pretty sure the train takes longer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Okay Fatshaft let's leave the realms of fantasy and look at the facts. The AA Routeplanner gives the distance Warrington to Aberdeen as 352.4 miles and suggests a journey time of 6 hours 30 minutes. The train journey from Warrington BQ to Aberdeen takes 5 hours 23 minutes (depart 0913 arrive 1436) Now I'm not saying you couldn't drive 352 miles in 4 hours (average speed 85 MPH +) but you would certainly get flashed by the speed cameras that are sited at 10 mile intervals in Scotland, and I'm sure if you made a habit of it you would end up being forced to go by train as you would no longer have a licence! I've done this journey by car several times and it takes between 6 and 7 hours depending on time of day/traffic, and personally I prefer to drive it rather than go by train for convenience. take it easy out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Shelley you have to see these. If the Government are serious about reducing emissions and using greener forms of transport why are Councils not obliged by our Government to set us an example and use these vans. They have 100 mile range which would be fine for most local council uses and for supermarket home deliveries etc. I even like how they look. http://www.modeczev.com/ They look a little odd to me but I fully agree that they are ideal for local councils / local delivery businesses etc. I presume they could be adapted to have windows in the back and seats so ideal too for school mini bus services which only run twice a day.. plenty of time to charge up during uses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Shelley you have to see these. If the Government are serious about reducing emissions and using greener forms of transport why are Councils not obliged by our Government to set us an example and use these vans. They have 100 mile range which would be fine for most local council uses and for supermarket home deliveries etc. I even like how they look. http://www.modeczev.com/ They look good to me too. I've heard of them before on the EVUK mailing list. There's another company that does them as well, Smiths Electric Vehicles in Tyneside. Funnily enough I've been hearing from others lately (including btw Norman Baker, the Lib Dem shadow transport secretary in one of his answers to my ev lobbying letters) that delivery vans should be the place to start with evs. So I suspect there may well be some open-ness to this by politicians if enough people write to them about it. This is also right along the lines of the sort of things that David Sandalow recommends in Freedom from Oil. Jump start the ev industry by replacing government vehicles with them. I also talked to some of our councillors about this sort of thing, and they seem open-minded to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 22, 2008 Report Share Posted June 22, 2008 Warrington Council used to have a delivery van or something similar (as I recall) that used to run on LPG It was the only one and I think it was gotten rid of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 Okay Fatshaft let's leave the realms of fantasy and look at the facts. The AA Routeplanner gives the distance Warrington to Aberdeen as 352.4 miles and suggests a journey time of 6 hours 30 minutes.The train journey from Warrington BQ to Aberdeen takes 5 hours 23 minutes (depart 0913 arrive 1436) Now I'm not saying you couldn't drive 352 miles in 4 hours (average speed 85 MPH +) but you would certainly get flashed by the speed cameras that are sited at 10 mile intervals in Scotland, and I'm sure if you made a habit of it you would end up being forced to go by train as you would no longer have a licence! I've done this journey by car several times and it takes between 6 and 7 hours depending on time of day/traffic, and personally I prefer to drive it rather than go by train for convenience. take it easy out there! Don;t worry, I know how long it takes, and am well aware of where the speed cameras are north of the border. It takes well under the time of the train if 5 hours 23 is their schedule. It is uninterupted motorway/dual carriageway all the way, so assuming no roadworks, the train is a loser every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 I see where you're coming from now Fatshaft. You take your timing from when you hit the M6 until you reach the outskirts of Aberdeen. Because of course you're well aware it can take half an hour or more to get to the motorway from the town centre at times, and Aberdeen is equally congested. You're not a statitician by any chance are you? You can certainly fiddle the figures to suit your case I would agree, though, that on price and convenience the car wins every time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelley Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 Here's another one. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/22/travelandtransport.carbonemissions It looks like we might be finally getting through on this. One comment I have to make on the matter of being impractical for long trips. When the GM's EV1 (100 miles per charge, 70 mph) were out for lease only in LA I heard stories that quite often people held onto their petrol vehicle for the longer trips, but then many discovered that they were using the petrol vehicle seldom enough that with the upkeep and tax, it was cheaper to get rid of it and just hire one when they needed it. So perhaps hiring cars will become more common, with the advantage that the cars up for hire would be replaced often so more able to keep up with the newest ways of keeping emissions down. Another interesting thing there. As to existing vehicles, if cars generate 20% of emissions, and we were to cut their emissions in half, that would cut total emissions by 10%, a pretty big chunk toward realizing goals. I'm reading conflicting reports about LPG, but by some reports converting to LPG would do it, and at the same time we are not as dependent on the middle east for it. I remember somebody here has an LPG vehicle, so perhaps they can help out on that. Are there better options? I think the buses in Yosemite used gas of some variety, and it had to be fairly low pollution, because that valley is as bad as LA for holding pollution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 This is all very clever but where is all the extra electricity going to come from? The national grid is getting near crisis with conventional generating plants being earmarked for closure because they cannot meet the EU regulations on emmissions, and nuclear stations coming to the end of their lives. The environmentalists have (not so) cleverly managed to back us into a corner here so that even so called green solutions aren't going to be practicable. And please don't bleat wind power at me because it is not the answer. The offshore wind turbines are costing a fortune in maintenance because they need new gearboxes at depressingly frequent intervals, and doing that job in a marine environment is no easy task! Gay Gordon spent 10 years as chancellor blocking any movement towards new nuclear power stations and we are now running out of time. All I can say boys and girls is its time to dust off the old push bike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted June 23, 2008 Report Share Posted June 23, 2008 I see where you're coming from now Fatshaft. You take your timing from when you hit the M6 until you reach the outskirts of Aberdeen. Because of course you're well aware it can take half an hour or more to get to the motorway from the town centre at times, and Aberdeen is equally congested. You're not a statitician by any chance are you? You can certainly fiddle the figures to suit your case I would agree, though, that on price and convenience the car wins every time Heh, I live in Callands, so I'm less than 5 minutes from the M6 In fairness, I don't go to Aberdeen so you're right, I travel as far, but come off the A90 just north of Forfar and head cross country to my destination which is equidistant to south Aberdeen, so I suppose yes my figures are slightly massaged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2008 A grandmother has collapsed and DIED after running into her home to call the police after finding thieves stealing red diesel from their farm. The offenders were chased by family and nealy caught, the son was hit by the car suffering a double fracture to the hip, the offenders burnt their own L200 truck to hide the evidence, stole another car and one of them aged 21 has now been arrested. ..... it is estimated that fuel prices could hit ?2.30 a ltr by this time next year How soon will it be before other incidents like this happen? How soon will it be before people are being watched at petrol forcourts and 'syphoned' during the night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBain Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Not long now I imagine. I think that the upcoming generation of chavs are beginning to realise that owning and running a Vauxhall Corsa 1.6Gsi with a pitiful body-kit on it will probably be too expensive for them - poor things! I can't see any way in which the fuel price is going to drop. It seems that simple market economics are going to succeed where decades of Government policy has failed - people are going to be leaving their cars to find other, cheaper ways of getting to work. I seem to remember the last time there was a limited fuel scarcity, people were going around puncturing the fuel tanks of cars on dealership forecourts to get at the measly 2-3 litres that might have been in there. Reckon I will be cycling to work before long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted June 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Not just dealers forecourts McB... I remember people syphoning it out of any cars by simply forcing the petrol flap open. Happened to quite a few people I knew at the time and there was then a mad rush to buy locking petrol caps. You never know Chav's may start the trend to use G-Wiz's although not sure how they would fit their speakers and sound systems in them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 Supply and demand! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 ..... it is estimated that fuel prices could hit ?2.30 a ltr by this time next year While never say never, I can't believe that. The price of a barrel of oil has already quadrupled in a year, but the majority of the price of a gallon is from tax. So if it doubles from the current price, what does that make it a barrel of oil? It would be nearly $400 a barrel, a near 13 fold increase in two years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 25, 2008 Report Share Posted June 25, 2008 I believe City speculation on "futures" accounts for about 20% of the price and drives prices even higher?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBain Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 Gotta love those City boys - looking after my pension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 26, 2008 Report Share Posted June 26, 2008 But with price inflation, your "pension" won't be buying much when/if you do get to spend it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBain Posted June 27, 2008 Report Share Posted June 27, 2008 Index linked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted June 27, 2008 Report Share Posted June 27, 2008 Don't mean a thing in Browns Britain Mate.... look how many billions he has stolen from pension funds since he came to government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 27, 2008 Report Share Posted June 27, 2008 So you're not making on the deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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