electric cars coming along

And for the reason why it's worth looking at what people are paying for batteries:

They probably have a larger area to cover now (as less people have deliveries) - or need a new battery.

There's one of these trundling around our area:

It passed me one evening while I was walking along a quiet lane, and a very strange experience that was too. Just about dusk and I became aware of something on the road behind me, looking round I saw a pair of headlights in the distance. After a while, I moved onto the verge to let it by, expecting it to have caught up, but it didn't pass for ages. When it did, it trundled past in total silence doing all of 2mph more than me. It was like being overtaken by a very slow ghost.

That was a short but interesting read, thank you.

That was when I was driving back on a Sunday afternoon through France in my (then) Fiat Croma. I had to catch the ferry from Calais that same evening. The exchange alternator 'seized' up for lack of a better word. It simply got stuck, and consequently the belt disintegrated. Some time before that, the engine was struggling to pull the alternator and heated up into the red. I figured that I could drive somewhat up to the ferry on the battery alone, as a long as I didn't need the headlights. However, the prospects didn't look good, so I called the breakdown service. The French guy took my car on his lorry and tried to find an alternator, remember that was Sunday afternoon. But he seems to have keys to depots and eventually found one. Only problem was that it was the wrong one for my car! But "nevermind", he said. The garage fitted an extender onto wheel of the new alternator, and it all worked. I was very impressed by the help I received, and so quick.

|| But he seems to have keys to || depots and eventually found one. Only problem was that it was the || wrong one for my car! But "nevermind", he said. The garage fitted || an extender onto wheel of the new alternator, and it all worked. I || was very impressed by the help I received, and so quick.

Several years ago I called out the AA for a broken clutch cable on my M2 Astra, the guy replaced it in about 8 minutes flat and didn't even charge me for it, a totally different experience to the master cylinder failure in my Ford focus, which when it failed dribbled fluid all over my shoes, although why Ford went to all the extra expense of fitting a [potentially more troublesome] hydraulic system I just don't know, as imo I certainly haven't found it to be little if any improvement over the cable system of the old Astra.

Thus spake Mrcheerful ( snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) unto the assembled multitudes:

I've always liked the idea of electric vehicles, but one thing bothers me and for which I've never seen a satisfactory answer: how to heat them, especially in winter. Surely to heat the cabin to a satisfactory level would quickly drain the batteries?

I think hybrids are the better bet for now. I'd like to buy a Prius if they weren't so damn ugly ;-)

My university has had two electric Peugeot vans for about 5 years, which are used for making deliveries around the campus. To the best of my knowledge they've been very reliable, though I've no idea as yet whether they're still on the same battery packs.

snipped-for-privacy@DENTURESsussex.ac.uk gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Very likely. A set of battery packs for an electric B'ling/Partner are about £20k from PSA, and there's no other off-the-shelf alternatives.

Maybe they could fit a heater based on a gas bottle, i.e. like camping gas.

Not a great solution on a vehicle designed to reduce dependence on fossil fuels...

Chris

I know... But... 1) It is only a short season. 2) Not much space needs to be heated, far less than a room in a house. 3) Economy is the main reason for the electric.

Basically, acts by an individual has no effect on climate; it's the proverbial drop in the ocean. However, the individual acts according to economical circumstances; these might come about as results of shortages, prices, taxes etc.

Woodburning stove?

so add a boiler and you have a motive force too, ie back to steam power, I must admit I always fancied a steam car on the road, practically silent, no need for gearboxes and clutches, nice and warm, iirc they don't need car insurance but an engineering policy. so probably no road tax either. no need for emissions testing

Yes, who needs deliveries every day? Except for bored housewives.