Whilst everyone is racing hybrid/electric eco peace bikes, Le Manns changed the rules… and had some real brutes racing, which brought back many manufacturers! Whilst running big horse power, the fuel economy of some of these cars was amazing and using none fossil fuel! https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65874444
Toyota say…. Next gen solid state batteries, 900 mile range 10 min charge time….. https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/battery-range-electric-vehicle-toyota-b2357354.html
Yeah, been watching the recent updates on that from the last few months, first use is to be in hybrids apparently. Why hybrid and not fully EV? Because they require smaller battery sizes, which makes costs cheaper and more accessible. That gives time to make some money from them, get scales of economy and the natural cheaper prices to produce over time. Toyota seems to generate a lot of hate at the moment though.
I've seen a lot of comments about how they've supposedly messed up, being once the crown (pun intended) of the EV world with the Prius and how they've lagged behind and supposedly these people think they're now a joke. Then there's the anti-hydrogen comments and how Toyota is trying to destroy the planet. I've also seen a lot of negatives about how they just don't make the cool cars any more (MR2/Celica/Supra etc) of the 80s and 90s.
As fellow BRM quiz masters will know a few weekends ago we spent some time with relatives in London. I don’t generally do London, I fact this was my 4th visit in well over 50 years! However I did not understand what a different world it is there when it comes to car usage, our relatives we stayed with have a Lexus that’s a few years old but a decent car, apparently they had not started it since the last time we saw them which was when we met them in Plymouth some 3 plus months ago but why would they? Tube to work and back, all shops are in walking distance, a wide choice of supermarkets from super posh to budget, all on the doorstep! Everything is there, a tube, whilst uncomfortable, hot, noisy, over crowded and bloody old, was a couple of quid, and a tube was available very few mins!! Compared to our two buses a day to the nearest big town, that cost almost £10…. My point here is, people living and working in the centre of London have no idea what it’s like for the rest of the country or people in rural/semi rural locations, likewise we don’t understand how they operate, but all the decisions are made by people in the central London bubble!!!!
That's because they are lying about everything ,the biggest hazard to health seems to be using the tube ,horendous readings compared to the roads
I hated the tube, and yes it was full of fumes, in fact I have asthma and I had my inhaler 3 times on the tube, and had to sit down when we got off as I could not get my breath, but walking round what was a traffic packed area I was fine, not thought about it like that until you said!
You forgot about the 'black boogers' One thing I've learned over the years is how unnecessary the tube is at times. Some of our trips would be longer to make our way from street level, down into the depths of the tunnels, then the (short) wait for the train, then the journey itself for a few stops and then the trek back to the surface... than to just walk a few streets over. 1 mile is a long way in London, and as such whole different communities and themes with major names appear on a tube map as some of us would treat traveling to different towns.
Porsche are already doing this and running synthetic fuel in their whole race series this year. They’re ramping up production over the next few years too. It’s definitely a better route forward than electric.
Talking of 17000 18650 batteries https://www.essexlive.news/news/ess...oola&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=exchange
Talking about EV's so thought I would put this here..... I am really no fan of EV's but I don't feel threatened by them, they have a place. Talking to people at recent car meets, a lot of high powered ICE car owners seem in some kind of denial, bragging about how they are "quicker off the line than a Tesla", "they can't beat me round a corner" which are of course are both utter rubbish, most High End EV's handle very well and accelerate like hell! It's almost like these people are frightened of them, or frightened of loosing their 5 litre Monster or just not having the quickest car anymore?? It actually made me laugh when I thought about it!
You cannot compete with EV Super Cars. However I am fully convinced that electricity is not fuel for the future.
Was a leading fuel up until WW1. Found a very clear niche between wars, though not generally for passenger road cars (I was at Monthlery this weekend...there was even an historic electric motorbike circulating on the banking) As an industry we have been trying electric traction for circa 25 years now...I had peripheral knowledge of the Think program long before Tesla bought some Lotus engineering... Liquid fuels are a problem that does need resolution, short cycle carbon for instance, so electric is a perfectly sensible option now, for small (commuter) cars where the owner has self charging capability. Unfortunately the power to mass ratio makes a mockery of 'light' van capability, and Heavies are struggling with carrying the battery payload too if they are to cover the trunkers 400 miles a day.
