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[Grumpy]

http://www.channel4.com/4car/ft/feature/motor+show/6795/1

With ref to the threads I've posted over the months ref 'Peak Oil'
and the dire straits General Motors (Vauxhall) / Ford/ Chrysler have
found themselves in due to their reliance on gas guzzlers/SUV's and
the cheap fuel the USA is used to.

The above car seems to show the way the future of cars we'll be
driving will pan out.

To those who don't know what I mean ref 'Peak Oil', in short it means
that we're at maximum production of oil (we'll never pump more
per day from the oil wells than we do now) and we have rising demand
due to the emergence of Asian/ African/ South American economies.
This means demand overtakes supply. ie we won't have enough to go
round.

There are many connotations associated with the above statement,
ref Wars, hijacking of global warming to bring in fuel conservation
measures by Governments etc.. but that is a subject in itself. So I'm
just talking about cars here. Seeing as this is OOF.  

The interesting part of the 'Volt', is unlike the 'Prius' etc.. is that the
'E-Flex' concept that the 'Volt' is a product of, ensures that the car is
always driven by the electric motor, not the conventional internal
combustion engine. The small engine is purely there to top up the
battery pack. As stated in the article, this means that unless your
journey exceeds the approx 40 mile range, you'll not use fuel again
to power your car. As battery technology advances, this range will
increase. You will be charging your cars from the national power
grid instead.

The inference from this, is that alternate energy such as wind/ solar/
geo thermal/ nuclear etc will be used to power our national electricity
generating stations (worldwide) and thus, over the coming decades,
reduce the dependance on Oil and Gas as a means of power generation.
With a bit of luck, the powers that be have been given
a wake up call ref 'Peak Oil', in time to do something about it before
the world descends into 'Fuel Wars'.

So you all better start reading up on electric fault diagnosis for your
future cars. The internal combustion engine, that we all know and love,
will be a thing of the past unless I'm mistaken.

The future of the car, with ref to battery and fuel cell technology,
looks fascinating.

General Motors share price has now dropped to what it was 54 years
ago! Gulp!  

If GM weather the storm, stay solvent, and bring their new fleets
on line in time, there will be some serious money to be made in
buying their shares at this level.
But if they get it wrong, you'll loose every penny you risk investing
in them.

I'm still trying to decide.  :-/

Hope you found the above of interest.  

[Auto Addict]

You're posts are always interesting, Grumpy    

[psychnurse]

Interesting. I dont like that car though.

But yep... a good and thought provoking read.  

[rickyboy]

Interesting read and like the look of the Volt.  Was expecting to see a little Smart car or Citroen C1 look alike but it's pretty meaty!  

[HolyCount]

The concept behind it is good -- but the car itself reminds me of a pimpmobile

[rickyboy]

The concept behind it is good -- but the car itself reminds me of a pimpmobile

I like it but I am a pimp!   8-)

[JueV6]

Interesting read.., BUT saw a panorama programme looking at alternative means of powering cars.  If ya got an electric car.., and u don't live in London.., you had better make sure u live within reach of a return journey without recharging.  Panorama could not even find one recharge point - even in Brum.., or other cities.

So wonderful in theory but as per usual, vital infrastructure missing lol.

Looks like there won't be car jams any more.., will be charging jams. Do u think 'Charge Rage' will became a national pastime lol?

I've just had a mad thought, visions of me driving along a motorway with lights having a new function.., and recharge leads running off them.  Gives spaghetti junction's name a whole new meaning! Wonder who'd like the job of untangling all the cables like we have to at home ?

OK mad moment passeth

[HolyCount]

Interesting read.., BUT saw a panorama programme looking at alternative means of powering cars.  If ya got an electric car.., and u don't live in London.., you had better make sure u live within reach of a return journey without recharging.  Panorama could not even find one recharge point - even in Brum.., or other cities.

So wonderful in theory but as per usual, vital infrastructure missing lol.
Looks like there won't be car jams any more.., will be charging jams. Do u think 'Charge Rage' will became a national pastime lol?

This is the problem -- we do everything half-assed in this country!!!  GB and his cronies go on about punishing owners of larger cars on the back of environmental issues -- but what alternative do they provide, encourage or support Abso-bl**dy-lutely B. all

[Bandit127]

This is the problem -- we do everything half-assed in this country!!!  GB and his cronies go on about punishing owners of larger cars on the back of environmental issues -- but what alternative do they provide, encourage or support Abso-bl**dy-lutely B. all

That's because UK.gov can't afford to lose our contribution in tax. Instead, they d*ck around with road tax to keep the Daily Mail (et al) happy.

Our futures may truly depended on us giving up our fire breathing dragons. I am not convinced.

But UK.gov isn't looking at our futures. It's looking at its own. Which is short term and depends on
Keeping the Daily Mail (et al.) happy
Balancing the books so they might get voted back in again.

Call me a cynic, but I think the short-term-ism is getting worse.

And none of our futures much care about the difference between 35 mpg and 25 mpg.

[Nickbat]

http://www.channel4.com/4car/ft/feature/motor+show/6795/1

With ref to the threads I've posted over the months ref 'Peak Oil'
and the dire straits General Motors (Vauxhall) / Ford/ Chrysler have
found themselves in due to their reliance on gas guzzlers/SUV's and
the cheap fuel the USA is used to.

I have to say, I'm unconvinced about "Peak Oil". There are huge deposits which have yet to be extracted (there is 8 times more oil in the tar sands of Alberta than in Saudi! - see : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/20/60minutes/main1225184.shtml).

In addition, there has been a huge drop in demand for oil. (See http://peakoildebunked.blogspot.com/2008/07/370-more-slack-in-demand.html )

A number of countries (including China) are currently subsidizing oil for their citizens, a practice which is likely to draw to a close due to the high costs, thus reducing world demand further (See http://alfin2100.blogspot.com/2008/07/you-dont-have-to-be-nuts-to-believe-in.html

Also, as I have mentioned before, abiotic oil is becoming more plausible, especially with the recent discovery of a hydrocarbon lake on Titan. (Seehttp://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2008/20080064.html and http://oilismastery.blogspot.com/


Political Peak Oil, on the other hand, is separate issue. The Democrats in the US want to prevent offshore drilling (and in the ANWP), which will maintain the US reliance on foreign oil...and the greenies will never countenance more drilling.

So, my take is that there is plenty more oil out there and, providing we are sensible, and use that resource to keep our economies afloat while we research alternative fuels, the future is bright. Slam the brakes on the economies with unnecessary constraints on oil production (and hence economic growth) and you can kiss goodbye to new technology any time soon. As for the Volt. Yeah, right, try selling that to someone who lives in a block of flats. (Anyone got a 200 metre extension lead?   )
  

[Ken T]

The range thing could be overcome, and still keep petrol stations in business. Suppose they built the battery pack in 4 sections, each giving about 10miles range, and arranged them so they could be easily unplugged and withdrawn. If you need more juice, just pull in to a station and change one or more battery packs for recharged ones.

I'm afraid I agree about the lack of infrastructure for supplying this kind of power need. Politicians have been handed great ideas on a plate, yet have squandered them time and time again. So our nations power system is near capacity and they are about to have the increased load of thousands of electric cars trying to charge overnight. It ain't going to work. What will hapen is the next government will get in promising to fix everything, accept some half-backed idea from some foreign company, that appears to cost very little, but will in reality cost a fortune, not work very well, and make somebody (not in the UK) very rich.

When you read the crap that that minister gave in response to the road tax petition, you realise just how bad they are, no clue as to anything. I wouldn't trust any of them with a bag of crisps.

Ken