petition to increase the speed limit

Swizz

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Oct 1, 2017
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Not even that Ross. The 25kph / 15.5 mph assist limit is an international standard allowing widespread travel carrying pedelecs or riding across borders.

No government will wreck that widely enjoyed benefit just for 3 mph, it would be too stupid for words, ESPECIALLY as I keep repeating, there's the S class pedelecs already allowing 45 kph / 28 mph.

While that already exists the DfT won't even look at this pedelec speed increase issue.
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And isn't 15.5mph adequate anyway? We can always go faster downhill! The only thing I would advocate changing would maybe be the motor power with the rise of cargo bikes, but the speed restriction? Nah.
 

Swizz

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Oct 1, 2017
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Just to rock the boat a bit, I have no doubt the law regarding ebike speed will change but it will probably take 10 years to do so. Remember the long running CB Radio saga, enthusiasts dabbled with it for years in the UK illegally until eventually the Gov relented and allowed it's use. Trouble was they pulled a fast one and insisted all equipment had to have a 27/81 badge to be legit so all the gear people had been using stayed illegal.
That law had it's anomalies as I being a communications engineer & qualified radio operator could and did own such radio equ. which I could legally convert for other frequencies.
The CB fraternity still bellyached because they couldn't use the same radio channels as Europe, and eventually the Gov caved in yet again and allowed it .. with caveats naturally.
My point is if pressure carries on long enough and hard enough there will be changes but I'd guess only minor, an increase to 18 mph maybe just to make everyone grateful for what we have.
Have an Amstrad 901 still in its box :D
 

georgehenry

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Nov 7, 2015
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I salute you early adopters. I guess I was quite an early adopter riding an ebike.

My ebikes take me to work and back and to the shops and general errands of all kinds.

The argument for buying an electric car for me personally is not quite won yet.

My posting about the fusion I bought for my kids was a bit tongue in cheek and a gentle tease.

There is plenty of time for the government to change their transport policy and I predict they will.

I have found that the cheapest car to buy and run is the one the government most want you not to. The fusion is 10 years old and has done about 92,000 miles can probably easily run very cheaply subject to legislation for another 10 years.

Though there is evidence that the lithium batteries in electric cars should last 10 years. The range might have reduced a bit by then.

By far the greenest car is the one that does not get changed and is used to the end of its life irrespective of what propels it.
 
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RossG

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2019
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Have an Amstrad 901 still in its box :D
Wow I must have repaired hundreds of those in my time ! I often wonder what happened to all the rigs I fitted expansion boards to, I was one of the first to do that when they legalised CB. I even had my own chips with my company name etched on them, they were great (and profitable ) days.
 
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Swizz

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Wow I must have repaired hundreds of those in my time ! I often wonder what happened to all the rigs I fitted expansion boards to, I was one of the first to do that when they legalised CB. I even had my own chips with my company name etched on them, they were great (and profitable ) days.
Lol yes I remember when mid band was legalised. Switch it on now and it's hard to believe there were 80 busy frequencies when 2 or 3 would be enough now ;D
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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I alwsy get amused at these posts from diesel drivers reassuring themselves by thinly veiled criticisms of e-cars and wishful thinking. ;)

There is plenty of time for the government to change their transport policy and I predict they will.
They have already, but not the way you think, the ban on i.c. car buyimg was to be 2040, but they've just brought it forward to 2035.

I have found that the cheapest car to buy and run is the one the government most want you not to. The fusion is 10 years old and has done about 92,000 miles can probably easily run very cheaply subject to legislation for another 10 years.
But that isn't the point, e-cars will never be cheap, it's about stopping the destruction of the environment, in more than one way.

Though there is evidence that the lithium batteries in electric cars should last 10 years. The range might have reduced a bit by then.
It's not just should, they are actually lasting that long even when working hard which few do, and often with no range loss.

By far the greenest car is the one that does not get changed and is used to the end of its life irrespective of what propels it.
I disagree, that is a myth propagated by the anti e-car brigade many years ago with ficticious data on e-car production costs and ignoring the true total cost of i.c. fuel pollution. It's an argument long since demolished. The phenominal growth of green electricity production alone destroys their decade old argument.

And as Swizz posted, range anxiety doesn't exist for us with e-cars, it's only something i.c. car drivers worry about for some strange reason.

Take VW's ID3, the full replacement for the Golf just released. Like many e-cars theres a choice of batteries since there's no point buying what isn't needed.

For someone who mainly drives locally with only a rare long run, it comes with 170 miles range.

For the average person with mixed use, it comes with 260 mile range.

For the person who often drives longer distances, 370 mile range.

All three have 100 kW rate charging so can add 180 miles in a 30 minute coffee break.

That increases their ranges to 350, 440, 550 miles respectively with a 30 minute break in the drive, which would no doubt be welcome with those distances.
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youngoldbloke

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Apr 27, 2018
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I often make 350 mile journeys, 6-7 hours driving. I have yet to see an electric vehicle with the capacity and range we need - able to carry a fully assembled wheelchair and numerous boxes. I can't see how motorway services will ever be able to cater for the many thousands of vehicles that will need recharging every day on long journeys if each charge takes 30 mins even.
 
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RossG

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2019
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Lol yes I remember when mid band was legalised. Switch it on now and it's hard to believe there were 80 busy frequencies when 2 or 3 would be enough now ;D
The internet & mobile phones changed it all.
 
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flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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I often make 350 mile journeys, 6-7 hours driving. I have yet to see an electric vehicle with the capacity and range we need - able to carry a fully assembled wheelchair and numerous boxes. I can't see how motorway services will ever be able to cater for the many thousands of vehicles that will need recharging every day on long journeys if each charge takes 30 mins even.
First, you are one of a tiny minority. The average male annual mileage is 9000, the average female mileage under 6000. Clearly at 120 to 180 miles a WEEK they don't do anything remotely like you.

Second you'll see plenty of these on A roads as well as motorways:

Instavolt, A47 Norfolk.jpg

Third, you really must get up to date on current and impending e-car releases to see what they can carry. They include large people carriers.
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Swizz

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...e-cars will never be cheap, it's about stopping the destruction of the environment, in more than one way...

...and ignoring the true total cost of i.c. fuel pollution. It's an argument long since demolished. The phenominal growth of green electricity production alone destroys their decade old argument.
They are super cheap to run though and are slowely getting relatively cheaper to obtain.

They were greener even on a dirtier power grid. Many detractors fail to acknowledge the processes involved in producing fuel, removing the sulphur, and how much energy is used (Inc lots of grid electricity) before putting it into a diesel powered fuel tanker to deliver it to the pump at the Shell garage.

It's madness...although if a lottery win happens just try & stop me buying an old Ferrari Daytona ;D

Flecc, hope you don't mind this thread veering off topic into EV's & old CB radios lol!
 
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youngoldbloke

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I thought I was aware of most of the vehicles available. Enlighten me. If something like an electric Berlingo became available I might be interested. I don't make 350 mile journeys every week, but need a spacious vehicle easily capable of such long trips. Of course since lockdown I've hardly driven anywhere - 20 miles a week maybe maximum
 
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soundwave

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May 23, 2015
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the problem with electric cars is what happens when you have 30 million of them on the road the uk does not have the capacity power wise and would need to increase buy 60%.

who is going to build all these new power stations where are they going to put them all and what will they use for fuel.

not going to work is it lol.
 

flecc

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Oct 25, 2006
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I thought I was aware of most of the vehicles available. Enlighten me. If something like an electric Berlingo became available I might be interested. I don't make 350 mile journeys every week, but need a spacious vehicle easily capable of such long trips. Of course since lockdown I've hardly driven anywhere - 20 miles a week maybe maximum
I don't keep a record of all releases but the Merc on the link below is a new release of something easily capable of carrying what you want to. You'd have to do a charge during the run to cover 350 miles but that need only take under 30 minute at its 110 kW charge rate.

Mercedes EQV

Not cheap though, e-cars never will be.

You'd have to wait slightly longer for as big choice of Berlingo type vehicles, so far the makers have concentrated on hatches of all sizes, very fast stuff, crossovers and now a wide range of vans. Seeing all the vans I imagine more vehicles like the Berlingo will be next. Of course Covid-19 with dealerships closed and shows cancelled has slowed this years big program of launches.
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flecc

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the problem with electric cars is what happens when you have 30 million of them on the road the uk does not have the capacity power wise and would need to increase buy 60%.

who is going to build all these new power stations where are they going to put them all and what will they use for fuel.

not going to work is it lol.
Very unusually for you, you're not up to date Soundwave. We don't need all the power stations you imagine, that was an old belief.

For starters we can't make 30 million new e-cars to replace them all now. We only have to reach making 2 million a year in 15 years time for when new i.c. sales are banned and we'll have plenty of green current for them then.
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Swizz

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I thought I was aware of most of the vehicles available. Enlighten me. If something like an electric Berlingo became available I might be interested. I don't make 350 mile journeys every week, but need a spacious vehicle easily capable of such long trips. Of course since lockdown I've hardly driven anywhere - 20 miles a week maybe maximum
Nissan do the ENV200 minivan as a people carrier. They have a 40kw battery at the moment so not 350 miles of range unfortunately. For the long journeys I have made it would be better than our Leaf for well timed coffee & loo breaks but maybe you have more stamina in that respect :)

Renault do an electric Kangoo with slightly less range, but wouldn't surprise me if they would be next with a bigger battery in line with their Zoe hatchback.
 
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Swizz

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Oct 1, 2017
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the problem with electric cars is what happens when you have 30 million of them on the road the uk does not have the capacity power wise and would need to increase buy 60%.

who is going to build all these new power stations where are they going to put them all and what will they use for fuel.

not going to work is it lol.
Excellent questions...let's ask the National Grid lol

 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
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Each Supercharger stall has a connector to supply electrical power at up to 250 kW via a direct current connection to the 400-volt car battery pack


In 2017, renewable production generated:[4]

  • 27.9% of total electricity
  • 7.7% of total heat energy
  • 4.6% of total transport energy

so in 15 years we will replace all the power stations with renewable.

not going to happen as it dont add up as when the wind stops blowing and the sun goes in there is no power generated.

you better hope anti matter comes to the rescue or we just kill off half the population of the planet lol

37473

Even though QFM-360-X is intended for racing, it’s well-suited for non-automotive and commercial applications like high-speed rail transport. Measuring no more than 16.9-inches in width (430 mm), the motor can run individually or in tandem with up to ten units via a common shaft. In this arrangement, you have a 10,000 kW power unit, which is enough power to jumpstart the Starship Enterprise.

And this is what Top EV Racing has done to its brutally-powerful EV dragster. But instead of ten, the company managed to shoehorn four QFM-360-X motors in a drag-car chassis. Producing a grad total of 5,346 horsepower, it scoots from zero to 120 mph in 0.8-seconds, 250 mph in 2.9-seconds, and 329 mph in a scant 3.7-seconds

ill have 4 of those in my car then with a 1 megawatt battery i want charged in 10mins and also use them on all the trains in the uk as well.

https://www.slashgear.com/top-ev-racing-hyperpowers-electric-dragster-is-the-future-of-drag-racing-09616076/

i think in 15 years one motor will be able to pump out 5000bhp each and i want one of those in me mobility scooter 0-600mph in 3.1sec :p
 
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Swizz

Pedelecer
Oct 1, 2017
211
161
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Sk14
Each Supercharger stall has a connector to supply electrical power at up to 250 kW via a direct current connection to the 400-volt car battery pack


In 2017, renewable production generated:[4]

  • 27.9% of total electricity
  • 7.7% of total heat energy
  • 4.6% of total transport energy

so in 15 years we will replace all the power stations with renewable.

not going to happen as it dont add up as when the wind stops blowing and the sun goes in there is no power generated.

you better hope anti matter comes to the rescue or we just kill off half the population of the planet lol
Each Supercharger stall has a connector to supply electrical power at up to 250 kW via a direct current connection to the 400-volt car battery pack


In 2017, renewable production generated:[4]

  • 27.9% of total electricity
  • 7.7% of total heat energy
  • 4.6% of total transport energy

so in 15 years we will replace all the power stations with renewable.

not going to happen as it dont add up as when the wind stops blowing and the sun goes in there is no power generated.

you better hope anti matter comes to the rescue or we just kill off half the population of the planet lol
Call me an optimist but I'll take the National Grid over Wikipedia anytime lol
 
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