petition to increase the speed limit

jimriley

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 17, 2020
561
384
How much did those solar panels cost & what is their lifespan?
The cost benefit isn't as simple as it appears, there's also the difference / cost of global warming in the longer term to take into account.
I have 2.4kwh of solar, installed when the fit scheme started. Costs were twice what they are now, fit was higher. They've now paid for themselves and are earning a tax free profit way better than the same money in the bank over the period. Circa 8%. 25 Yr estimated lifespan.
 
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Spitz

Pedelecer
Jan 23, 2020
26
10
T

Try maintaining that in Cornwall.
Fair point and funnily enough I will be able to put this to the test soon as we holiday down there for a couple of weeks. We have taken regular bikes in the past and agree there are some testing climbs (the one out of Mousehole springs instantly to mind, might need Turbo for that one!).
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
With ev ranges nudging 300 miles daily charging will only be required for vehicles which travel that kind of distance each day.
Indeed, and hardly any do. The average mileage of all car drivers in the uk across both genders is 140 miles per week., which for e-cars means as little as a charge a week for most drivers. This works out to about 5 kW a day per car at present, mostly drawn in the night when there's plenty of current available

The problem we have with the anti e-car brigade is that they only ever quote the worst case as if it's the norm, whereas the norm for charging is the best case.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Thanks for that flecc I only quoted what this top guy was saying about the lack of power stations. More than likely I’ve read an old article which is now defunct.
Trouble is the knowledge of most about e-cars stems from the furious anti e-car campaign when they first appeared to be realistic 10 years ago with the Nissan Leaf. That was from an unholy alliance of much of the motor industry who didn't want change and the large sector of the population who didn't either. That campaign was like the tobacco companies one to disprove the link with cancer, riddled with false information and repetitive propaganda.

The public read it all and for most since it's been all they mistakenly think they know about e-cars.

It's a very big subject and I hope my posts have demonstrated it's far from as simple and cut and dried as it might seem. Far from being a potential problem, e-cars have a range of potential benefits for society at large. Governments know it and it's why they are pressing on with the conversion with increasing enthusiasm.

And the motor industry has finally accepted they have been beaten and are now wholehearted and willing collaborators. All due to a couple of incredibly farsighted men. Elon Musk of Tesla and Carlos Ghosn of Renault-Nissan, the latter gambling €4 billions into e-car development 16 years ago, leading to the Nissan Leaf and shortly after the Renault Zoe. Now we have some 100 e-car models to choose from, ranging from small town cars to supercars like the Porsche Taycan, plus an increasing number of crossovers.

They're here to stay.
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Ricbak

Finding my (electric) wheels
Aug 15, 2020
8
3
I'm not challenging your knowledge of the law in this area @flecc, because it far exceeds mine. What I'm challenging is your use of the word "impossible".

Acts of parliament can be (and are) repealed to suit the changing demands of citizens in exactly the same way as governments can (and do) change for the same reason.

The point I'm making is that the cycling lobby needs to "get noisy" and make a nuisance of itself at a political level, and there's never been a better time to do it....
if you want more speed buy a motor bike leave the e bike at home more speed needs more braking power and idiots of pathways and on road
 

GSV3MiaC

Pedelecer
Jun 6, 2020
211
134
How much did those solar panels cost & what is their lifespan?
About £8k, and 'nobody knows', although efficiency declines over time, and the invertor probably quits at 10 years when the warranty runs out. Panels just fade away, like the rest of the garage. :).
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,973
6,292
Show us a production ICE car that go 200mph for 200 miles.
How many miles is an f1 race?
189.5 miles

(Most Formula One races are targeted to be just over 189.5 miles long, while the Monaco GP covers just 161.5 miles.)
37804
Behold, the Thorin car, the car that runs by nuclear power and refill each 100 years after it's fuel runs out. Is this the car of the future
37810
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
How many miles is an f1 race?
189.5 miles
F1 cars are not production ICE cars.

The nearest to that for 200 mph over 200 miles would probably be the Bugatti Veyron, though as they are hand built one by one, barely qualify as production cars.
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,973
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im sure they will sell you a f1 car for 6 million speed bumps will be a problem tho id get plenty of spare parts lol :p
 

danielrlee

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 27, 2012
1,348
688
Westbury, Wiltshire
torquetech.co.uk
How many miles is an f1 race?
189.5 miles

(Most Formula One races are targeted to be just over 189.5 miles long, while the Monaco GP covers just 161.5 miles.)
View attachment 37804
Behold, the Thorin car, the car that runs by nuclear power and refill each 100 years after it's fuel runs out. Is this the car of the future
View attachment 37810
F1 cars have to stop to refuel mid-race, at least once. Nuclear power is not internal combustion. Neither of them are production cars. Neither technologies are the future - renewable energy is.

The truth is, if we can get past the charging infrastructure issue, current EV technology is suitable for 99% of people, 99% of the time.

EDIT: Aparrently F1 cars do NOT refuel mid-race anymore. Shows how long ago I last watched a race!
 
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danielrlee

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 27, 2012
1,348
688
Westbury, Wiltshire
torquetech.co.uk
F1 cars are not production ICE cars.

The nearest to that for 200 mph over 200 miles would probably be the Bugatti Veyron, though as they are hand built one by one, barely qualify as production cars.
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A Bugatti Veyron is a production car, although it empties its tank in 11 minutes at full speed.
 

Swizz

Pedelecer
Oct 1, 2017
211
161
48
Sk14
F1 cars have to stop to refuel mid-race, at least once...
F1 cars also have to change tyres mid race. My Leaf has done over 33k miles on its original tyres and they are still going strong. Granted though, it won't do anywhere near 200mph! :D
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Doesn't a Bugatti Veyron empty its tank in 16 minutes at full speed?
I don't know, but it's full speed is I believe 267 mph if my memory is right.

So it shouldn't be so thirsty when just cruising at 200 mph (under 75% of top speed) and I suppose an auxilliary tank would be easy to rig.
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Swizz

Pedelecer
Oct 1, 2017
211
161
48
Sk14
I don't know, but it's full speed is I believe 267 mph if my memory is right.

So it shouldn't be so thirsty when just cruising at 200 mph (under 75% of top speed) and I suppose an auxilliary tank would be easy to rig.
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Just sling an oily old Jerry Can in the passenger footwell!
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,973
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f1 cars do have electric motors and use brake regen to recharge the batts if you are going fast enough but when the fuel is gone it is not going anywhere.

we need better batts for range and top speed as there not there yet.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
f1 cars do have electric motors and use brake regen to recharge the batts if you are going fast enough but when the fuel is gone it is not going anywhere.

we need better batts for range and top speed as there not there yet.
That's just not true, even the old Tesla model S has a top speed of 155 mph, 2.3 seconds 0 to 60mph, up to 400 miles range and a high speed charging network.

Anything i.c. cars can do is easily matched and beaten by today's e-cars, and much more pleasantly too.
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
15,973
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That's just not true, even the old Tesla model S has a top speed of 155 mph, 2.3 seconds 0 to 60mph, up to 400 miles range and a high speed charging network.

Anything i.c. cars can do is easily matched and beaten by today's e-cars, and much more pleasantly too.
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so how far do you think it will go going 155mph it wont be anywhere near 400 miles! thats the point!
 

Bobajob

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 1, 2019
313
140
Cornwall
Fair point and funnily enough I will be able to put this to the test soon as we holiday down there for a couple of weeks. We have taken regular bikes in the past and agree there are some testing climbs (the one out of Mousehole springs instantly to mind, might need Turbo for that one!).
When you down?