16-10-2023, 10:05 PM
The regenerative braking thread has shown just how wedded we are to our cars and how resistive we are to change.
Like Many here I started driving in the 1970's ( I know that some here it would be even earlier the 50's and 60's) in what were essentially 1950/60's cars.
Mechanically and Electrically these cars by modern standards were pretty simple you could get them moving by stealing one of your wife's stockings clearing the jets in the carb or cleaning the sparkplugs all with simple tools.
In the last 20 years cars have become massively inundated with electronics, expensive and often not user serviceable parts.
I was maintaining our cars up until the early noughties ( Avengers, Rovers, Mini's, Austin 1100's Vauxhall Chevettes, Cavaliers), although maintaining my wife's Cavalier GSI could be a struggle with the non re-usable stretch bolts and the tools needed to replace the tiny handbrake shoes in the rear hub all a challenge for the home mechanic.
When In 1999 I got my Mondeo ST200 and in 2003 my wife bought a new Corsa I pretty much threw in the towel.
Now we are in an era of flux alternative fuels such as hydrogen and EV.
It struck me that what we all consider the norm was alien to our forebears when the horseless carriage started to frighten the horses and change entire village town and city life.
Skills handed down of smithing, horsemanship, stabling and carriage making and repair were suddenly redundant.
And here we are again.
One of the worst things about EV cars is range anxiety and I am sure 100 years ago our forebears had the same issues. Where to get Fuel/Power on a long journey.
Not like a horse where you can turn it out into a field for a few hours, It'll never catch on!
This is one of the areas where Tesla has an acknowledged edge. The supercharger network there are 46 in Exeter alone.
This isn't an advert for Tesla, I would say as a car it's technically brilliant but as an (older) driver somewhat lacking in the things I have been accustomed to in the last 25 years.
I went out for a meal with my wife (my birthday) and on the way home I stopped off to charge the car as I am going to see an old friend tomorrow.
This is what it looks like for those interested.
.
I limited the charge to just over 60% when we arrived the battery was at 10%.
The charge started at 198KW rate and was already tapering when I took the pic.
The problem is Dorset for instance doesn't have any electricity ( With apologies to those Dorset born and breed) They chew straws and go about their business on horseback. Superchargers=0
So there you have it a change no more welcome that 100 years ago?
All constructive post and that includes anti EV providing its first hand not the usual tropes.
And yes EV's are still expensive but hopefully that will soon change.
Cheers
Mike T
Like Many here I started driving in the 1970's ( I know that some here it would be even earlier the 50's and 60's) in what were essentially 1950/60's cars.
Mechanically and Electrically these cars by modern standards were pretty simple you could get them moving by stealing one of your wife's stockings clearing the jets in the carb or cleaning the sparkplugs all with simple tools.
In the last 20 years cars have become massively inundated with electronics, expensive and often not user serviceable parts.
I was maintaining our cars up until the early noughties ( Avengers, Rovers, Mini's, Austin 1100's Vauxhall Chevettes, Cavaliers), although maintaining my wife's Cavalier GSI could be a struggle with the non re-usable stretch bolts and the tools needed to replace the tiny handbrake shoes in the rear hub all a challenge for the home mechanic.
When In 1999 I got my Mondeo ST200 and in 2003 my wife bought a new Corsa I pretty much threw in the towel.
Now we are in an era of flux alternative fuels such as hydrogen and EV.
It struck me that what we all consider the norm was alien to our forebears when the horseless carriage started to frighten the horses and change entire village town and city life.
Skills handed down of smithing, horsemanship, stabling and carriage making and repair were suddenly redundant.
And here we are again.
One of the worst things about EV cars is range anxiety and I am sure 100 years ago our forebears had the same issues. Where to get Fuel/Power on a long journey.
Not like a horse where you can turn it out into a field for a few hours, It'll never catch on!
This is one of the areas where Tesla has an acknowledged edge. The supercharger network there are 46 in Exeter alone.
This isn't an advert for Tesla, I would say as a car it's technically brilliant but as an (older) driver somewhat lacking in the things I have been accustomed to in the last 25 years.
I went out for a meal with my wife (my birthday) and on the way home I stopped off to charge the car as I am going to see an old friend tomorrow.
This is what it looks like for those interested.
I limited the charge to just over 60% when we arrived the battery was at 10%.
The charge started at 198KW rate and was already tapering when I took the pic.
The problem is Dorset for instance doesn't have any electricity ( With apologies to those Dorset born and breed) They chew straws and go about their business on horseback. Superchargers=0
So there you have it a change no more welcome that 100 years ago?
All constructive post and that includes anti EV providing its first hand not the usual tropes.
And yes EV's are still expensive but hopefully that will soon change.
Cheers
Mike T
It's rare and desirable
It is all a bit silly..... (but FWIW it was a genuine oversight on my part. Sorry 
)
