electric cars

[airman]

Radio London this morning as be reporting on driving electric cars in the London congestion zone was the answer to driving in London.
Can any reader answer the following questions:-
All cars take up road space regardles how they are powered, so how do electric cars stop congestion?
Generating electricy to power these cars produes pollution. So why are being told that these cars are pollution free.
If all cars on the roads were electric would this country have enough power stations to charge them.
How much pollution is cause in producting and dispossing of the batteries?

[Robin Tapp]

I know nothing about what they were talking about. If they were saying only electric cars should be allowed in the congestion zone, then short term I can see why it would reduce congestion due to the lack of electric cars around at the minute.

Energy for electric cars can be produced using renewable sources. The question about batteries is far more pertinent. Is it possible to recycle the materials in these batteries?

[airman]

Electric cars do not have to pay he London congestion charge. What I am asking is that the charge, is to reduce congustion on the roads in zone area .So allowing electric cars in for free,will not cut congustion. I thought that the idea of the charge was to reduce the number of cars.
How much pollution is produced in manufactoring, transporting, setting up the sites and maintaining wind turbines.

[Ben]

No you use the solar panels on top of the car.

[nasa_steve]

hi dave
i think you seem to be missing the point we need to embrace alternatives to fossil fueled vehicles it surely must encourage people to use electric vehicles.
if the oil companies had not sat on so many patents in regards to electric technologies we would be using electric vehicles on a regular basis now.
we need to reduce carbon dioxide output drasticly very soon and anything that encourages any alternative has to be applauded.
nasa

[airman]

The spin given by Ken Livingstone for the congeston zone, was to reduce the amount of traffic in London.Allowing electric cars in with out paying the charge will not reduce the amount of traffic in the zone.
Of course the amount of carbon dioxide must be reduced. But until it is dealt world wide by all countries,Kens charge is not going to make any differance on the total amount of carbon dioxide produced in the world.
By the way, how much pullution is produced by all the lighting left on by offices etc in London,at night.

[Robin Tapp]

As I said, just because that's the main aim of the congestion chraging doesn't mean there can't be other things that it can acheive.

It's also small minded aproach of they're not so I won't that will make sure that nothing is done about the problem. If everyone just did their bit and didn't say well he's not you'd be amazed at the difference. Somewhere has to be first. If other cities and countries follow suit then in actual fact it's not just reduced the amount of CO2 output in London but around the world and done a great thing.

[JohnnyB]

If we're going to do something about Global Warming, why not tackle the "BIG PICTURE" first????
Twidling about with extra taxes on air fares (just UK )and Motor Vehicles etc is such a miniscule contribution, and basically in the BIG PICTURE (WORLD WIDE)SCHEME OF THINGS, totally insignificant.
Here we have one of the smallest Countries in the world making the biggest contribution though taxation,while other massive Countries just keep fuel prices low and just keep addding more and more V8's on their driveways.
Lets tackle something that that will make a BIG difference almost immeadiately - the STOPPING OF THE DE-FORESTATION OF ARGENTINA & INDONESIA!!!
These other tinkerings in only the UK is something similar to using A COCKTAIL UMBRELLA IN A THUNDERSTORM!!!!

[Robin Tapp]

Deforestation is another horrible thing, but more for natural habitat removal. Deforestation is actually atributed to increase in CO2 levels which actually isn't valid. All the CO2 that a tree consumes becomes carbon in the tree. when that tree is burnt then it puts the same CO2 back into the atmosphere. Trees are a CO2 neutral, they convert CO2 into carbon that if stored in construction or whatever is kept out of the atmostphere. The problem with CO2 is the burning of fossil fuels. This is CO2 that has been taken out of the atmosphere many millions of years ago and stored. We're reintroducing that back into the atmoshpere faster than it's being laid down again. That's the real killer.

[airman]

Thanks John. You have expressed subject better than I have
Global CO2 USA 24% GB2%.With China at 13% and rising with new coal powered electric powers stations being built, burning a dirty form of coal.
Cannot understand how taxing air flights will reduce levels. It dosnt matter if airlines charge £5 OR £200 for a ticket the aircraft will still the same amount of fuel.
This goverment has seen the pollution as away of taxing us more.

A change of subject, how much does a walnut whip now cost. The reason that is that Ken Livingstone, spun the story that the cost of the London Olympics would cost the price of walnut whip per week on each London, residents council tax. So therefore if the price of walnut whip is monitored, the final price of the games can worked out.

[Ron Reeves]

On reading through the foregoing entries I suddenly decided that I had picked the wrong website. I was looking for information on electric MODEL cars. I know I am not in the prime of my youth and do tend to get easily confused so maybe someone could direct me to the subject of interest rather than a dissertation on global warming etc. I see enough of this on the television news and newspapers and would rather learn more about 'toys'.

[nasa_steve]

ron your on the wrong website this is a model flying forum
regards
nasa

[Allan Jordan]

Morning Dave, Lets talk about electric cars
( twelve inch to the foot ones) Would you buy one? I certainly would! Just thnk, NO RADIATOR TO LEAK, NO WATER PUMPS OR HOSES TO CHANGE.Just switch on and go! Sounds OK to me.Regards Allan J..TTFN

[the unmagnificent man]

Hi Allan, I cant wait for the world to go electric car mad, ive built this one and one day i'll probably auction it off.

y

[airman]

No I do no want an electric car.
Yes,you do not have these parts listed on eletric cars, but I cannot remember the last time I replace these parts .
What is the life span of the batteries used to power the cars,and how would you despose of them at the end of their life.
How many new power stations would have to be built to power them, if we all used electric cars?

[sam james 2]

y dont we just get giant monorails everywhere duh i they work of electromagnets it would take a while but hey

[Former Member]

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[Terence Kwan]

This is typical give you an apple whilst ask for an orange. Can't see how to replace a small fossil fuel car like the Smart by an electric car can reduce congestion.

The incentive to drive a electric car in order to reduce emmission is a totally different subject. 

[airman]

Eric, thanks for your reply. You have covered the points I raised about electric cars.

I thought that the reason for electric cars was to cut down on emmissions and not congestion.

Hybrd cars at present can be larger than some fossil fuel cars. A car  takes up road space regardles of power unit.

[Former Member]

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[Owen Hailey]

Hi all.

I have been looking on theYou Tube and the car of the fucher will be totaly difrent from what we are looking at now, so dont wast time with big batterys this is not the case, as the car of tomrow will be small and lite and run on litheum pen cells about 3 to 5 thousand of them and these batterys will have years of life, and the cars will be much cheaper to make than to day, as there will be new tipes of mattrels and plastics the wheels will be small and narrow so to make the car have no drag and to go fast for little or no input most of the time and as so meny people only drive very short distanse, the electric car is totaly the way fullward.

Happy driving Owen. 

[Former Member]

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