Re: Diesel Car Ban.

It looks like it's full ahead for battery-powered cars now but I think hydrogen cars would have been a better way to go.

Mining the materials for batteries looks to be causing misery for some and then there's the problem of providing energy to charge the batteries in cars once their use becomes widespread.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...car-batteries/

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

And reliable, cheap and efficient `green` power generation from solar panels or wind turbines is a long, long way off. Twenty odd years to get all the infrastructure in place to generate enough electricity to power vehicles let alone all of the country's energy needs is pie in the sky.

Looks like hybrid vehicles are the only way to go for domestic use but what about haulage? Unless everything is transported by rail (not likely), some serious powerful engines will be needed to haul several tons of goods from place to place.

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

I had a Skoda Yeti 4WD turbo diesel Yeti which was a pain in the Rs. I sold it and went back to a second hybrid Prius. Key point is the battery is charged by and in the car, so only five minute petrol stops required.

Regarding heavier transport, don't forget there are a number of hybrid engined buses in use, and I can see that twin or multiple hybrid engines in the future. With a heavy load, all four engines fire up, then as the lorry accelerates, the engine number reduces automatically. When climbing a hill, they come into play commensurate with the load.

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

Hydrogen peroxide is another toally clean fuel. A little volatile though, but the Japanese use it in cars and sell it at tank stations.

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

I agree.

All the talk is of electric or hybrid vehicles being the thing to come. Both have problems.
Hybrid still requires the use of petrol or diesel.
Electric, as has been pointed out, requires more electrical power than we are capable of producing.

The other options which never seem to be mentioned are hydrogen peroxide (which you stated) and hydrogen.
Hydrogen peroxide is indeed volatile, but I assume the Nips have some way of making it safe.
Hydrogen, of course, has been a proposed fuel for some time as in fuel cells.

If, for political reasons, we cannot have petrol or diesel, I'd much prefer hydrogen to electric vehicles which, I think, are really not a viable proposition for general use.

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

They said something similar about petrol cars before diesel cars became popular.

There is only one reason why they want to ban diesel cars and that is they do more to the gallon than petrol, so the government don't get so much in fuel duty. It is purely down to revenue lost to the government coffers.

Scare mongering seems to be the "in" game at the moment

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

Petrol or diesel, we can take our choice of which air pollutant we prefer. Neither fuel is good for air quality.

I don't think the 'government coffers' point holds good. Taxes will always be raised/adjusted one way or another in order to bring money in.

No, I think it really is a health issue and governments will have to find find ways to fill the 'coffers' that avoids turning more and more people into 'coughers'.

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

Folks are funny, they move out to the country, to get all the fresh air (on a Sunday), then on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc, sit in the 20 mile commute jam, with their car windows open.

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

I often wonder just how many folks are consistently late for work, the tail backs round here often extend well into the 9.45am zone.

Re: Diesel Car Ban.

No problem. When taxes from fuel disappear, they'll tax something else.

My bet is drugs. I'm surprised they haven't legalised drugs already. Even with government taxes, the drugs would probably turn out cheaper than they are at present. The government would make a killing(!) and, into the bargain, get rid of the drug dealers.

As for outlawing petrol and diesel, I wonder what the oil companies will say about that!