12/01/2019
Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid, Full Electric……… Steam?
What are the Pros and Cons.?
Now that the Government has made the decision to ban the sale of new Petrol and Diesel cars in the UK from 2040 is it time to go green.
Most of us that have a daily driver will no doubt find that we regularly fill up with, easily available, quickly replenished, highly taxed, Petrol or Diesel. That short statement alone should spell the end of the all-electric car before it has even begun.
The ill thought out “and this really isn’t a rant” fact of this decision is that the Government has become dependent on the tax that it makes from Diesel and Petrol cars. Not just the fuel tax but the vehicle excise duty, and the various taxes of the support industries that surround the Diesel and Petrol engine. Taxes from Garages, Fuel Stations, Parts Suppliers, Fuel suppliers, Vehicle manufacturers the list goes on.
The fact of the matter is the government can’t afford the Electric car. Go and have a look in your sheds all of you “green” early adopters. Be careful not to trip over your 8 Track player, your Betamax video, your Philips Laser disc, your Sony mini disc or Sinclair C5. All of which I suppose had to be developed and marketed to get to where we are today.
The Hybrid vehicle is just the next in the soon to be obsolete “Stop gap Tec” that has to be gone through before the real and ultimate contender comes fore and what will that be………
The down fall of the electric car will be the Hydrogen cell. Basic economics demand it.
The Full electric car falls down on way to may points.
1, The national grid is almost at breaking point now, and will need huge, in fact complete restructure if the all-electric car is going to be as numerous as its Petrol and Diesel fore fathers.
2, Tax take alone dictates that the government has to sell a commodity to drivers to keep the Exchequer happy.
3, The Raw Materials required to make Batteries, and motors are just not abundant enough to realistically make every car on earth run on all-electric. Petrol and diesel engines are basically made of Steel Aluminium and Plastic. Whereas all-Electrics need Zink, Copper, Lithium, Nickle and other Exotic Materials.
4 It takes about 3 minutes to fill the average Petrol Diesel or hydrogen car from empty and then off you go. An all-electric Tesla currently takes about 7 hours . Even a Tesla super charger will take just over an hour. Are motorway service areas going to be 20 acres of charge points all “for Free?” No I don’t think so.
So forget about all-electric. It’s just part of the necessary evolution that will ultimately end in Hydrogen powered vehicles for us all.
1, The government will have a fuel to Tax.
2, Refuelling is fast and easy.
3, No Exotic Materials needed.
4, No massive infrastructure improvements.
5, The raw material for the fuel is……. Well…………….Water.
Please comment ill be interested in your thoughts.
Dave Pearson.
Exeter Motorworks.
