[Technology] Petrol and diesel cars banned from 2035...

[happypig]

I'd like to see a phased approach such as no diesel sales after 2025 and maximum engine size of 1.5L by 2030 with an increasingly higher road tax on bigger engines. There really is no need for someone to drive a 3/4/5 litre car but if they must, then tax them until their eyeballs bleed.
(I say this as a reluctant former petrol-head, we simply have to change)

 

[Driver8]

Agreed. And the first question would be how on earth can a charging infrastructure be rolled out in 15 years ? Imagine many of the streets of Brighton and Hove where people have to park a couple of streets away from their house - that's a lot of very long extension cables required.

That assumes that cars need recharging at home overnight. Tesla have already got superchargers for rapid recharging (about 15 miles per minute) and one would hope the technology will improve over the next 15 years.

 

[beorhthelm]

Such a disgrace that they cut road fund license, gave them lower congestion charges and encouraged people to buy diesels

priority was on CO2, diesels are more efficient, less CO2 per mile, so made sence. problem with politicans trying to control things, they overlook long term and unintended consequences.

My hopes are more in the hydrogen fuel cell-type technologies.... fingers crossed!

too many problems im afraid, storage, transmission/transfer is unlikely to work, plus the cost of the catalysts.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Agreed. And the first question would be how on earth can a charging infrastructure be rolled out in 15 years ? Imagine many of the streets of Brighton and Hove where people have to park a couple of streets away from their house - that's a lot of very long extension cables required.

Hopefully it will be coupled with a rethinking of our transport infrastructure and perhaps less reliance on a car. A four person family for example surely don't actually need 3 cars, but many do. Our habits and expectations are going to have to change as much as the vehicles themselves.

 

[beorhthelm]

Lamppost charging is the way forward

https://www.driving.co.uk/news/lamp-post-powered-electric-car-charging-points-arrive-london/

like many electric proposals, it doesnt scale. power needed for lamp is only sufficent for a trickle charging, one vehicle at that. its great for a trial or while electic cars are >1% the total. would need a lamp on every parking bay, or every 3m to ensure availability. electric cars will become the preserve of those with a driveway, flat or terrace owners will be buggered.

the real shame of this announcment is to roll in hybrids, which are the ideal compromise. use existing infrastrucutre, greatly reduce Co2 and other emissions, maintain range and performance better. but politicans hell bent on driving zero emissions, when only net zero is necessary.

 

[Half Time Pies]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51366123

Not going to be much fun stuck in a electric car with the batteries running down on a day like this...

View attachment 119850

Biggest uptake in electric cars is in Scandinavian countries like Norway and I am sure they could handle the occasional British snow flurry as well as any vehicle.

 

[Notters]

I'm all for it. The only way we're going to really be able to tackle climate change is with government policies like this. People are very resistant to change, sometimes you just have to force our hands.

It's going to be very challenging though. I assume there's going to be big investment in the charging infrastructure and enough renewable power to keep up with the demand.

I can't help noticing there's an ad for a 3.5L Lexus SUV at the top of the page for me

This is an AQ thing really not a climate change thing so much.

 

[Notters]

Could you give Donald Trump a quick call and pass your your expertise on the subject on to him if you get a moment

Like he'd listen to anything but his own ego

 

[seagully]

like many electric proposals, it doesnt scale. power needed for lamp is only sufficent for a trickle charging, one vehicle at that. its great for a trial or while electic cars are >1% the total. would need a lamp on every parking bay, or every 3m to ensure availability. electric cars will become the preserve of those with a driveway, flat or terrace owners will be buggered.

the real shame of this announcment is to roll in hybrids, which are the ideal compromise. use existing infrastrucutre, greatly reduce Co2 and other emissions, maintain range and performance better. but politicans hell bent on driving zero emissions, when only net zero is necessary.

Fair point. We are looking at this through a current day view though, the tech advances in the next 5-10 years could well eliminate the charging issues. Service stations with electric 'pumps' could be providing a full charge within minutes by 2035.

 

[Badger]

This is an AQ thing really not a climate change thing so much.

What is AQ?

 

[Mr Bridger]

I suppose it’ll be something else to moan about.

https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/cobalt-potential-bottleneck-transition-electric-mobility

https://www.ft.com/content/c6909812-9ce4-11e9-9c06-a4640c9feebb

 

[Lincoln Imp]

It's getting near to the point when future anti-combustion policies will effect the purchases we make today.

I tend to buy new and keep for a long time. My present car is a (filthy old-skool) 2009 Diesel.

So if I replace it, say next year, I will probably sell its successor not long before the new law comes in. On the face of it it would be sensible to buy electric now and save tax and city-driving tolls.

I don't think I will, because...

...my new car will be virtually valueless in 2032 anyway, whatever the law and whatever engine

...trips to Lincoln and beyond will currently be a bit of a pain in an electric car

...Electric car technology will make leaps and bounds in the next ten years.

So it looks as though I will have one last hurrah in a proper car, with a nice exhaust note, six gears, plenty of horses and handling to make me smiley. Or would that be the wrong decision?

 

[Arthritic Toe]

So it looks as though I will have one last hurrah in a proper car, with a nice exhaust note, six gears, plenty of horses and handling to make me smiley. Or would that be the wrong decision?

I don't think the fun in driving will necessarily be reduced (apart from the nostalgic element perhaps). Are you aware of the performance of the existing Tesla's? Sub 3 sec 0-60 - and that's with today's technology, let alone the tech in 15 years time.

 

[blue-shifted]

So Boris Johnson is announcing a policy which has no effect now (unlike the immediate banning of diesel cars) and people are actually thinking this is real and not just for the sake of a headline or political manoeuvre?

This will get kicked into the long grass. The Government will make no further progress on it. Johnson knows he'll get 10 years, then it will be up to someone else to tell the country, (the bits of it not underwater anyway) that this isn't going to happen.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

What is AQ?

Air Quality

 

[Badger]

This is an AQ thing really not a climate change thing so much.

Air Quality

Ah ok. I'm pretty sure Air Quality has a direct impact on climate change though. So this policy is positive for both climate change and health reasons.

 

[happypig]

There will need to be a massive upgrade of the UK's power network.
A quick "fag packet" calculation shows we will need to more than double our generation capacity to support large scale electric car charging.

We are, at the time of this post, using 43GW (http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/). There are 32.5 million cars in the UK, if 25% want to charge overnight using a 7kW charging point, they will need 56GW to be supplied. That's the equivalent of 50 nuclear power stations or 143 Rampion wind farms.

That's going to cost a few quid....

 

[Triggaaar]

Up to 15 years of exhaust pollution to come, marvellous.

More than that. Isn't it just the sale of them that's going to be banned? So all those who have one can keep driving it.

EDIT - Sorry, I see this was already covered.

 

[schmunk]

They're only banning SALES in 15 years.

They'll still be available FULL PRICE?

 

[neilbard]

Petrol and diesel cars banned from 2035...

Bring it on...