Diesel & petrol alternatives? Your thoughts please

So they've cracked it with the pollution-free creation of leccy then?

Nissan and BMW have produced electric cars with range extenders, Tesla have had problems but apparently are making headway with haulage developments. To understand more take a look at manufacturers web sites and YouTube. As I said our car is awaiting homologation, OH is  interested in who will design the tow bar. He has been in touch with companies here in and in the USA. The  structure of our BMW is non conventional. There is information out there.

There is no such thing as a 'no emissions car', they just pass the pollution back up the supply chain to the power station.

The current hype over diesel cars has been brought about by people who have not bothered to check the actual facts.  Banning diesel cars from city streets will make very little difference to urban pollution levels.  A single wood burning stove emits more PM 2.5's than a hundred petrol cars [fact].  'Diesel Car' magazine has conducted extensive research and produced 4 excellent articles under the heading of 'Dirty Diesels' in their latest editions.  Well worth the read for a balanced view of the problem.

Euro 5 & 6 limits are addressing the exhaust pipe emissions problem and future limits will be even tougher.  I worry about the effects of Add Blue Urea on the environment so will be sticking with my Euro 5 diesel for the foreseeable future.  There is no sensible and cost efficient alternative at present.

Isn't it time the club did a towing test on towing viable hybrids / plug in hybrids?

Useful real world fuel consumptions / runnng costs would be good too.

I'm not convinced that the true costs of running plug in hybrids are appreciated.

It's proving to be very economical to run our electric car, the purchase cost was expensive but then this could apply to conventional cars too. The car uses minimal electricity on charge and minimal fuel in the small engine which boosts the battery, it also has regenerative braking which does the same, there is no tax either. Thoughts from my OH are that it will possibly tow well when approval goes through and we will be able to test this in a small way with a trailer. I don't know whether the club can come up with a suitable vehicle at present but some on here have been using hybrids with mixed results so far. But the performance of these cars is being improved rapidly. 

An Electric vehicle with a range extender is known as a vehicle with a series Hybrid drive-train. The most commonly used range extenders are small Internal combustion engines.  They burn fossil fuels, so do not come under the category of an all electric no emission vehicle. 

Whereas no-emission cars like the low cost  Nissan Leaf through to the fantastic range of Tesla no-emission cars is where the future lies. 

K 

Our car is a BMW Kennine, like other similar cars it's electric with a small motor that tops up the battery, the motor doesn't drive the car. That is why there is no tax on it. Several manufacturers have now caught up with this concept. Interestingly our car is fully recyclable due to it's non conventional construction. The fuel used is classified as alternative fuel because it doesn't drive the wheels. See the DVLA categories.

However I can't comment as yet on it's towing capabilities as it's awaiting homologation.

Nothing to beat the diesel, the telegraph had a review of the new Volvo D60 Hybrid. They were not over enthusiastic the cars electric range was quoted as 28` so once that is completed you were onto a 34MPG Petrol engine. By the time you add a caravan its going to be an expensive tow.

Yes I've changed. Was driving (44% of total mileage was towing) with a 7 yr old Euro 4 2 litre diesel. Was very concerned about possible hikes in either or both, in diesel fuel duty and VED costs. Had already decided to change the car after our annual September in France holiday, but the concerns led me to look for petrol this time round. Had towed (2004) for 3 weeks touring with a 2 litre petrol without problems, so don't anticipate any now. Problem was a lack of choice under £30K!

I cannot see me changing the Euro 5 diesel motorhome I currently own for even a hybrid. Since most trips are much further than a battery can provide I see no point in even considering it. What I am investigating is the feasiblity of changing my run around towed car to an electric one, especially as the Club and others appear to be allowing charging free. Prices are falling and with PCP it looks appealing for a vehicle which I might eventually decide not to keep if it turns out to be a lemon.

peedee