Diesel & petrol alternatives? Your thoughts please

Well, we can surely find a garden centre to sell us a garden cane or six to , , , , , , ,

I bet Merve Gaskin with his Toyota running on recycled chip fat is feeling pretty complacent. Economical fuel with security of supply well into the future unless eating chips gets banned on ecological grounds.

I’m not an expert, in fact I just read what experts say W, they say blue hydrogen is a crock🤷🏻‍♂️. It’s something the fossil fuel industry is peddling. The problem is-it actually creates more CO2 than diesel & petrol☹️. 

One of the reasons we opted for our EV was the low running cost. Renewable electricity has a lot going for it cost wise. OH did a cost analysis of hydrogen and it was as expensive as the present fossil fuels.  So no savings except the absence of polluting emissions...incidentally a trip on the holiday run A30 in our diesel m/h made us realise how noisy and  polluting we all are at present. It can't go on like this. Our SW 28C temps today could be 40+ C in the not too distant future.

When we start getting those higher temperatures we will have real problems getting pitches.   as no one will be going over there but many from over there will want to be over here fo cooler temperatures

It's OK, we'll be migrating to Scotland for our hols where its both cooler and less crowded.

Lovely,

but it does occur to me that with such a physically large local power grid (i.e spread over such a large area), it would be incredibly expensive to upgrade to charge local ALL-ELECTRIC cars, local farming and forestry vehicles, delivery vans etc AND THEN ADD tourist EVs (cars, caravans and motorhomes etc) at peak demand times.

Still look on the bright side.  You may get to Scotland, but possibly never get back

Having just read on BBC News that the UK had to fire up its reserve coal-fired power station in August to meet demand, I think those questioning our generating capacity will feel somewhat justified.  True, windspeeds were low and cloud reduced solar, but this was in the height of Summer and with very few EVs (compared with 2030 onwards) needing a charge.  We also get windless cloudy days in winter.

I also note that the National Grid was clear, that its choice of method of generation was entirely cost based.  The environment and global warming are not considerations.  It is obviously going to all be down to car, caravan and motorhome owners to put our nation's CO2 output to right.

If I may also support those pointing out that we each have our own circumstances. There was one car at my house when I moved in.  I married (2 cars) and now have two adult children (4 cars).  One day they will (?) leave (2 cars), then 1 then none.....  I have one on-plot parking space and cabling other "communal" spaces requires crossing other peoples land and erecting charging stations with their permission.

We also recently considered moving to a new house on a new estate, but there are only 2 parking spaces per plot.  Even the larger  4 bedroom houses only have 2 or 3 parking spaces.  The design is so clever, there are NO unallocated spaces for residents, just 2 or 3 per street for "visitors" (which are needed for that purpose).  NONE are cabled for chargers and the sales office was unable to say if the cables in the streets or to each new house could handle the current demand post 2020.

I remain convinced that moving to all EVs will not allow caravanning and those with horse trailers that tow to continue remotely as now.  Do I believe that any combination of Government and civil service will sort it all out.  Not at all.  Look at the PE and financial preparation for the pandemic.  Look at Grenfell and its aftermath.   Look at Kabul last week.

We doomed I tell you....doomed.......doomed..........

Air, with due respect 2030 is a long way off & technology is advancing by the month not the year or decade. I agree it won’t be plain sailing but we’ve all seen around the world at the climate calamities, ICE isn’t an option anymore, it’s run it’s course, fossil fuels need to stay buried we have no other way to swerve the tipping point into no return re climate. Change-It’s going to happen.

Here's the LINK about the recent use of coal....what it does mention is the soaring price of natural gas but it states we're also on track for the phasing out of coal.

In the meantime, switch something off, I suspect we're also wasting fuel.