Diesel & petrol alternatives? Your thoughts please

I'll put on the Tesla Towing YouTube video which I added to other similar threads. There are also towing tests on YouTube across Europe. The Aussie version is towing a version of a caravan that a cousin of ours owns over there.

My nephew has the Tesla S. According to him the car will do about 200 miles on a full charge which costs about £5. The cars computer will plan a route for you and tell you where you need to recharge, how long yo need to charge it and how many charging points are free. On a long journey they try to make the refueling stop a meal break and that works for them. The problem comes if there is no Tesla charging station near as it takes some 36 hours to charge it from a conventional mains supply.

The car has no towing capacity and the only model they make that has, comes with a range of more like 100 miles so would not suit us, although some people needing to tow short distances might benefit.

A major problem for caravan owners might not be the number of charging points though, but access with a caravan in tow, as all points I have seen are only suitable for a solo car and you would have to leave the caravan elsewhere when charging.

Longer term electric cars draw on the grid in towns would be so high as to require replacement of all mains if they succeed to get the power needed so this may scupper the progress if people find having bought the car they cannot charge it.

A problem here seems to be that electric car owners have driven to work in a morning and stuck the car on a charging bay and left it there all day. This has led to some restrictions to 2 hours but if you are working moving it may not always be feasible but you will have to.

I was reading an article in the dentist this morning about a new Tesla model due for production in 2020. Bit of a sporty job at $200K but with a range of 620 miles. Now that is starting to look sensible.

Given our circumstances, only the range bit looks "sensible".

For the foreseeable future (which will, in all likelihood, see me out) there really is no alterative to Diesel for towing. The sheer torque and power simply cannot be matched. Some petrol cars may match it, but at a huge cost in economy.

The cynic in me believes that we shall all be 'weaned' off diesel cars only to find in a few years that the reports of diesel fumes killing millions was, in fact, all wrong and based on poor evidence! A typical political ploy. We shall then be encouraged to buy diesel cars again!

As someone who worked on and with diesel engines for most of my working life, I have not suffered at all - and I am nearing seventy at a far too fast a pace!

If I ever need to replace my diesel vehicle, it will be with another diesel.

Well....it seems there are a lot of people choosing the option of ditching their caravans and motorhomes. Our Cassoa Gold storage area normally holds 1300+ vans and mhomes.. since October 17 over 190 pitches have become available. This is not good news for all. 

I think this will only get worse unless car makers sort their game out. Full electric cars don' and won' cut it. Hybrids unless top end don't  cut it either. I'm sure we will see a resurgence in Erica Pucks fortunes. 

Tj

Subaru have just revamped their excellent "Outback" estate.  The new version offers a 2.5 litre Petrol engine. in Boxer form (Flat 4 cylinder).

Knowing Subaru's record of 1st class engineering coupled with 4 wheel drive, I suspect it might be the answer to a few questions.

TF

When (and if) we ever get a government that knows what it's talking about, then I shall accept their scientific evidence. So far, the one's who couldn't find any WMD and persuaded us to change to diesels in the first place, hold no substance. The current incumbents seem to have rather a lot on their plates with us leaving the EU, amongst other issues.

Knee-jerk reactions/policies don't cut it with me and to say that all diesel vehicles will be off the roads by 2040 is just ridiculous when there are no viable, affordable, alternatives. How are all those polluting trucks going to deliver our essential needs? Will our skies be filled with drones? Perhaps fracking will provide enough gas to fill our tanks? Maybe Mr Dyson will come up with a 'safe' nuclear car which vacuums as it goes along, recycling all the polluted air?

 It’s all utter Tosh and until someone talks some sense, I shall stick to my superb-at-towing diesel and will replace it with another when necessary.  In 2040, I very much doubt I shall be here to see the alternatives, caravanning instead in that "wonderful site in the skies"

Well TF...they have ditched diesel engines completely on all revamped models it' only available on the ageing Forester. It's not an option going forward as a towcar as even when solo its real world mpg is woeful...down on power down on torque ...

I predict Subaru will join Lancia and SAAB as extinct brands unless they drag themselves into the modern day with a Hybrid. Some may see this post is a little biased but I have owned 3 Scoobys  from new 2 Outback diesel....brilliant towcar....Current Forester..diesel...even better towcar than the Outback.....

Sad Tj.

Tj  I agree with your sentiments about Diesel, especially the newer low emissions ones.

I currently tow with a big diesel 3 Litre V6 turbo superb!  But like many others I have been keeping my eye open for an alternative. I have always admired the Subaru boxers and was very pleased when they introduced diesels.  Nearly bought one last time until the service manager cast doubt on the Auto box's ability to tow my 1650kg van that well.  So was hoping that the new 2.5 Petrol might have been better than the older petrol engine.

Like you I am concerned that the Govt seems to be taking action without really looking at the problem. The new Euro 6 diesels are cleaner than the equivalent Petrols, but the Govt still wants to outlaw diesels why?  And I presume they will stop all the new Electric trains from entering cities now that they have had to have Diesel engines fitted because of the failure to complete the electrification program??

Its all rather silly!

TF