Will There Be Enough Time?

[LewPaper]

I understand the new Mini will be all electric but will there be enough charging stations to make it a viable purchase? Doesn't worry me, I'm waiting for someone to invent the digital car - they only need watch batteries and have no moving parts.

[Tilly2]

How does it go?

[Togo]

Haha Lew, I waiting for a microwave bed..... so I can get 8hrs sleep in 10 minutes. Joking aside, regardless of charging stations, where is all this electrickery going to be generated.

[douglas9401]

Not sure but they're easily available on tick.

[Tilly2]

Excellent Douglas! :-)))

[Tilly2]

Seriously, how does a car with no moving parts get from A to B?

[LewPaper]

Sorry fellas. All this has changed and I couldn't find how to join in with the banter. Not being rude just stupid

[Tilly2]

I'm not a fella. :-(

There are two charging stations in our little town. There are going to have to be a lot more by 2040. Will they demolish petrol stations and replace them with charging stations?

[New Judge]

I have an idea that this has not been properly thought through.

Apart from the generating capacity problem (and some estimates suggest that the peak demand will increase by as much as 50%) there is simply the issue of logistics. Charging an electric car at home is quite a relatively simple matter for those with driveways or garages. But many people have neither. In fact many have difficulty parking anywhere near their homes. What happens to them? It is said that at present the top of the range all-electric car has a range of about 350 miles. The less expensive models can manage about 150. Many people make journeys much longer than that. What happens to them? Will battery technology improve so much that this will not be a problem?

It strikes me that the government has taken the view that some of my old bosses did, i.e. JFDI and don’t trouble me with the problems. Alas I think some serious thinking about the problems is necessary.

[LewPaper]

Tilly - in my heart you will ALWAYS be a fella.

[Togo]

Plus Judge, who is training all the redundant mechanics and body work repair people to work on very high voltage vehicles safely?

[LewPaper]

I think there'll always be work for panel beaters but as for mechanics I'm not sure. Still, it's all a long way off yet, perhaps, what with natural wastage (what a terrible phrase) the numbers then won't be as many as now.

[Tilly2]

Think of all the towns and cities with Victorian terraced housing and cars parked, either side of the road, in each street. Each house will have to have a charging station on the kerbside in order to be able to charge the car overnight. People are not going to want to have to walk up the road to a 'station' to collect their car every morning.

[corylus]

Look on the bright side, store your current petrol/diesel car and if you live long enough it'll be a collectors' item.

[whiskeryron]

I can foresee all major roads with overhead cables, so you drive on battery power from home to the main road & hookup to the overhead,like a tram & drive your car wherever, charging your batteries wherever you go. You will buy the current as you now buy gas or electricity by direct debit. Your car will be controlled by computer & auto driven so as to make all RTAs a thing of the past. Cars will be 2 seaters only & family will use fast transit trams which will be used on special built tracks to separate from other traffic. Electricity will be generated in new plants from differing methods including Solar Panels.

[corylus]

Remember what happened to trolley buses?

[Tilly2]

Overhead cables in every street would be awful!

[corylus]

Maybe cars like Fred and Wilma's in The Flintstones will be the solution!

[LewPaper]

What a terrible prospect. Wish I hadn't asked my question now.
Could someone lightened the tone?

[goodgoalie]

And what about the £27 billion the government takes in fuel duty every year? They'll just find a way of taxing all the extra electricity that will need to be generated to power the over 35 million cars that will be on the road in 2040.

[Ryzen]

Cordless extension leads could be the answer.