Why are people buying electric cars?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 68495
  • Start date Start date
AndrewFlannigan said:
...and equip all electric cars with automatic braking, if they sense a pedestrian within the danger zone for the vehicle's speed.

After all, many already have it. For good safety reasons, tampering with such a system should totally disable the vehicle in a way that can only be repaired by an authorised garage.
Click to expand...

Silly idea - these things are not foolproof, sometimes my Tesla will be in cruise at 70, and when merging from M11/A14 it seems to think it needs to brake to 40. If a pedestrian happens to be too close to the kerb it will brake for no reason, or not take into account the person crossing (i.e. me running across the road 10m away v an 80yo 30m away)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
Mostly Harmless said:
That is a lovely car! Mk1 Escorts are worth serious money nowadays.
I wish i would have kept my Fiesta XR2i (from my less wise, boy racer days) partly for the nostalgia, partly because I would have the best part of 20 grand sat in my garage :LOL:
Click to expand...

It's got more sentimental value than money value tbh But yes, if we would have kept our old cars :ROFLMAO:
 
Pound Coin said:
I hadn't realised there were rules for that...
Click to expand...

Well was more thinking of when I drive back from football. Stop start down the road but often people walking in the road and passing very close. Would confuse the hell out the car and gridlock!
 
LeeRatters said:
2.1 Pinto and a 5 speed box. It's about 195 bhp.
Click to expand...

I went to a street race in a local town in France. One of the classes had all but one competitors driving race tuned Porches with all the stripes and clips to stop the engine escaping. The exception was a duck egg blue Mk.1 repmobile that only had wider wheelarches to suggest that it was not an 1100. The Escort wiped the floor with the Nigels in their fancy Porches. When they came back to the pits I took a closer look. It was a Lotus Escort.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Limiting height of front impact point also easy and effective. The point being if you get an impact below your hip you will pivot around the hip fall in the direction the impact came from i.e. over the vehicle. If you get hit above the hip there is no pivot left in the body and you are pushed with the force - in this case under the vehicle. This is doubly true for kids and shoulders. If you have to get hit by a car (and really I don't recommend it) then getting hit below the knee is really important for your survival. Source: got hit in the ribs by a car. 4/10 would not recommend.
Click to expand...

Easy in what sense? It is not possible on some cars.

The bottom of the front bumper on my defender is at least 2ft off the ground. The top of the bonnet is nearer 4.5ft. Even if your'e talking Evs where the bonnet profile can be reduced, you still need the ground clearance for off roaders (those that are actually used for off roading rather than fashion accessories).

I have no problem with improved pedestrian safety, but as always one rule doesn't work for all. The collision avoidance tech on some off roaders is an absolute pain when you try to actually use them off road.
 
c18rch said:
Easy in what sense? It is not possible on some cars.

The bottom of the front bumper on my defender is at least 2ft off the ground. The top of the bonnet is nearer 4.5ft. Even if your'e talking Evs where the bonnet profile can be reduced, you still need the ground clearance for off roaders (those that are actually used for off roading rather than fashion accessories).

I have no problem with improved pedestrian safety, but as always one rule doesn't work for all. The collision avoidance tech on some off roaders is an absolute pain when you try to actually use them off road.
Click to expand...
Yeah, don't drive off roaders on the road. If it's going to kill people, don't use it where people.

Also, adjustable suspension has been around for a long time. Maybe try a don't kill people mode and a don't get stuck in mud mode.
 
Last edited:
We have recently had a room in a hotel that overlooked a car park with a line of 300 amp chargers. I could see the comings and goings and it was a complete surprise to me to see what goes on. Each evening two lorries turned up, both loaded ready for the off. A car arrived to ferry the drivers back to wherever they worked and returned about two hours later to drop the drivers off. It made me wonder about the cost and logistics involved. There were never more than 3 or 4 of the 10 chargers, usually just 1, occupied during the day. More than half of the drivers stayed with their vehicles for 20 or 30 minutes minimum even though the hotel had a bar, restaurant and coffee shop just a minute's walk away. One bloke was kicking his heels for nearly an hour.

I remember Mr. Bump saying that he and the members of the ev motoring forum were glad of not having to visit dirty, smelly petrol stations. I spent 5 minutes replacing the 40 litres of petrol the BMW 120 hire car had consumed in around 500 miles of motoring before dropping it off. I would rather do that than hang around a car park for 40 minutes even if I did save a few quid.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Yeah, don't drive off roaders on the road. If it's going to kill people, don't use it where people.

Also, adjustable suspension has been around for a long time. Maybe try a don't kill people mode and a don't get stuck in mud mode.
Click to expand...

Living in the country, and some of the poor roads, an off road is very useful. Pickups are very useful work tools too.

At the end of the day, roads are not for people, they are for cars, buses, bikes etc... If you get hit by a car in the road it's pretty much down to you. If the road is obscured or a car comes speeding round the corner, you should not be crossing in such a place. If you look properly, stop looking at your phone, cross when safe in a safe place (if only we could bring back green cross code) and not just walk in front of cars, you would not be hit, injured or killed.
 
Pound Coin said:
I hadn't realised there were rules for that...
Click to expand...

Travel is becoming ever more heavily regulated. Since pedestrians are being viewed as road users too, it might be good to give them some instructions along with a duty of care to guard their own behaviour.
 
Clive K said:
We have recently had a room in a hotel that overlooked a car park with a line of 300 amp chargers. I could see the comings and goings and it was a complete surprise to me to see what goes on. Each evening two lorries turned up, both loaded ready for the off. A car arrived to ferry the drivers back to wherever they worked and returned about two hours later to drop the drivers off. It made me wonder about the cost and logistics involved. There were never more than 3 or 4 of the 10 chargers, usually just 1, occupied during the day. More than half of the drivers stayed with their vehicles for 20 or 30 minutes minimum even though the hotel had a bar, restaurant and coffee shop just a minute's walk away. One bloke was kicking his heels for nearly an hour.

I remember Mr. Bump saying that he and the members of the ev motoring forum were glad of not having to visit dirty, smelly petrol stations. I spent 5 minutes replacing the 40 litres of petrol the BMW 120 hire car had consumed in around 500 miles of motoring before dropping it off. I would rather do that than hang around a car park for 40 minutes even if I did save a few quid.
Click to expand...

Most people dont do that. I spend 10 seconds plugging in at night and 10 seconds unplugging a couple of times a week. The only times I have been hanging round a car park as you say, is when I have been on long journeys and needed to stop for a wee and get a drink etc... In fact, only twice in over 2 years have I just sat in the car waiting for it to charge. Once occasion was when in Lincs for a 4 day break and needed to top up. The other was when I went from Cambridge to Newcastle Airport and needing to charge up. But even factoring that in, I have spent less time sat in car waiting than I would have with 5 or 10 mins here and there filling up.

And the fast chargers should be able to put on 200 miles in around 20 mins
 
ancient_mariner said:
Travel is becoming ever more heavily regulated. Since pedestrians are being viewed as road users too, it might be good to give them some instructions along with a duty of care to guard their own behaviour.
Click to expand...

I agree with your setiments. Maybe the Highway Code should be added to the school curriculem?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nod
Clive K said:
I agree with your setiments. Maybe the Highway Code should be added to the school curriculem?
Click to expand...

We did cycling proficiency aged 9 or 10 at school.

When I was growing up (likewise many others here) parents would instruct their children how to behave in the street, not get too close to the edge etc. now I suspect the state is expected to manage that via school, so why not?
 
JonathanRyan said:
Yeah, don't drive off roaders on the road. If it's going to kill people, don't use it where people.

Also, adjustable suspension has been around for a long time. Maybe try a don't kill people mode and a don't get stuck in mud mode.
Click to expand...
I have driven "off roaders" since before I had a licence. The reality is for a lot of people they are a necessity. It is also totally impractical to change from an off roader to a road car whenever you leave a field etc to go on the road. Now I agree that you don't need a Range Rover when all you live in London (insert whatever city you can think of) and don't really go off road. But people have choices.

I suppose now I could get away with having a "normal" car, but why should I? Mine is comfortable, gives me a lovely view as I drive through the Dales (a normal car wouldn't see over a lot of the Dry Stone Walls) It is easier for my wife to get in and out of.

Adjustable suspension won't change a cars height by Much. Especially as they are generally used to increase ride height (ground clearance)
A Range Rover goes up by 3.5 inches
 
ancient_mariner said:
We did cycling proficiency aged 9 or 10 at school.

When I was growing up (likewise many others here) parents would instruct their children how to behave in the street, not get too close to the edge etc. now I suspect the state is expected to manage that via school, so why not?
Click to expand...

Roads have become a battleground with motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all claiming priority. And then you have the fwits on electric scooters who do what they like. The Government can only see one solution; pi$$ off the motorists.
 
cambsno said:
Most people dont do that. I spend 10 seconds plugging in at night and 10 seconds unplugging a couple of times a week. The only times I have been hanging round a car park as you say, is when I have been on long journeys and needed to stop for a wee and get a drink etc... In fact, only twice in over 2 years have I just sat in the car waiting for it to charge. Once occasion was when in Lincs for a 4 day break and needed to top up. The other was when I went from Cambridge to Newcastle Airport and needing to charge up. But even factoring that in, I have spent less time sat in car waiting than I would have with 5 or 10 mins here and there filling up.

And the fast chargers should be able to put on 200 miles in around 20 mins
Click to expand...

Could these people be the ones who don't have access to on drive charging? There are no high rise buildings in the area, but plenty of old terrace house streets with cars parked up on each side of tbe road. If you can't charge at work or home, don't feel the need to buy a coffee so have to drive to and sit out in a car park 2 or 3 times a week.
 
Clive K said:
Roads have become a battleground with motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all claiming priority. And then you have the fwits on electric scooters who do what they like. The Government can only see one solution; pi$$ off the motorists.
Click to expand...

It would be good if it could all become less adversarial, people looking out for each other, rather than trying to challenge over their rights. That's not going to happen though.
 
ancient_mariner said:
It would be good if it could all become less adversarial, people looking out for each other, rather than trying to challenge over their rights. That's not going to happen though.
Click to expand...
That's much wider than roads.

Society might be a good place for that to happen,

and possibly even consider forums??
 
ancient_mariner said:
We did cycling proficiency aged 9 or 10 at school.

When I was growing up (likewise many others here) parents would instruct their children how to behave in the street, not get too close to the edge etc. now I suspect the state is expected to manage that via school, so why not?
Click to expand...
In Austria, the Polizei seem to take a hand in road safety training.

On one of our visits, we saw several officers running cycling safety training on the roads. It seems like a good way to reinforce the relationship between children and the police as well as making all road users aware that politeness needs to go every way...

Policeman teaching boy road safety in Seefeld P9150039.jpeg
 
ancient_mariner said:
Travel is becoming ever more heavily regulated. Since pedestrians are being viewed as road users too, it might be good to give them some instructions along with a duty of care to guard their own behaviour.
Click to expand...
It is already in the Highway Code.

as someone suggested we could do the Highway Code at school.

It would help if drivers knew it too!
 
Clive K said:
I agree with your setiments. Maybe the Highway Code should be added to the school curriculem?
Click to expand...


How many of you have read the Highway Code in the past 3 years?
 
Clive K said:
We have recently had a room in a hotel that overlooked a car park with a line of 300 amp chargers. I could see the comings and goings and it was a complete surprise to me to see what goes on. Each evening two lorries turned up, both loaded ready for the off. A car arrived to ferry the drivers back to wherever they worked and returned about two hours later to drop the drivers off. It made me wonder about the cost and logistics involved. There were never more than 3 or 4 of the 10 chargers, usually just 1, occupied during the day. More than half of the drivers stayed with their vehicles for 20 or 30 minutes minimum even though the hotel had a bar, restaurant and coffee shop just a minute's walk away. One bloke was kicking his heels for nearly an hour.

I remember Mr. Bump saying that he and the members of the ev motoring forum were glad of not having to visit dirty, smelly petrol stations. I spent 5 minutes replacing the 40 litres of petrol the BMW 120 hire car had consumed in around 500 miles of motoring before dropping it off. I would rather do that than hang around a car park for 40 minutes even if I did save a few quid.
Click to expand...

Did you see private vehicles using the chargers? Often the big 300kw ones are privately owned and used by HGVs or Buses. e.g. there's a 300kw charger in a car park in Fort William that's exclusively used by Ember buses, nobody else has access to it.
 
As an ICE vehicle user I look forward to similar analyses of the use of petrol and diesel fuel pumps.
 
Steep said:
Did you see private vehicles using the chargers? Often the big 300kw ones are privately owned and used by HGVs or Buses. e.g. there's a 300kw charger in a car park in Fort William that's exclusively used by Ember buses, nobody else has access to it.
Click to expand...

Yes. Mostly it was works vans parked overnight and the two lorries that squeezed in each evening, but through the day it was mostly cars. The chargers are in a public car park situated between a hotel / pub / restaurant / coffee bar, golf course, leisure centre and factory with its own chargers.
 
Clive K said:
Could these people be the ones who don't have access to on drive charging? There are no high rise buildings in the area, but plenty of old terrace house streets with cars parked up on each side of tbe road. If you can't charge at work or home, don't feel the need to buy a coffee so have to drive to and sit out in a car park 2 or 3 times a week.
Click to expand...

I doubt any heavy users would be doing this - lower mileage maybe but if that was me, I would be doing it while shopping at Tesco etc... Or because of my job could sit there while on a work call
 
ancient_mariner said:
We did cycling proficiency aged 9 or 10 at school.

When I was growing up (likewise many others here) parents would instruct their children how to behave in the street, not get too close to the edge etc. now I suspect the state is expected to manage that via school, so why not?
Click to expand...

I remember that Meow Meow Charlie Says thing. Was that at school, or was it just on TV or something? Whatever it was, it certainly seemed to have stuck in my head lol
 
gman said:
I remember that Meow Meow Charlie Says thing. Was that at school, or was it just on TV or something? Whatever it was, it certainly seemed to have stuck in my head lol
Click to expand...

It may be after my time. :p
 
I remember Darth Vader telling me how to cross the road (in his real voice!!!)
 
gman said:
I remember that Meow Meow Charlie Says thing. Was that at school, or was it just on TV or something? Whatever it was, it certainly seemed to have stuck in my head lol
Click to expand...
I remember Meow Meow Charlie mostly being about fire prevention but he may have diverisified :)
cambsno said:
If you get hit by a car in the road it's pretty much down to you.
Click to expand...
You can see how that sounds a little bit like victim blaming, right?
 
JonathanRyan said:
Yeah, don't drive off roaders on the road. If it's going to kill people, don't use it where people.

Also, adjustable suspension has been around for a long time. Maybe try a don't kill people mode and a don't get stuck in mud mode.
Click to expand...

That's some weird logic. A big car automatically results in death? Should we ban lorries too? Or just from where there are people (supermarkets and shops etc).

Bad drivers kill people not the inanimate object. Yes accidents happen, but you cannot legislate for every scenario. Sometime I think we've made the world a but too safe and it's stopped people thinking about their own safety.

A 1988 Defender doesn't have 'modes', it just is what it is. Also, adjustable suspension would make very little difference. I also have a discovery with adjustable suspension. There is very little difference in bonnet height. It does have all the annoying pedestrian safety features though. So far they have only served to nearly cause an accident by inappropriately slamming the brakes on, and the car behind nearly piling into me. This was on a bad 90 degree corner where it though the pedestrian on the pavement was on the road. I could not use the disco for all the jobs I require the defender for.

Why do I have 4x4s. I live on a farm and most of the area I live in is inaccessible if it snows with anything but a proper 4x4. I do volunteer with them to run doctors etc round in the winter. Much of the farm is inaccessible without a 4x4. There are times when quads are the only option. Are you suggesting I have another car that I swap into when I need to go near people are present?

The alternative argument is ban people from roads. Easy and effective :rolleyes:,
 
JonathanRyan said:
You can see how that sounds a little bit like victim blaming, right?
Click to expand...
"You shouldn't cross the road in a thirty mile an hour limit, because I'm going to do sixty in my shiny new car!"

That does sound rather like blaming the victim to me... :thinking:
 
JonathanRyan said:
I remember Meow Meow Charlie mostly being about fire prevention but he may have diverisified :)
Click to expand...

I'm sure that there was also stuff about telling your mum before you go somewhere? I mind a cat with a boned fish lol

EDIT: Actually I don't know if the Charlie (or Charley?) did a specific road crossing one but was linked to other ones that did? I guess after many decades my memory of it isn't so great after all.
 
Last edited:
Clive K said:
Roads have become a battleground with motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all claiming priority. And then you have the fwits on electric scooters who do what they like. The Government can only see one solution; pi$$ off the motorists.
Click to expand...
The solution is simple.

Those that have the ability to do the most damage, have the most restrictions/costs etc.
 
Pound Coin said:
The solution is simple.

Those that have the ability to do the most damage, have the most restrictions/costs etc.
Click to expand...

So all busses and lorries etc are to have a bonnet at knee height?

These are lkely to be more damaging than a Landy at 30mph.
 
ancient_mariner said:
So all busses and lorries etc are to have a bonnet at knee height?

These are lkely to be more damaging than a Landy at 30mph.
Click to expand...
Busses and lorries can only be driven by specially trained drivers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top