Electric cars-Conversions
Moderator: RichardW
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
Thank goodness!!!
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
So now we'll need several new nuclear power plants to support all these electric charging stations no doubt.
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
I watched a programme last night with Brian Cox OBE setting out the ways needed to let everyone get an equal 5% share of of the world's energy.
That would make your hair curl Marc if your saw what's needed in the way of generation.
That would make your hair curl Marc if your saw what's needed in the way of generation.
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
This one gibbo? February 2009, nearly 10 years ago-maybe they have cracked it now

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b ... r-on-earth
Regards Neil
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
I'm not sure Neil, I'll have to watch that through, the story was that we would need all the land space for solar, all the nuclear capability and all the other alternatives but there still wouldn't be enough to go round.
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
Just a guess from me, it was on last night on BBC Four at 11.00.
Meanwhile on the energy front we are still digging up mind blowing quantities of oil every day. Yes whatever you think of global warming and the like, over the miniscule time scale of the last 150-200 years good old homo sapiens has been having a bit of a feeding frenzy of the planet's resources as if there was no tomorrow.
Might be sensible to leave some for future generations in case they need it.
Hard to picture what 100 million barrels a day looks like, but if those barrels were 42 gallon (=35 UK Gallon) wooden things made by a cooper, there wouldn't be a single oak tree left on earth after one day's production!
Heres a chart anyway
https://www.iea.org/oilmarketreport/omrpublic/
Regards Neil
Meanwhile on the energy front we are still digging up mind blowing quantities of oil every day. Yes whatever you think of global warming and the like, over the miniscule time scale of the last 150-200 years good old homo sapiens has been having a bit of a feeding frenzy of the planet's resources as if there was no tomorrow.
Might be sensible to leave some for future generations in case they need it.
Hard to picture what 100 million barrels a day looks like, but if those barrels were 42 gallon (=35 UK Gallon) wooden things made by a cooper, there wouldn't be a single oak tree left on earth after one day's production!
Heres a chart anyway
https://www.iea.org/oilmarketreport/omrpublic/
Regards Neil
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
NewcastleFalcon wrote: ↑30 Nov 2018, 17:09
This one gibbo? February 2009, nearly 10 years ago-maybe they have cracked it now![]()
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b ... r-on-earth
Regards Neil
That was fascinating!
I was aware of the ongoing research and trials but that program pulled it all together rather nicely, even if it is ten years old.
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
Came across RBW Classic Electric Cars. Nice blue MGB conversion...with new heritage body shell. Like the idea, but no idea what they cost.
er yes I do......see PS edit
PS Edit.....

Regards NeilWe have invested over £1.1m to create a unique platform with latest EV technology from Continental Engineering Services, OEM suspension from DEE engineering and battery technology from Hyperdrive Innovation.
RBW’s mission is simple: ‘re-creating beautiful EV classic cars, cars that still capture emotion and style, yet, with a modern twist, affording trouble free passionate motoring for the future’.
PS Edit.....
RBW are building 18 Roadsters – left and right hand vehicles available with colour schemes and trim specifications chosen after your test drive.
To reserve your car, you pay us a deposit. That deposit is held in escrow away from the company. All deposits are fully refundable till you’ve test driven a car and wish to proceed.
Test drives are available from May 2019 anywhere in the UK with first orders delivered summer 2019.
RBW Roadster EV
Price £105,000 (incl. taxes)
Deposit 5%
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
Came across an interesting article about the design of the battery pack and thermal management system of the new Hyundai Kona and Kia e-Niro. Very Tesla like in the cooling system design although it uses rectangular pouch cells instead of cylindrical cells. Well designed system, and certainly vastly superior to a Leaf!
https://electricrevs.com/2018/12/20/exc ... nt-design/
This shows that a well engineered battery pack in an EV is not just slapping a bunch of cells into a closed box and wiring them in series!
Thermal management is critical for high performance and long life, something that Nissan don't seem to have learnt yet as their Leaf battery pack literally is just a bunch of cells stuffed into a box with no cooling or heating!
https://electricrevs.com/2018/12/20/exc ... nt-design/
This shows that a well engineered battery pack in an EV is not just slapping a bunch of cells into a closed box and wiring them in series!

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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
This thread has in the past explored and largely demolished the role of Hydrogen as a transport fuel. It really suffers from the point of view of energy efficiency in its manufacture and distribution and battery electric vehicles win on this score.
So I had a read of this article "Hydrogen fuel cells: is it the future for motorbikes? " A well written piece acknowledging its drawbacks, and making many of the same points raised in this thread. The one thing it has in its favour is range, but the infrastructure is virtually non-existant in the UK.
So I had a read of this article "Hydrogen fuel cells: is it the future for motorbikes? " A well written piece acknowledging its drawbacks, and making many of the same points raised in this thread. The one thing it has in its favour is range, but the infrastructure is virtually non-existant in the UK.
REgards Neilhttps://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/n ... ture_fuel
"A better idea? Hot-swappable batteries
On two wheels though, batteries are still the firm favourite, and some companies – Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki included – have plans to eliminate the whole issue of recharging by simply making their batteries swappable."
REgards Neil
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
Now if a beautiful car is spoiled by the annoying din of a little two stroke motor you could always do this with it...
REgards Neil
REgards Neil
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
Not sure there mightn't have been any electric ones built as,iirc, there WAS an electric version of the contemporaneous van.
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
van ordinaire wrote: ↑19 Apr 2019, 11:24Not sure there mightn't have been any electric ones built as,iirc, there WAS an electric version of the contemporaneous van.
Spot on Van

Regards Neil
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Re: Electric cars/vans/bikes-Conversions/Secondhand..etc
Aston Martin DB6 Volante electric conversion:
Done officially by Aston Martin!
Done officially by Aston Martin!