bexrbetter

Will be booked for speeding, straddling lanes, no 'Wide Load' sign, bald tyres, no reg and unroadworthy. Internationals reading this will think I'm joking ...

Drunk with lots of Vitamin B2.

Yes, but then again it's not their first time either ...

Scott.

Exactly what I argue every thread that covers that.

The point I was referring to is numbers of countries will ban oil fueled cars completely soon. I guess Oz could do a CNG/LPG hybrid. All taxis and buses, as well as many mini delivery vans in China run on CNG for as long as I have been here. I don't know the price of it, but a taxi from Chengdu to my city is $50 AUD, a return distance of around 100kms, so it must be cheap.

Yep, no way could a EV do your duties currently at a price point today. The battery capacity required is just way too expensive. Your situation ideally would have an EV Ute and the trailer would also be a battery carrier to save the Ute having to always carry the capacity. These are ideas that will be considered in the near future. I have toyed with the trailer idea for current EVs to increase range for country trips. Only 40% of oil is used for cars, so I can't see oil ending anytime soon.

No, you're not. 90% of Australians live in the main city suburbs and drive around 15kms per day on average. I already know the figures and driving habits. Yes, Australians are unique in that occasionally some tend to face largish trips, but that's usually by choice. Well that's a choice to be considered when considering an EV. Obviously it's not for you, others don't mind or plan around it. I also hate having to find a servo, especially at peak hour. In the morning I merely pull the plug out and go. The time I save is of a greater total per annum. It's very rare I actually waste a half hour just sitting there waiting for a charge to complete. Well "great many" is just an exaggeration. I do agree there are Australians who an EV is not suitable at all, and probably a greater percent more than most countries in the world. I did mention I have owned them for 2 years now, I do drive and live with them daily as I mentioned, and I do some serious mileage each year. We put 32,000 kms on the JAC in the first year, and the Tesla is approaching 35,000 in 2 years. They didn't interview me.

I just saw on the news that Police can issue on the spot fines for bad driving. It's 2018, how do they get away with being so sexist?

Not more, but can be not far behind either, I have read Ford's paper they did about 15 years ago that included "ground to ground" processing, eg; the mining of all minerals to the ultimate disposal of both car types. This is not relevant to me as far a I am concerned. What is relevant is the way the pollutants are distributed, you walk down the street in a city/suburbs and you are showered with, and breathe immediate toxic pollutants from cars, besides the noise. EVs remove those immediate health threats, that's what I support. Mostly nonsense. I own a Tesla, 2 years now, and I owned a 110hp JAC EV for a year, just got rid of it, replaced by a Geely EV 3 weeks ago (it's done 3000 kms and I haven't even laid an eye on it, but that's another story!). I drive these cars and live with them daily, It is without doubt a bit of a pain if you want to travel a decent one way distance, you need to plan, and you need a backup plan. It's completely different from a petrol car where you just get in and go, but it ain't close to the fear mongering that's out there. On the holidays just finished, we drove the Tesla to the snow fields. I'll put this into an Australian perspective; Leave Melbourne with full charge from home base charger. Stop at Albury for lunch while car charges for 30 minutes, nick into mountains for fun and overnight stay. Next morning into Albury for breakfast while car charges for 30 minutes, straight back home to Melbourne. I admit to hating stopping on long trips, I just want to get the mileage in, but with EVs you are looking at 2 to 3 hours drive then a stop, this is normal travel for many, but for me it adds time, but you plan around it. If you randomly drive off large distances to anywhere at anytime, then no, an EV at this time isn't for you. Neither if you are a leadfoot, because they suck juice at an astonishing rate if you get up them, far more exponentially than a petrol engine. As EVs are new, and of course not a scratch on the 100 year infrastructure of petrol stations, there will be an occasional hickup, I have driven down a freeway at 40 kmh at 2am with my headlights off, heater off freezing to death in the JAC desperately trying to save every KW to make it to the next charge point for example, not fun. We made it with 3kms of charge left and the car in limp mode. Range anxiety can be very real in EVs, you do think about it constantly. Now you want to discuss the bright side? EV in a city is amazing, quiet, smooth, massive torque from rest, don't even notice hills or hill starts, no gear changes at all. Setup with charger at home and you're full to go in the morning. The money I save is very noticeable, not just the fuel but no servicing either. I actually smile when I drive past petrol stations. I will never buy a petrol car ever again after owning one, now three, because it suits me what I do 98% of the time, I don't shy away due to the 2% that I 'might' do. Buy an EV and hire a car for holiday trips if that's your concern.

They look fake, you're using a Chinese keyboard aren't you!

Half million, but it's not relevant, the attitude and desire are what is relevant. Shenzen (China Mainland joint city to Hong Kong) has half the population as Australia at 11 million, they just spent $600 million on replacing their entire 17,000(!) bus system with EV buses, while Australia spends $100 million on a gay marriage plebiscite. Mind you the way Oz goes about things, $100 million would buy about 7 buses of which 3 would always be off the road for some reason, and there would be protests about the routes. One city in China has more electric buses than all of America’s biggest cities have buses

Problem is a number of countries are mandating and going straight to full EV by 2050, petrol vehicles will be illegal in China then for example, so this will not likely come to fruition. Hybrid is a stop gap so I don't believe you will see anything more than basic 'normal' small engines powering gennies. Our smallish city will have 9000 public chargers fitted by 2020.

Great pics, thanks Karl.

and mobile phones, internet, cable TV, hi spec cars, air conditioning, greater and wasteful foodstuffs ... there's a myriad of reasons why a simple comparison to the 70's (whenever) simply doesn't work, it's just a different world now. If you want to see why people can't afford flying, check the debt levels from then Vs now.

Shutup and take my money!

I don't know what it is, but I want one!

I didn't read it, I was reading news reports. Apparently they can't read. The Press Release says "likely" btw, that's still not a definitive. A close friend of a close friend who works that area for Q was in China last year scouting possible service places, told my friend "No way, ever". Apparently not impressed, putting it very kindly. Not exactly what I want to hear seeing as I fly nationally occasionally.

Is that you George Orwell? At Airstrip one?

For those who subscribe to that, which is fair enough, but they should also resist complaining about the cost because unless people try, then nothing will change.

Hmmm, maybe, but I just went and read 5 reports, 4 say "Australian Region", and one says "Australian Regional". So is the 5th one correct or did they misinterpret region, or vice versa?

There are a number of bolt on belt drives for sale Bruce, and reasonably priced. People's attempts sometimes fail for a reasonably simple reason, the failure to understand that engine's 'pulse', they slow down, and then re accelerate every cylinder's cycle, so the crankshaft doesn't turn at one constant speed, besides flexing, while the propeller wants to and does continue at one speed. It is this fight that causes the bulk of the issues. Allowing them to run at their separate speeds, such as flexible drive or one way clutch between them, goes a long way to resolving many of the seen issues. I once resolved an issue with a large solidly mounted, single cylinder engine driving a hydraulic pump that was constantly tearing out the fiber drive isolators, by mounting it using rubber engine mounts. They were positioned specifically so that the engine pulses would rotate the engine back and forward around the crank's centerline (like many cars), hopefully dissipating the driveshock and TVs. It worked so apparently it did. They originally didn't use rubber mounts for fear the movement would tear the drives, a valid thought, but it was what was doing the damage. More cylinders and more flywheel weight go somewhat to lessening TV problems as well.

The words "in Australia" relative to where the training school will be established are suspiciously missing in all those reports.

You can run the 4 cylinder case with just 2 pots, obviously a little heavier. There is a book and articles around for building a proper 2 pot VDub, as well as parts suppliers. A 250cc MX motor with the gearbox hacked off (in minutes) that you can pick up with one hand would be my choice. Better still a 500, harder to get though. Plenty at bike wreckers dirt cheap. 50hp flat out but an easy 30 at reduced revs for long life. No difference in power, but the 500 does it easier. Simple 520 chain drive reduction setup. That's 2 stroke btw, stay away from the 4 strokes. If you need more, then look at jetski engines, plenty of used ones around in large range of sizes and hp. As mentioned above, go to the Goat website for ideas and free plans. the Affordaplane plans are around also. Look at the Ison Airbike too.

Dockhead.