XSeries-forum

Anybody see this.
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/opinion/3 ... ust-happen

About time, if it happens. Hybrids are a complete waste of time unless you never use the carbon fuelled engine.

You’re either carrying the dead weight of an unused engine and gearbox, or a dead battery that weighs more than a passenger. What’s the point?

Many companies opted to go down the hybrid route as it came with tax advantages. However many of those cars when sold were found to have pristine charging cables that never came out of their bags from delivery to sale. That’s part of the reason the tax regime was changed.

Hydrogen fuel cells are the way to go, but for now remain too expensive to get into average cars - that will improve over time though. Electric cars will never be more than a stop gap measure. We neither have the infrastructure at peoples homes or businesses, nor the power generation capacity to handle the switch without massive spending (and that means significant tax rises or costs on our already high power bills). It will take years before the infrastructure is in place.

I saw an interesting article on one of the new Audi eTron models that allegedly has a range of around 250miles. Unless it’s cold that is, in which case drops to around 180 miles. Batteries also lose 10% capacity every year making long term ownership risky, and worse for used car buyers. This of course is ignored by the industry as they only ‘life’ their models until the warranty expires. Two of my cars are more than 10 years old (one is 16) and are fine. Would they have still been on the road if electric? I doubt it. Battery packs are very expensive to replace (some manufacturers lease them to you, but many premium brands aren’t always interested).

What goes around comes around.

Using our household as an example, we have nowhere to realistically site a charging point connected to our electricity supply. We live in the middle of a terrace of cottages and although Wor Lass's car gets parked "out the back", mine lives well over 100mtrs from home. OK, nothing's impossible, so a supply could be put in but it would not only be expensive it would mean getting agreement and co-operation of the 19 householders in between and also the Council because there is a public road to cross.

Full electric is not an option for me in the medium-term as my aged Mother lives 300+ miles from us. I've already had to (pre-mockdown) make a flying visit when she was taken into hospital. This situation will repeat with increasing frequency. I wouldn't be best-pleased having to add the thick end of an hour for a recharge en-route, and Mother's house won't be getting a charging point while she lives there.

Hybrid could be an option, but I have no intention of changing my car until I have to. .............................By which time diesel could be back in favour again.

I have one set of now antique parents 100 miles in one direction and the other (nearly as old) 300 miles in another. Electric isn’t an option for one, and I suspect turning up and plugging in would not go down well either - especially as it would only be a 13A socket. I’m also not sounding more than £50k on a trackless super Scalextrix that has half the range and practicality of my diesel 2 series and takes at least an hour to fill up again - assuming I can find a rapid charger in rural Wales.

No one has mentioned LPG, it seems to always to be forgotten in these discussions.
I have owned lpg fuelled vehicles for over 30 years and have a smug look on my face when I pay for a fill up at 60 odd PPL (Pence per litre).
Other benefits include : less engine wear, spark plugs wear at 50% less, oil changes life lasts twice as long. ( lpg is a gas and is better for engine wear, as seen when oil changes the oil is a golden colour not black, less carbon produced)
Anyway , that is my two pennyworth.

Lez

I’m with you Lez but I guess as it’s full of carbon it probably still counts as a demon fuel

There’s alcohol fuels too - and they never get mentioned in our corner of the planet because no EU manufacturers make models that support it in this market. My old Skodas (VAG versions) could run on pretty much anything in the early 2000s but now they will only run in B8 and whatever the E petrol equivalent is.

I ran LPG for 7 years on my E30 touring. That was OK, but the largest tank I could fit in the spare wheel well only gave about 180 miles range.

Some of the places we travel to LPG fill-points are non-existent. I'd possibly go for an LPG-converted petrol again, but for now 450 mile of diesel range suits me fine.

......... And diesel supply isn't likely to run-out in my lifetime.

Constantly moving goalposts every 5 years or so, Did I read today Audi is planning to end petrol/diesel engine production soon.
Not sure what the future is anymore but diesel will feature for a very long time yet and my next car has already been made as I but used so not too worried
Hybrids not been used as they should as most people are bone idle and can't be bothered to charge them.