Are we sleepwalking to either the end or highly restricted future of our chosen lifestyle? As the government rushes headlong towards electric vehicles where will that leave the petrol/diesel versions who will have virtually no trade in value in the future. If a new MH is about £60k plus average what will an all electric going to cost. A petrol pump can fuel 1000's of vehicles quite happily on demand but when millions of electric versions flood onto the roads all looking for a charging point they may be in for a shock away from home. As for touring abroad the same applies but with far greater uncertainty of locating a charge point in time and not already coping with a huge line of vehicles waiting their turn especially locals. It has to come but at what cost to freedom.
Until HGVs are all EVs, (won’t happen soon because of the current short range), diesel will be available. Older MHs won’t be able to go into Low Emission Zones (the Glasgow one would fine me £60, doubled next time & doubled again), but public transport will get round that. And classic old vehicles are exempt - friends can take their old MH (40 years?) in without being fined.
The topic has been much discussed in the newspapers. The majority of EVs are company cars because of the tax breaks, only 25% are private. Add heat pumps to EVs and yes, our electricity will vary in cost through the day / night to account for demand - hence the smart meters we are supposed to have.
Have a look at the free ZapMap app (I think it’s called), there are more chargers dotted about than you think. Though I’m confused by the differences between them, but no matter at the moment.
To conclude: enjoy your Motorhome. No point worrying too much yet.
I agree petrol & diesel will be available for some time yet but at what price? If EV is a government policy they will ensure at some point that it will price them off the road with fuel duty & road tax until we all do as we are told all in the name of Climate Change.
The EV brigade are also in for a shock where they will either pay as they did with an I.C.E vehicle or the the dreaded Road Pricing, paying for milage travelled. The Gov can't afford to lose billions in fuel duty and road tax without getting back another way, all kept under wraps so as not to discourage EV sales.
We decided to buy a small ev as a runabout car and just keep t.he mondeo for towing or such occasion as we need a larger motor. Our decision was based largely on the basis we may not have many more years of driving owing to our age.
I have to say, it is a great pleasure to drive the ev. I can re charge it at home for around £4 and that gives us 100-150 miles of motoring. Ok, that means, as when we did 200 mile trip ro Cromer a few weeks ago, stopping twice for a re charge, but that was completed by the time we got back from the toilets.
I agree there will more tax to pay eventually, in fact road tax starts fairly soon, I believe. That is only fair. Also, we do not have to worry about driving into a lez or ulez.
Lunarbri, you are preaching to the converted with some of us!
I see EV's as bringing about quantum change in the Caravaning/MH leisure industry, and it's contraction or even demise as we know it.
I don't tend to caravan 'on my doorstep', and have no desire to do so, I travel to far flung corners doing hundreds of miles, those long journeys are not viable in the way I currently do them, adding the frequent and slow recharging to my existing journey times would turn them into 2 and maybe even 3 day trips in their own right! Do I really want to spend 4 or 6 days of my holiday on the journeys - NO!
I drove my first all electric car last year as a courtesy car whilst mine was in for a service, it was great, and I loved it - AS A CITY CAR! As my only car it'd be a chocolate teapot!
Interesting on news in past few days, EV sales have stalled! I contribute to a monthly survey by one of the motoring organisations, and EV's are a repeat topic, and EVERY time, the VAST majority surveyed reject them on two counts, purchase cost and short range/recharge times, and express grave concerns on the charging opportunities!
Could it be the stall in new EV sales is because the marketplace for those who will purchase and are able to afford has been saturated!
I do think the technology and infrastructure are far too immature to be forcing us into using EV's - I will resist as long as I can, certainly whilst I still have aspirations to caravan.
I agree completely with the views stated. Common sence dicates that if EV's are the future then the ONLY way to ensure targets are reached is by forcing I.C.E. off the road, for as long as they remain an option it will never be a success to achieve the stated aim.
For the record I am not anti EV and for a local runabout they are perfect but in respect of our lifestyle I think it will be a greater influence on us than most appreciate especially for those who travel abroad with either caravan or motorhome.
I have been saying for a long time that I can't see diesel vehicles in particular disappearing off the roads any time soon, and probably not even in my lifetime. Diesel is essential to our way of life, not as individuals, but as a nation. Just think of all the things that are diesel powered, from cars and vans to construction vehicles, cranes, and trains. There is simply no viable alternative at present. Rail lines could all be electrified, but neither the money or the will is there to do it, and it would cost trillions!
EVs are very expensive, and there are probably millions of people who need their cars to do their jobs, and could never afford an EV. Many of those people run cars that cost just a few £hundreds, and that's all they can afford. I can't see viable EVs ever getting to that stage. The batteries for an EV currently cost more than I paid for my car, and many are still buying cars that cost a lot less than mine. I'm retired but a lot of people who are still working run older cars because an EV is a mere pipe-dream to them.
If this is ever a problem it will be one that my grandchildren may have to face. If my diesel car is forced off the road I will probably have to give up driving. I certainly won't give the car up voluntarily.
Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 09/1/2024
I have been saying for a long time that I can't see diesel vehicles in particular disappearing off the roads any time soon, and probably not even in my lifetime. Diesel is essential to our way of life, not as individuals, but as a nation. Just think of all the things that are diesel powered, from cars and vans to construction vehicles, cranes, and trains. There is simply no viable alternative at present. ........
Can't argue with your rationale, but thin end of the wedge beginning to show through, local council contractors and other landscapers working in my local park have recently gone over to battery electric hedge clippers, chain saws etc. and even a ride on mower in place of old petrol/diesel ones. BUT the big wood chipper is still DIESEL, guess they haven't made an electric one that can run a full day's 8 hr shift yet, or the battery pack needs a fork lift to swap it over!
When I was up in Coniston on CAMC camp site in Nov, they had an electric buggy used largely in place of old diesel estate car or van for on site transportation/load lugging. But that's not really any kind of innovation above electric milk floats from my long ago childhood! Just remembered, they were also using electric leaf blowers this time, whereas they were rather too noisy petrol ones in previous years!
Quote: Originally posted by Lunarbri on 09/1/2024
I agree completely with the views stated. Common sence dicates that if EV's are the future then the ONLY way to ensure targets are reached is by forcing I.C.E. off the road, for as long as they remain an option it will never be a success to achieve the stated aim.
For the record I am not anti EV and for a local runabout they are perfect but in respect of our lifestyle I think it will be a greater influence on us than most appreciate especially for those who travel abroad with either caravan or motorhome.
For very good reasons our Government and most in Europe, which covers most of the major motor manufacturers have decided that electric vehicles are the way forward for all sorts of positive reasons. Unfortunately caravanners and motorhomers make up a tiny percentage of road users so it is difficult to see why special provision should be made? There are people now successfully towing with EV's. Look up the Andrew Ditton videos on YouTube. Motorhome are a different matter and more problematic as van manufacturers have been slow to create models for conversion and range is not so good, but in time. Your view on the pricing of new motorhomes is a bit out of date as £70,000 seems to be the new £50,000! AS far as road pricing is concerned, bring it on. A much fairer way of charging and of course the opportunity to be flexible in what is charged, so lower charges outside of peak. WE are entering a period of massive change in the use and type of vehicles, best embrace it or it will forever a source of frustration.
Electric vehicles have been around a long time. Around our way when I was a kid we had electric milk floats, electric bread vans, and even the railway had electric trucks that came round delivering parcels. They all disappeared. We still have a milkman where we live now, but he has a diesel milk float. I was a milkman myself briefly in the 1980s, and I had a diesel Transit. They gave me an electric one to try one day but I had a country round and it ran out of battery half way round. I had to find a phone box and call for a replacement.
Electric vehicles have their place, but they also have their limitations. I don't think they will be truly mainstream any time soon. There are too many snags. I'm not in any way against EVs, in fact I could easily use one for everything but towing my caravan, but there's absolutely no way I could afford one. I couldn't even afford a set of batteries for one.
An interesting cross section of views and as with everything in life it comes down to personal choice (if we have one) where EV's are concerned.
I am cautious where Road Pricing ends up as I have never known a government policy introduced being cheaper than the one replaced, probably not a problem on little local trips but for us it may be a different story. A day trip or weekend stopover in Wales is a 160mls round trip something I do on a regular basis. Our car has an annual road tax of £20 I can probably guess where that ends up with Road Pricing.
Quote: Originally posted by Lunarbri on 11/1/2024
An interesting cross section of views and as with everything in life it comes down to personal choice (if we have one) where EV's are concerned.
I am cautious where Road Pricing ends up as I have never known a government policy introduced being cheaper than the one replaced, probably not a problem on little local trips but for us it may be a different story. A day trip or weekend stopover in Wales is a 160mls round trip something I do on a regular basis. Our car has an annual road tax of £20 I can probably guess where that ends up with Road Pricing.
Those of us who do a low annual mileage may benefit from road pricing if it replaced road tax, but it would depend on the rate per mile. Wouldn't it be easier though to add the cost to fuel prices and scrap road tax altogether? I have never agreed with the idea of road tax anyway, as its a tax on the ownership of a vehicle rather than a tax on the use of it. However, the introduction of EVs makes that more difficult so I can see why road pricing may be the way forward. Those who do a high annual mileage probably wouldn't agree with that though.
My car's road tax is due next month and it is £365. I would probably benefit from road pricing replacing road tax, as I do around 5,000 miles a year now. When I was still working I did double that.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Electric Revolution
via mobile 08/1/2024 at 3:10pm
