Are we being forced to go electric?

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cougie uk

cougie uk

Guru
Alex321 said:
Not really a traditional ferry operator. They operate "Cruise Ferries" aimed at tourists, and take 6/7days to get between ports that could be done in 28 hours just driving.
https://www.havilavoyages.com/

Weirdly, the ships themselves are battery-powered - but they say those batteries are in separate, fireproof compartments. They just don't have the facilities to fight a battery fire in the cargo decks.
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Thank God combustion engine cars are so safe then.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46290095

https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/are-...es that,(internal combustion engine) vehicles.
 
oldwheels

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
Alex321 said:
Not really a traditional ferry operator. They operate "Cruise Ferries" aimed at tourists, and take 6/7days to get between ports that could be done in 28 hours just driving.
https://www.havilavoyages.com/

Weirdly, the ships themselves are battery-powered - but they say those batteries are in separate, fireproof compartments. They just don't have the facilities to fight a battery fire in the cargo decks.
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As I suspected the report was not entirely true but came from a regular news letter which comes to me every week.
Seems a bit odd that vehicles are carried on such cruises. One of our old ferries with side loading has been converted for a similar purpose but no vehicles are carried so far as I know.
MV Columba is now MV Hebridean Princess for luxury cruises around Scotland.
 
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KnittyNorah

Über Member
Location
The Frozen North (of England)
vickster said:
Maybe works out cheaper than public transport (she may use her car for other things, not just commuting) and shift patterns may also make it difficult...especially with SWR seemingly cutting many services to the bone. Quicker? Yes, if buses and trains run 24/7 to schedule and link up perfectly then maybe it's as quick as the car...but the reality is often they don't (there are also 2 train strikes this week which will also impact the trains on non strike days).
Convenience and service reliability count for a lot when choosing car vs. public transport
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I will also add that - depending on the branch of nursing s/he is in - using the car to go to work and, more importantly, to return home again may well be the last and first times they can guarantee an opportunity to actually sit down from leaving the house to getting back after the end of shift.
 
D

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
icowden said:
It's also not just EVs that they have banned. They have banned hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. It will be interesting to see how that affects their business!

I saw this quote:


If only a cruise ship had some sort of access to a large amount of water...
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I think pouring water on an electrical fire is only the start of their problems, not the brightest idea imho, Class ABC, or BC extinguisher iirc
 
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icowden

icowden

Veteran
Location
Surrey
DRM said:
I think pouring water on an electrical fire is only the start of their problems, not the brightest idea imho, Class ABC, or BC extinguisher iirc
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I think, because of the magnitude of the burn and the heat generated, water seems to be the main option.

https://www.bedsfire.gov.uk/Community-safety/Road-safety/Fire-in-Electric-Vehicles.aspx

The obvious choice seems to be to extinguish the fire, however many EV manufacturers actually advise for a controlled burn. This is where the fire services allow the vehicle to burn out while they focus on protecting the surrounding area.
Once the fire has been successfully put out, the problem for the fire brigade is not over. Electric vehicle fires are known to reignite hours, days or even weeks after the initial event, and they can do so many times.
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From Tesla:
the Tesla Emergency Response Guide called for “copious amounts of water” to control the main car fire. While the individual cell fires in the debris field were controlled with dry chemical extinguishers, the only way to effectively cool this was with the application of large amounts of water. One recommendation from a Tesla representative is to continue water application on the vehicle for at least 30 minutes after the fire has been suppressed.
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A

Alex321

Guru
Location
South Wales
cougie uk said:
Seems that normal car fires are hard to put out too then ?
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They are, but not AS hard.
 
lazybloke

lazybloke

Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
Location
Leafy Surrey
icowden said:
A Tesla Roadster, Tesla S or X is a vanity purchase just like any other high end luxury car. A Tesla 3 or Y is attainable by a significant part of society but not everyone. Like a Jaguar XJS or high end Merc or an Audi TT. There will be cheaper Teslas and prices will come down with time.
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Vanity is not a good quality.


As for EVs prices, I find them all rather 'high end' currently. If I did buy a high-end EV I damn well expect it to be much more reliable, and to have the safety of physical controls instead of stupid touchscreen menus.

Luckly I'm not interested in upgrading from ICE just yet. i'll probably make the switch to EV in 3-4 years - I'll be happy with any manufacturer/model that demonstrates reliability and utility/practicality. These quality also encompass vfm
 
lazybloke

lazybloke

Priest of the cult of Chris Rea
Location
Leafy Surrey
vickster said:
Not if she can’t afford the cheapest oldest EV and/or has no guaranteed/practical/reliable way to charge (lives in rented, a flat, no OSP).
Maybe @icowden can confirm. If she actually lives next door to him, she could charge the car on his drive ;)
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There really aren't many on Autotrader yet.

The cheapest is a Renault Zoe, 7 years old, only £4K. "Slight accident damage" (actually "Status S: written off"), and it's needed an MOT since 2020. Also has the slight issue of "no battery" :wacko:
 
A

Alex321

Guru
Location
South Wales
lazybloke said:
As for EVs prices, I find them all rather 'high end' currently. If I did buy a high-end EV I damn well expect it to be much more reliable, and to have the safety of physical controls instead of stupid touchscreen menus.
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That is never going to happen, it just isn't the way EVs work. The only physical controls you will ever have on full EVs are the steering wheel with stalks for lights/wipers, and pedals.

And even those, it is only likely to be the steering wheel which has an actual physical control of what the vehicle does.
 
figbat

figbat

Slippery scientist
Location
South Oxfordshire, UK
lazybloke said:
As for EVs prices, I find them all rather 'high end' currently. If I did buy a high-end EV I damn well expect it to be much more reliable, and to have the safety of physical controls instead of stupid touchscreen menus.
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My MINI EV has physical controls - it is exactly the same as the ICE MINI in that respect. And touchscreens are not the preserve of EVs - all cars are heading this way. My wife’s ICE Volvo is more touchy-screeny than my EV.
 
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