Paphos Life

Anyone else glad they live in Cyprus, when you read stuff like this?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... roads.html

They do it anyway with the tax on petrol and diesel. An extra penny on these taxes would fill the hole quite quickly.

Successive UK Governments have destroyed the pleasure of motoring. Smart motorways are deadly and being reviewed apparently. In Wales, the utterly useless 'super council' or Welsh Government , propose replacing all 30mph limits with a 20mph one!

Yet another way of controlling us all.

This is not a short video but very interesting nonetheless if you have a spare 30 mins. It’s a conversation between two fans of both electric and conventional cars, one of whom is Top Gear’s resident petrolhead Chris Harris, and the other a senior guy from the National Grid.

https://youtu.be/eaE57tChPQM

Ian

It is a pity that it is on YouTube and not printed out. On YouTube, if you miss a word, you may have to go back and re-listen; even worse if you miss the gist of a phrase. On the printed version, it is easy to skim the irrelevant and pick up the relevant. I prefer reading to being lectured.

Devil wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 3:50 pm It is a pity that it is on YouTube and not printed out. On YouTube, if you miss a word, you may have to go back and re-listen; even worse if you miss the gist of a phrase. On the printed version, it is easy to skim the irrelevant and pick up the relevant. I prefer reading to being lectured.

With YouTube you can easily skip back or forwards 10 seconds, on an iPad for example, just a double tap on the left of the screen to go back, on the right to go forwards.

Ian

When governments make these pronouncements they are well aware that they are unlikely to be in power in 10years or more time... Maybe in the future electric cars will be able to recharge their batteries when they are being driven? Otherwise advanced hybrid vehicles may turn out to be the answer.

Dee

What you are saying seems to be more relevant for the UK than for Cyprus.

I am not convinced that the average vehicle size can be reduced. Most drivers will want to be able to do at least 2 or 300 km in reasonable comfort but I agree that for town use only, mini electrics would be viable.

Hydrogen fuel cells can operate efficiently after they have heated up. They are no use for the short journey user and they are horrendously expensive because of the platinum that is required to make them. The big problem is how to make massive quantities of hydrogen, transport it to filling stations (or make it on the site) and ensure 100% safety. Remember that hydrogen is not a fuel; it is a manufactured commodity and is not cheap. It is made either by electrolysis (more power stations needed) or by decomposing natural gas (what to do with the carbon?).

As you say, parking any vehicle that requires to be attached is a problem in heavily built-up areas. I think that I have read that some countries have regulations insisting that every habitation must also have one or two parking slots. That does not solve existing buildings.

The UK does have even excessive quantities of wind-generated electricity, at times. Cyprus would not have sufficient for even electric bicycles. But wind, as is solar, cannot be relied upon 24/7.

Personally, I see the future with the new breed of mini-nuclear power stations of a few hundred megawatts. They are easy to build, quick, and may possibly use thorium instead of uranium. They are of a size to provide a medium-large city and could sit comfortably either in the outskirts or even in the centre, without danger. We shall need these, rather than the megaliths of conventional nuclear, dotted around the country. Even Cyprus could have two or three of them as backup for solar and particularly to provide electricity at night.