14-10-2019, 07:30 AM
Hi Tony
There is a lot of capture of such topics. A complete replacement of the vehicle fleet and vast revision of the power source and supply network offers huge commercial activity and scope for profit for some. There is limited scope to further improve conventional cars and the public will not willingly go backwards to something more basic. Enthusiast groups fall for slogans and lobby groups influence public opinion and get the ear of politicians. Even where able government advisory groups exist (dont here) the members are not so foolish as to totally oppose current fashion. Here we have some ludicrous aspirational zero net CO2 target in a few decades. With the average vehicle life about 20 years the fossil vehicle replacement rate will soon have to be prodigous and total. Yet from memory we currently sell 65 utes/SUVs for each electric. Much more CO2 is produced making an electric vehicle and a lot is produced for the battery which has a life shorter than the average vehicle, and much shorter than the potential life of fossil fuel vehicles (some of which, with no plastics or electronics, and moderated use, exceed 80 years!)
There is a lot of capture of such topics. A complete replacement of the vehicle fleet and vast revision of the power source and supply network offers huge commercial activity and scope for profit for some. There is limited scope to further improve conventional cars and the public will not willingly go backwards to something more basic. Enthusiast groups fall for slogans and lobby groups influence public opinion and get the ear of politicians. Even where able government advisory groups exist (dont here) the members are not so foolish as to totally oppose current fashion. Here we have some ludicrous aspirational zero net CO2 target in a few decades. With the average vehicle life about 20 years the fossil vehicle replacement rate will soon have to be prodigous and total. Yet from memory we currently sell 65 utes/SUVs for each electric. Much more CO2 is produced making an electric vehicle and a lot is produced for the battery which has a life shorter than the average vehicle, and much shorter than the potential life of fossil fuel vehicles (some of which, with no plastics or electronics, and moderated use, exceed 80 years!)