The Future of the Automobile Lecture

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HA! You think you guys have cornered the market on idiot government decision makers? EXHIBIT 'A': The United States of America. I rest my case.

It seems like governments are in an unofficial race to bottom of the barrel, DraigFlag. Merkel appears to be leading.

[Draigflag]

I'm glad you said that and not me, there are some people on here get very defensive if anyone dare hint at criticising anything American. I have nothing to do with politics anymore since the expenses scandal, they're only interested in taxing people to death and spending our money on themselves.

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

I'm glad you said that and not me, there are some people on here get very defensive if anyone dare hint at criticising anything American. I have nothing to do with politics anymore since the expenses scandal, they're only interested in taxing people to death and spending our money on themselves.

I suppose some Yanks don't mind squabbling among themselves, but outsiders don't have that privilege. Criticism is healthy.

I view friends, family, and my government with an objective eye. Why should it be any different? But in national interest, I will also put myself in harms way for a just fight. You had just better be very convincing, though.

[Draigflag]

Well if every electric car was like this, I'm in! 1088 HP with a 0-60 time of 2.5 and a 0-124 Mph time of just 6.2 seconds. Nuts.

Geneva launch for Rimacs electric hypercar | Next Green Car

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

Well if every electric car was like this, I'm in! 1088 HP with a 0-60 time of 2.5 and a 0-124 Mph time of just 6.2 seconds. Nuts.

Geneva launch for Rimacs electric hypercar | Next Green Car

DANG!!! "I'll take two, please."

The beginning of the disruption from ICE to electric begins with 2017, when the first 200 mile / $40k electric cars start coming online.

Fuelly.com will be slowly going extinct. Future generations will read the "writing on our cave walls" and laugh at how we worried about high gas prices and fought for every 1/10th MPG.

Eventually, it will be illegal to drive/control your self-driving car on the freeway, too.

"They can have my steering wheel when they can pry it from my dead, cold hands!"

[Draigflag]

I think it will be a fairly gradual switch, all the cars still being produced now are going to be around for the next 15-20 years still, and the government will need to find away NOT to penalise those less wealthy people who can't afford to buy a new electric car (this is what happened with the current Road tax system, people who could afford newer cleaner cars paid less tax than those poorer people with old cars)

I can just imagine a future scenario, the headline: "FIRST SELF DRIVING CAR FATALITY" and people will start to think they're unsafe, despite there being millions upon millions of crashes by human error every day. I've seen first hand how the media controls the people, even on this forum sadly.

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

I think it will be a fairly gradual switch, all the cars still being produced now are going to be around for the next 15-20 years still, and the government will need to find away NOT to penalise those less wealthy people who can't afford to buy a new electric car (this is what happened with the current Road tax system, people who could afford newer cleaner cars paid less tax than those poorer people with old cars)

I can just imagine a future scenario, the headline: "FIRST SELF DRIVING CAR FATALITY" and people will start to think they're unsafe, despite there being millions upon millions of crashes by human error every day. I've seen first hand how the media controls the people, even on this forum sadly.

Well, Tony Seba said it only took 13 years from about the time of the first ICE car to replace all those horse pulled carriages. Seba predict the same for ICE to EVs.

Older UK-based cars pay higher annual road taxes? Same as Japan, so it gets the dirtier exhaust cars off the road sooner. In California, it's the opposite. Older cars pay LESS car registration fees than newer cars.

[Draigflag]

1972 or before are tax exempt, so they are the most polluting but least used, fair point. Then the tax was based on engine size, bigger engines = higher tax. Then in 2001 they based it on carbon dioxide emissions, fuel efficient cars and diesels paid less tax (mine is free) Starting from next year, every car will pay the same rate £140 a year, but with huge 5 year premiums for luxury cars worth over £40,000. They don't really know what they're doing, they'll use any excuse to tax the motorist.

[ChewChewTrain]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

1972 or before are tax exempt, so they are the most polluting but least used, fair point. Then the tax was based on engine size, bigger engines = higher tax. Then in 2001 they based it on carbon dioxide emissions, fuel efficient cars and diesels paid less tax (mine is free) Starting from next year, every car will pay the same rate £140 a year, but with huge 5 year premiums for luxury cars worth over £40,000. They don't really know what they're doing, they'll use any excuse to tax the motorist.

With "them" constantly changing their minds, sounds like they're fishing around for whatever results in the highest tax yield.

Draigflag, which country is downwind of the UK's air pollution? France? Germany?

[Draigflag]

It depends which way the jetstream blows, we have very varied weather here which regularly changes pressure and direction. We even get red sandy rain blow as far from the Sahara desert in the summer, it can ruin your paint if you're not careful with its abrasive glass content.