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2 Jun 2007, 07:11 (Ref:1926699) | #51 | ||
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if ytou want to make an environmentaly friendly journey forget about cars, bikes, even pedal cycles etc... just walk, but make sure you don't breath!...and make sure your shoes havn't been made in a factory that burns fossil fuels or indeed that they don't have any plastics in them....
Two out of our four cars run LPG which makes for cleaner emmissions but what's involved in the production of the gas? Three out of our four cars are recycled cars (Well, two really.. the Quantum was built from new parts rather than the more usual recycled Fiesta!) One is dark green. |
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There are 10 types of people in this world... those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
2 Jun 2007, 10:54 (Ref:1926785) | #52 | ||
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I'd probably consider buying a hybrid or small diesel if the price was sane for my daily drive.
Wife has a Toyota Avensis people mover, not bad but underpowered, cruises well but struggles on steep hills. I currently drive a 3.8litre V6, I mostly use it to get to and from work, and tow the occasional trailer load of hardware for home projects, or rubbish to the tip. I suppose I could fit a towbar to the Avensis, but it'd be a slow slog. Green cars are great in theory, but the reality is that most people won't buy one unless you make it financially worth their while. I'm not including those greenies who will buy them no matter what they cost, or the other end of the scale, those who don't care and just want their powerful machines (which is most of the people on this forum). |
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2 Jun 2007, 11:15 (Ref:1926795) | #53 | ||
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I think Ford have come up with a better idea for the hybrid scene. It uses a system of hydraulics that store power in the transmission under normal driving which can be used at low speeds.
Apparently it is far more efficient than electric motors and a lot more carbon friendly. The downside at the moment is size and weight but it is currently only being tested in large pickup trucks. I don't know much more as I heard about it in a radio report and can't find anything written about it. |
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2 Jun 2007, 18:12 (Ref:1926995) | #54 | ||
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As far as electric cars go (Which isn't very... ) I'll buy one when I can get one which..
*Carry's the same amount of people/stuff as my Previa. *Has a similar range between charges. *Has similar performance and handling (Previa handles surprisingly well considering what it is!) *Dosn't weigh any more that tha Previa *Can be recharged in a few hours via a solar panel on the roof from the light of a streetlamp! (ok, I know I'm pushing my luck a bit with that one...) |
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There are 10 types of people in this world... those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
2 Jun 2007, 22:58 (Ref:1927153) | #55 | |
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my boss has one of those hybrid car things (prius?). he doesn't give a flying crap about the environment, but is very concerned about paying the congestion charge despite the fact he buys a new house every month. so he has a hybrid so he can dodge the charge.
fine example of the general london level of bothered about the environment. |
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3 Jun 2007, 03:21 (Ref:1927188) | #56 | ||
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I do know someone who has a 1st gen Prius and is very happy with it, uses it for both driving around town and visiting relatives in the country - several hundred kilometre journeys. Mind you the battery has not yet needed to be replaced!
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4 Jun 2007, 22:12 (Ref:1928855) | #57 | |||
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6 Jun 2007, 17:49 (Ref:1930463) | #58 | ||
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Just anouced in the US "Honda is discontinuing it's Accord hybrid. It wasn't being accepted by the Americans. They are conceeding the battle to Toyota.
What struck me is the fact that even as a hybrid with a V6 engine, was not getting better milage or less emmissions the the standad Accord V6. Toyota is looking serious at the Prius as the new Government fuel milage ratings are not the same as Toyota claimed. Toyota built more then 60,000 Prius which ment that there where no longer any Tax incentives to build or buy this modle. Reulting Toyota maybe serious looking at weather the Prius is a vialble or profitable vehical to produce. The Honda Accord with a clean diesel engine is expected to make its debut in 2009. While there is no official word as of yet, Honda is more than likely to bring the clean diesel 2.2 liter i-CTDi engine to the US. |
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6 Jun 2007, 18:53 (Ref:1930545) | #59 | ||
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9 Jun 2007, 17:20 (Ref:1933277) | #60 | ||
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Richard.
Your green car projects. Firstly, aluminium is a bad start. Yes it's light, but it's dirty dirty stuff to produce. Good iron is "cleaner". Plastics can be terribly dirty too. Perhaps you should look into bio-mass based materials. Your engine should run on Hydrogen. That's the cleanest fuel in terms of where it comes from, and what happens to it when it's burned. Bio-mass fuels are "clean" in the fact that they are "carbon-negative" since plants "eat" more atomospheric CO2 than is released when the fuel made from them is used/burned. Sweden probably leads the way in terms of bio-gas fuel for transport, turning refuse into fuel. But that's not your concern, you want the car to be "green" in it's manufacture, as well as it's operation, and it must be as recycleable as possible when it's finished. Perhaps not quite to the point where the emergency services can sweep it up, and chuck the wreckage in their composter, but it's a thought!! There was a lot to be said about the Trabant's "Duroplast" body panels. Using a plant based resin to strengthen cotton to make the panels. Lots of ideas..... |
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There is no substitute for cubic inches. Harry Belamonte - 403ci Vauxhall Belmont!! A 700hp wayward shopping trolley on steroids!! |
12 Jun 2007, 18:24 (Ref:1935311) | #61 | ||
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Rob, I am about 10 steps ahead on materials. Just have to sort out my writing problems to put it across in my report.
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These comments are my personal opinion, they do not reflect the views of others at Carr Racing. Born into racing! Will never leave racing, ever! Its in my blood! |
12 Jun 2007, 21:53 (Ref:1935505) | #62 | |||
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"When the fear of death out weighs the thrill of speed, brake." LG |
12 Jun 2007, 22:39 (Ref:1935538) | #63 | |||
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Some of the best sustainability and recyclability tutors in the country have been teaching me stuff I am also learning daily on the subject! |
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These comments are my personal opinion, they do not reflect the views of others at Carr Racing. Born into racing! Will never leave racing, ever! Its in my blood! |
13 Jun 2007, 09:10 (Ref:1935741) | #64 | |
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so don't ask for advice from the forum, and then be obnoxious when you get it!
(how much energy does it consume to recycle plastics, out of interest?) |
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13 Jun 2007, 10:11 (Ref:1935790) | #65 | ||
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I don't know exact figure but apparently when you recycle plastics, you always add virgin material which takes up more oil that we are running out of and of course the cracking process is very dirty in itself.
I was asking advice about the cars themselves rather than materials. |
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These comments are my personal opinion, they do not reflect the views of others at Carr Racing. Born into racing! Will never leave racing, ever! Its in my blood! |
19 Jun 2007, 06:17 (Ref:1941336) | #66 | ||
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I drove a Toyota Prius last night. I don't know if it was a good idea to make it seem so different to other cars, i wonder if it might be a better seller if it seemed more "normal".
Once you get used to the way it operates, i think it would be an OK car for commuting in and around the city. I don't see it being a popular interstate traveller. |
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20 Jun 2007, 03:25 (Ref:1942214) | #67 | ||
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David I think Toyota disagrees - the previous model stood out less. Also there is the option of the hybrid Civic which is all but indistinguishable from the normal version. When local governments & the other organisations buy hybrid cars to demonstrate how "green" they are, I am sure very few would buy the Civic because not enough people would notice.
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18 Jul 2007, 01:37 (Ref:1966200) | #68 | ||
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Progress report? I'm on tenterhooks here. I've done a little bit of research and have found a power source for your '100% green car'... http://www.steorn.com/
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31 Mar 2008, 21:11 (Ref:2166490) | #69 | |||
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31 Mar 2008, 21:22 (Ref:2166499) | #70 | ||
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Evening, er... morning Slippy!
I'm equally frustrated, but I suspect Mr Carr may have had more pressing charges... er, ,matters to attend to. I do hope we see the launch of the 100% green car eventually though! |
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31 Mar 2008, 21:25 (Ref:2166502) | #71 | |||
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31 Mar 2008, 21:28 (Ref:2166505) | #72 | |||
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Charges?? |
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31 Mar 2008, 22:02 (Ref:2166526) | #73 | ||
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An entirely different story. Really wouldn't be the done thing to go into here, but you could try searching the forum...
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"Never pick a fight with an ugly person, they've got nothing to lose." |
31 Mar 2008, 22:23 (Ref:2166547) | #74 | |||
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