Share
Jason Ford
Jason Ford
News Editor
Engineless cars, driverless trains and Brits in space
What isn’t there to like about electric vehicles? They are currently rather small compared to their petrol and diesel brethren, they make little noise and they don’t belch vile fumes onto the streets.
Briefing can’t wait to see more EVs on the road, given the amount of tailpipe emissions inhaled over the years pounding the pavements, and environmentalists will no doubt provide a body of evidence backing up their arguments regarding CO2 emissions and climate change.
However, it seems that headaches induced by fumes are set to continue, given a report published today by industry analysts GfK Automotive.
Their study is said to find that electric cars have failed to generate sales among British motorists because of consumer confusion about the realities of their cost and performance.
Back in January this year the same firm of analysts reported that EVs are set to be worth be worth £7.2bn to the British motor industry by 2014, but this figure was predicated on a number of caveats, some of which are repeated in the new report.
Their new findings show that the lack of understanding about the practicalities of electric cars is deepest amongst those who say they are keenest to purchase one.
While eight per cent of motorists plan to buy an electric car, the vast majority of this group underestimate the cost and time it takes to charge the vehicles and overestimate their range, according to the data.
From road to rail and the thorny issue of automatic train control systems on London Underground trains.
The Engineer’s Sam Shead is set to interview David Waboso, London Underground’s capital programme director and director of engineering in early December to discuss this and other issues.
In the interim, IET recently hosted an event at the new Victoria Line Control Centre.
Developed over 40 years ago, the Victoria Line was claimed to offer a ‘world first’ automatic train control system using electro-mechanical and first generation electronic devices.
The line has since introduced new trains and a new train control system with new trains (controlled by new signalling) progressively replaced the old trains (still controlled by old signalling) over a period of a year, while inter-running at two minute intervals.
The issue of rail automation still makes the headlines and only last week Time Out London magazine ran an article with Mike Brown, managing director of London Underground and Bob Crow, RMT general secretary and arguing for and against driverless trains respectively.
Brown believes automation will help the mass transit system modernise in order to cope with an expected rise in demand, noting that 70 per cent of the network will be automatic by 2018. Crow, however, fears a combination of automation plus proposed cuts to maintenance and inspection will act to the detriment of underground services.
IMechE this week hosts its Manufacturing Excellence Awards, where 21 short listed companies will compete for 11 awards designed to honour the very best in UK’s manufacturing.
The awards, to be held at The Dorchester hotel in London on Wednesday, will be compered by Alastair Campbell and features a speech by Mark Prisk, minister for business and enterprise.
In a statement, Rachel Pearson, project manager for Manufacturing Excellence said: ‘Manufacturing is crucial to the UK economic recovery and it has been proven that taking part in Manufacturing Excellence can improve the way businesses work.’
Finally, we take to the skies with IET and a free lecture celebrating the past, present and future of space exploration.
In a very short space of time space exploration has led to scientific and technological advances for satellite applications including security, defence and telecommunications. The lecture will ask, however, what is next for the space industry?
Topics for discussion developments in propulsion systems for space, space tourism, current and future satellite projects, and the importance of continued British involvement in space.
View results 10 per page | 20 per page | 50 per page
Readers' comments (21)
Jimleshed | 21 Nov 2011 1:22 pm
The main problems with Electric Vehicles, as been said time and time again, is the limited range and the slow charging rate.
All that is needed to overcome this is for someone (you lot!) to develop a simple battery pack exchange system. Range solved, recharge rate solved (from the users viewpoint).
So, the manufacturers need a standardised battery size/shape/position, and a simple exchange mechanism needs to be developed (a drive in bay that does some automatic remove and replace process) - Simple...but it wont ever happen. JLS
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Peter Bessey | 21 Nov 2011 2:30 pm
Manufacturing in the UK - now that's a topic covered by a range of programmes currently running on BBC2.
But yesterday's edition 'How to Build - a Supercar', constantly referred to pretty well everyone in the McLaren factory as being an Engineer. Even the apprentice!
I wonder how that went down with this journal's readership?
Cannot the IMechE somehow educate the BBC's production team to use their scripts to better ends? Or is this the Job Description that McLaren gave them?
It might be interesting to know just who was responsible.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Kerry Green | 21 Nov 2011 2:44 pm
There needs to be education and incentive, in the first instance, to make everyones 2nd car an electric. Most 2nd cars are used for the shopping trip, the school run and a local commute. This would help the acceptance of the EV, take the price down, and move technology on. We cannot expect a quantum leap. How many years did it take to get the petrol car refined, then followed by diesel? Another point if we went to exchange batteries, we need to make the charging stations autonomously powered by solar and wind turbines. Electricity distribution efficiency is poor and responsible for thousands of tons of CO2. Generate on site, the batteries can be charged when the energy is available. No distribution loss.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Mike Ayres | 21 Nov 2011 2:46 pm
Recent developments using graphene suggest a five to ten fold increase in battery storage may be readily achievable. But even without this there will certainly be significant improvements in batteries over the next few years. Add the possibility of grid load levelling using spare battery capacity (called V2G, for Vehicle to Grid, in the States) and electric cars become the obvious choice for the future. And when they can drive themselves we avoid needless road deaths too.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 21 Nov 2011 2:56 pm
In response to Jimleshed, I agree, its not going to happen.
If you had just bought a new car, you would not be happy swapping your brand new battery for a half worn out one - would you!
Dave
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Quinetic | 21 Nov 2011 3:16 pm
Electric Cars - the perennial problem is the battery... in terms of weight, performance and environmental impact. This needs a fundamental rethink otherwise we will be hawking out the same lines in the next 20 years.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 21 Nov 2011 3:47 pm
Sounds like a good idea to make the second car electric. However, have you noticed that the second car for the school run looks more like the US army going to war! The weight of this vehicle is not going to make electric power economical.
The fundamental question still remains where is all of this electrical energy going to be generated? It is not going to come from renewables, there is not enough space in the UK for all the wind turbines required, the sun does not always shine - seems even more reason for the UK government to get its act together on Nuclear Power Generation.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Terry Ford | 21 Nov 2011 4:11 pm
I have an idea for a novel engine/generator to supplement and charge vehicle batteries, and need someone to help me take it further.
Please contact me, if you could make a Prototype, for assessment, or can point me in the direction of someone.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | 21 Nov 2011 5:30 pm
Hi Terry, I am keen to talk about making prototypes. Perhaps you could email me at geoffatyahoo.co.uk
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Don Howard | 22 Nov 2011 7:11 am
Contrary to popular belief, the sun does actually always shine. It is also worth considering that in a world where fusion is the holy grail of our energy requirements, that there already exists a massive fully functioning and highly effective reactor at the centre of our solar system.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment