Talk to me about Electric Cars please - Chat Forum https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/ Singletrack World Magazine Forum. Come for the bikes, stay for the boll**ks en-GB Sun, 05 Apr 2026 04:26:07 +0000 wpForo 60 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11041196 Sat, 08 Feb 2020 13:56:42 +0000 but the amount of black dust (gas oil/red diesel particulates) that we get thickly caked on boxes that I’ve presumed can only have come from diesel forklifts in warehouses is really concerning Is this presumption based on any kind of....y'know fact?]]> Chat Forum trail_rat https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11041196 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11041179 Sat, 08 Feb 2020 13:41:21 +0000 twrch, it’s a fallacy that the carbon output from the universal strategies of economic growth through consumption and travel can be made carbon neutral with eg electric cars, banning plastic straws, using paper bags and dubious offsetting schemes. The real challenge is mass acceptance of an increasingly low carbon lifestyle which will probably only be possible through financial disincentives which is a worry as are usually very unpopular with the public and therefore with politicians. I do have an EV and plan to have it for years and realise the significant limitations. More importantly am trying to address my carbon-rich lifestyle and reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible.]]> Chat Forum devbrix https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11041179 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11041083 Sat, 08 Feb 2020 11:24:30 +0000 80 000km. Because that’s the break even on CO2 for a lot of electric cars My point exactly - you have to drive at least 1/3rd of an EVs life before you break even in CO2 emissions from manufacturing, and only then do you start emitting less (but still a lot!) than an ICE car - and all of this is highly dependent on your grid supply. This is a marginal gain, and doesn't even take into account the disposal and recycling costs (which, if it were actually done, would be very energy-intensive). If I cycle to work, I use 25x less energy. Now that's a proper gain.
Those elements are not actually “used up” by the vehicle, and hence can be recycled and re-used. If it proves expensive and dirty to extract those elements, then that actually makes it more likely that they will be re-cycled!
Maybe, but if it's currently cheaper (and therefore, likely less energy-intensive) to mine these minerals, then the cost of EVs (in both manufacturing energy and money) will go up once we switch to fully recycling old EVs.
Do they assume that extracting hydrocarbon fuels is clean? Lets face it, the environmental damage done by the extraction of oil and coal will outweigh that done by any other industry for thousands of years!
I'm amazed you think that is true. On this list of the ten most polluted areas in the world, hydrocarbons only hit number 9: http://www.atchuup.com/most-toxic-places-on-the-planet/ Ironically, e-waste processing is at number 1. If it is so important to switch to EVs to reduce CO2 emissions, why isn't there a similar enthusiasm to switch to electric heating and hot water? It's exactly the same argument. I'm not saying it's all bad, I'm pointing out it is not as simple as "buy an EV to help save the plant". IMHO there is too much influence from politicians trying to get on board the green train, and from industry, to sell more stuff.]]> Chat Forum twrch https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11041083 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040846 Sat, 08 Feb 2020 01:07:55 +0000 Chat Forum squirrelking https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040846 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040755 Fri, 07 Feb 2020 23:13:04 +0000 Example is I have a client who has insisted to his forklift supplier tha tthey will not accept anything but electric forklift. Actually Trail_rat you've prompted me (and I note your anecdote is outside so different), but the amount of black dust (gas oil/red diesel particulates) that we get thickly caked on boxes that I've presumed can only have come from diesel forklifts in warehouses is really concerning for warehouse pickers and forklift drivers. Genuinely, I've always wondered why it hasn't been long ago flagged as a major H&S issue. The black particulate dust is often there caked on the top of our delivered boxes for everyone to see. I've actually never been to a warehouse, so maybe in an enclosed environment they all do wear some sort of dust mask around diesel forklifts these days, I dunno.]]> Chat Forum B.A.Nana https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040755 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040682 Fri, 07 Feb 2020 21:39:06 +0000 Always makes me lauch when people say “but extracting rare earth elements is polluting” Yes, yes it is, but: 1) Those elements are not actually “used up” by the vehicle, and hence can be recycled and re-used. If it proves expensive and dirty to extract those elements, then that actually makes it more likely that they will be re-cycled! (nobody throws away a gold watch, everybody throws away a plastic one…..) 2) Do they assume that extracting hydrocarbon fuels is clean? Lets face it, the environmental damage done by the extraction of oil and coal will outweigh that done by any other industry for thousands of years! Wouldn't it be better if we found a better way full stop? One that doesn't involve depleting resources just so everyone can have their own personal car? Modal shift is needed. EV's make sense in larger towns and cities. Except they don't because it's the right place for affordable mass transit. Get the low hanging fruit out the way then deal with the sticks. But people don't want these solutions because that means giving up a lifestyle (it's also horrifically expensive in the UK)
Apparently now those foolish ignorant idiots at the royal mail, the largest fleet operators in Europe, have gone and committed to buying electric vans and charging infrastructure. LOL 🤦 Why can’t they catch a bus or train to deliver post into the middle of nowhere?
See above. Also, anyone who drives a "lifestyle vehicle" should have it crushed. Preferably with them inside it. See how they like their wee metal box then.]]> Chat Forum squirrelking https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040682 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040671 Fri, 07 Feb 2020 21:32:50 +0000 Apparently now those foolish ignorant idiots at the royal mail, the largest fleet operators in Europe, have gone and committed to buying electric vans Yes however that means fuck all. Example is I have a client who has insisted to his forklift supplier tha tthey will not accept anything but electric forklift. Even their 18tonnerz must be electric. Currently there isn't an outdoor rated* electric 18tonne forklift. Client insists. It's all show . So I wouldn't be swayed by a company making a status play. * For UK climate]]> Chat Forum trail_rat https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040671 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040639 Fri, 07 Feb 2020 21:04:42 +0000 Chat Forum B.A.Nana https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040639 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040500 Fri, 07 Feb 2020 18:58:33 +0000 nobody throws away a gold watch Are "gold watches" actually a thing? I always assumed they were a metaphor. Are we throwing away metaphors now? What will we do when the supply is exhausted?]]> Chat Forum hols2 https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040500 Re: Talk to me about Electric Cars please https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040477 Fri, 07 Feb 2020 18:37:59 +0000 Chat Forum Drac https://singletrackworld.com/forum/off-topic/talk-to-me-about-electric-cars-please/paged/4/#post-11040477