Brendan Hughes

Given US engines, very probably...

angrynorth

Well if you live in Darlington like you say, then that is 144miles each way to Oulton Park, with a few hours gap in between which you can be charging your car. So it would be practical for you in that case. Don't know about Wales though.

Surely you can't be arguing against a zero-emissions car that looks great and goes fast just because it can't do more than 220 miles in a single go. Isn't that a good compromise or first step towards satisfying both treehuggers and car lovers? My point is that surely the larger manufacturers could improve on Tesla's technology and mass market it. Giving you greater range, more practicality and cheaper prices?



Much better looking than the G-Whizz!

WRX_Dazza

great idea, unfortunately, the car manufacturer's subsidies from the oil companies might just dry up in the processs....

speedking

Two points:

Firstly, if batteries were standardised they could be recharged at a site, and available for swapping into vehicles. May take slightly longer than refilling with petrol, but should be feasible. Trouble is the current batteries cannot be handled manually, but surely an automatic mechanical solution is possible.

Secondly, if the charge is about pollution, then it should be directly proportional to emissions. Say <100g/km is free then 10p/g/km above this is the CC rate. Why should a car emitting 250g/km pay three times that of one emitting 200g/km

scoobynutta555

I'm completley missing the point am I? Perhaps you'd like to comment on my point about the smoking ban for starters. I suppose there'd be a thread supporting Imperial Tobacco challenging the gov't, no I don't think there would?

What a massive leap of thought which has nothing whatsoever to do with London congestion.

Most cars, especially commute cars are sole occupancy, and will continue to be so. I think driving a very economical light car against a 4x4 15 mpg behemoth is a much better way to travel and the tax system etc should reflect this. Better still, why can't everyone ride bicycles on proper dedicated national routes as well as in city centres. It would also go some way to tackle a lot of obesity in this country, who probably drive everywhere in large vehicles
I do wonder how families managed to get about before people carriers were around? I do believe you can get 7 seater diesel estate cars that do not fall in the higest tax bands. The onus is falling on manufacturers to find solutions to all these problems, and taxing the most polluting vehicles 'til they hit sales is the way to go.

The only unsound thinking here is from blinkered and half worked out ideas on personal freedon choices. There are real reasons why more efficient modes of transport need to be pursued, and not soley to do with large scale environmental concerns, which are in fact some way down the list.

Completely missing the point? No I don't think so. I happen to drive a polluting vehicle and have an open mind.

Flatcapdriver

An excellent example of why Ken Livingstone gets away with it and other politicians follow. The blind dumb acceptance of the electorate. If you can't see the natural progression, then I guess you deserve it.

AER-SCOOBY

Gutless/pushover Britain. We all moan about the things that happen here, but nobody really takes any action. We allow the Government to do what they like. If the masses are not happy, then don't moan do something about it. If we 'ALL' (used losely) didn't pay what would they do to us??? Take a leaf out of the chavs book, nothing much stops them.

Also, if the masses stopped using their cars, Public transport could not cope any way, the infrastucture is p1ss poor.

This country has so many problems, and the soultion is to keep taking our hard earned cash for it all. Yet nothing ever improves or changes.

PeteBrant

Perhaps the majority agree with the congestion charge?

The Chief

Ok why doesn't Ken set an example and not drive his 4.0 litre Jag into the capital and get the bus if hes that concerned about the enviroment

PeteBrant

So it's harmless to us, then?

Lisawrx

iTrader: (1)

Pollution aside, I was under the impression this was a congestion charge, so why does it matter what car is being driven if that were the case. All cars should be charged the same for entering/driving within the congestion zone. This charge is being twisted to make more money, simple as that.

AER-SCOOBY

But we pay in more ways than one Pete (The circular object on your windscreen) for one. Why should I pay again?
I think the masses would prefer to spend their money on themselves though and not another tax.

stilover

Perhaps.

In reality though it's the majority that don't agree with it. Unless a Government survey says otherwise

PeteBrant

Is it?

How do you know that?

stilover

It was, then Red Ken and his buddy Gordon Brown figured out that they'd be able to get more money off the motorist by Taxing them for the type of car they bought.

stilover

The same way you know that the majority agree with the congestion charge.

PeteBrant

Of course you adjust it on the type f car - If yo are trying to promote people buy more economical and les spolluting cars, then of course you scale the system - just like road tax.

Whether you agree with it is one thing, but the reasons behind it are clear and not sinister.

PeteBrant

I do?


Where did I claim that, then?

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

The flipside of this is investement in public services to force us out of our cars - where the f*ck is it

When I use the train to get in there (wouldn't dream of driving even at the £8p/d charge + fuel + parking costs) I have to pay £22 & then stand all the way in Sometimes can't even get on the train cos there are so few carraiges ... people actually fall out when the doors open!

This is what gets me so annoyed ... the end user is taxed, taxed & then taxed again. Pls Mr Govt stop wasting our fecking taxes & start spending it wiseley.

TX.

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

Why not tax the car makers then rather than the consumer / end user? If I have to pay any more NEW taxes (ones I didn't know about when the Govt came in to power) or INCREASED taxes I'm gonna explode!

TX.

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

That wouldn't make you any money though ... it's all about the money.

TX.

Dream Weaver

We all used to pile into Mini Metros and 4 door Cortina's, all shoved in the back, none of us wearing seatbelts and all in theory seconds away from death if an accident was to occur.

Health & safety wouldn't allow that these days

CG doesn't affect me here but it's only a matter of time before it lands in Manchester so I'm not a fan of it at all. I still won't be hugely affected, but public transport up here is a joke so that would need sorting ASAP.

If I did happen to work in Manc City center it would take aprox 4 hours each way to get a bus from my doorstep to the centre (35 miles away).

Anybody that believes these schemes are anything other than a tax/income collection service is having a laugh.

PeteBrant

What if the transport infrastructure is there to support such a scheme (e.g. London)

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

It's a no brainer that when we're all driving these they'll be taxing us on electricity/water/whatever use rather than fuel / congestion charging

TX.

PeteBrant

I don't think it is.

The congestion charge only made money last year due to late fine - If everyone had paid on time the project would have run at a loss.

bugeyeandy

I notice those who agree with the extortion do not drive into london.
Fact of the matter remains a charge of £5 introduced a mere 3 years ago is now to rise to £25. This for no reason other than TFL despise large 4x4 vehicles.
It's a congestion charge not a status tax or environment tax - if they really wish to improve air quality around London then they should charge all vehicles £25 a day including taxis, buses, white vans etc....

Good luck to Porsche but I fear they may have given TFL more ammunition for this scheme due to the type of cars they make and the envy they attract.

Dream Weaver

So what has prompted the rise from £5 initially to the proposed £25? If the CG was a fair amount then OK, but £25 a day is a **** take tbh.

And whether or not public transport in London is good depends entirely on where you live and where you need to go - last few times I used a bus in London it took about 2 hours to get 10 miles.

bugeyeandy hits the nail on the head for me, it should be about how much room your vehicle takes up and nothing at all to do with emissions, unless they change the name to emissions & congestion charge.

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

It must be as an alternative is to ban all cars within London for commuters. Let's only allow essential vehicles in eg deliveries, taxis, buses, ambulances etc. Congestion solved without any additional money in the kitty though ...

TX.

PeteBrant

How else are you going to dissuade people from using cars? It's pretty pointless making it easily affordable, then it really is a revenue exercise.

Pretty much everywhere North of the river is superb - You certainly shouldn't need to catch a bus!!!


I don't really think it matters what they call it - The ideal of reducing traffic in London is very difficult to argue against