Life after rx450h and beyond are you ready .

[Lager shandy]

A dramatic title I know ,but how many of you have given a thought to how will the car evolved and life after the gen 4 . I look at so many cars and suvs etc during my day out and about thinking that's looks nice .but my second thought is how reliable is it etc.. I do like the look of the Porsche SUV or Volvo latest models from the outside .Will we be all driving electric soulless cars  soon with different badges all with similar battery's and drive trains  reliable and simple etc .will most be driverless soon and will most common folk be priced of the road .hell I might as well  jump on the local electric powered bus surrounded by hoodie teens glued to there tech device while I dream of the past .Oh to be young again 100 mph felt fast and alive twin 40 webbers induction roar cherry bomb exhausts lol or the smell and noise of a two stroke bike coming on the pipe on a crisp evening out for a blast with your mates as you wind on the throttle with a big grin .And  then back to reality with a bump ,your in a showroom with the wife you hear ooh that's a nice blue one love as your soul departs this mortal coil and you mutter to the 15 yr old senior sales person what's the Battery range as he smirks at you knowing your wife likes it and that's the deal done you mutter bollocks and sigh .😔

[Mr Vlad]

Blimey m8. Did you forget to put the lemonade in your shandy? lol. I for sure won't go on the local electric buses. I'll still be in my not so gas guzzling 2.5 litre V6 smiling at the nerds who will be in those over priced electric cars. There will be loads like me who wont yield to pressure from any governing body to go electric. If finances allow I'll also have a crindindin 2 stroke Yamaha like i did in the marvellous 80's. 

[Barry14UK]

It's interesting to imagine what our transport will be like in the future but much may depend on Government  carrot and stick approach.  Expect self driving vehicles to become common place.  For those, (probably the majority), who just want to go from A to B for relatively short journeys, dialing up for a self driving car to take them to their destination(s) might suit.  No need to to have your own car, thereby saving on initial cost and depreciation and being off road while parts were awaited, as another automated car would come along.  For those wanting to travel further afield, perhaps there might be a larger, more comfortable range that again would most probably be Battery powered.  When needed the car would take itself to a power point and recharge.  Those who still wanted their own cars and particularly those still with petrol/diesel power might have to subsidize the 'hire a car' users.  Indeed we are beginning to see some of this happening already in road tax difference, low emission zones etc.  

I saw a very short film about how hydrogen was being used used on a small scale.  It showed it being used to power cars as well as to provide power for heating. This might become b an alternative rival to electric.  Interestingly, an airplane powered by Hydrogen was shown on TV today and it was hoped that this would be the forerunner of a small commercial plane.

I am sure we are going to see some quite radial changes in the next 20 years and beyond.  Many enthusiasts will reminisce about the days when they drove their own petrol/diesel cars.  

[Spacewagon52]

For longer journeys - train - then hire a self-driving car for your stay. COVID has changed the way many people work and I think travelling / commuting will decrease in the future. The centre of towns and cities will become "car" free. Electric bikes will be more common for medium journeys in the summer months. I am travelling far less than pre-COVID. 

 

Great posts guys!

 

[royoftherovers]

Just been re-reading my copy of The Eagle Annual 1954......and you are all wrong !!

[Spacewagon52]

 I remember watching the original Thunderbirds ................. never thought I would see and speak to someone using a watch, like Brains did when the suspension bridge collapsed, can’t remember the name of the episode!

[steve2006]

36 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

 I remember watching the original Thunderbirds ................. never thought I would see and speak to someone using a watch, like Brains did when the suspension bridge collapsed, can’t remember the name of the episode!

I think the episode was called “Apple to the Rescue”

[Malc]

11 hours ago, Barry14UK said:

how hydrogen was being used used on a small scale

don't know how old that film was ?

Toyota and Honda have perfected hydrogen power for sure ........  and Japan is going all hydrogen power and NOT electric, saving what electric it can generate for " normal " use for the country

a population of nearly 100 million and going all hydrogen methinks

Toyota have a Police fleet of hydrogen powered vehicles in London with refilling points at Heathrow, Hendon and Swindon I believe

Simply refilling as you would with conventional fuel at a petrol station I guess

Come Brexit and sensible non EU import restrictions ( falling away )  on Japanese cars, bringing them in line with EU cars, Mercs, VW Audi Renault Fiat etc should see, imho, a huge increase in sales of non EU produced cars and the advent of the proper start of hydrogen power cars to take the place of electric and hybrid.

Just my thoughts

Malc

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, Spacewagon52 said:

 I remember watching the original Thunderbirds ................. never thought I would see and speak to someone using a watch, like Brains did when the suspension bridge collapsed, can’t remember the name of the episode!

And do you know how the names of the 4? sons originated David? (Alan, Scott, Gordon and John)

[rich1068]

My first two cars were Beetles. A '73 and a '65. I had the opportunity to drive one again recently. No seatbelts, my nose nearly touching the screen, 40 felt fast, drums all round, the smell from the leaking Solex. I nearly cried.

Interestingly I'm now priced out of old Beetles and have to console myself with Lexus. How odd.

[Mr Vlad]

Yay to Thinderbirds. Best thing on TV ever in my opinion. As for hydrogen cars. Yes i can see them being the norm instead of Battery powered cars.

[Spacewagon52]

4 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

And do you know how the names of the 4? sons originated David? (Alan, Scott, Gordon and John)

No! Do tell sir!

[Old Sandy]

4 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

And do you know how the names of the 4? sons originated David? (Alan, Scott, Gordon and John)

Weren't they named after astronauts ?

[royoftherovers]

Indeed they were Rick. Alan Shepherd, Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper and John Glenn. Four of the original Mercury 7.

The first three all had sub-orbital flights and John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Planet. 

[The-Acre]

4 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Yay to Thinderbirds. Best thing on TV ever in my opinion. As for hydrogen cars. Yes i can see them being the norm instead of battery powered cars.

I'd have taken Lady P down the pub, even if she was made of wood, obviously only to get her drunk enough to let me drive the pink Rolls, and I'd keep my pockets zipped up in case the light fingered Parker was around! 

There she is with Noel Gallagher at the wheel!

 

[Mr Vlad]

Nice one Phil. She was a beaut back in the day (probably still is if kept in good condition lol) 👍

[The-Acre]

46 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

Nice one Phil. She was a beaut back in the day (probably still is if kept in good condition lol) 👍

Not so, apparently she's full of woodworm!

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, The-Acre said:

I'd have taken Lady P down the pub, even if she was made of wood, obviously only to get her drunk enough to let me drive the pink Rolls, and I'd keep my pockets zipped up in case the light fingered Parker was around! 

There she is with Noel Gallagher at the wheel!

 

Mandy Rice Davies ?

[olliesgrandad]

I was talking to an acquaintance last week who is a nuclear engineer for Eon. He was telling me that he wouldn't buy electric cars despite being able to get free electricity for car was part of a package from his employer. He said every time he's wanted to use a pool car they're always being charged so unavailable at midday. He was working at Hinckley Point for a few months and had a company BMW one series to use... 

 

[Mr Vlad]

yeah that reminds me. More ofter than not when ever I go to Chester services to take my tacho break I'll see 2 or 3 tesla cars on their dedicated chargers. Also I read somewhere that using those fast chargers too often reduces the lifespan of the batteries quite considerably. 

Only trouble with hydrogen powered cars is the high cost of extracting the hydrogen. Shame coz to me thats the way forward.