yourfavouriteuncle wrote:

b0r1s wrote:

We really need to get to inductive charging in car park spots. I can't help think when I see cars parked in city streets that the young scamps are gonna be unplugging them and your car is dead in the morning.

Can’t speak for other brands but you’re not unhooking that Tesla charger without the phone key or keycard.

My closest charging stations are 20 minutes away, which isn't terrible, but they'd have massive queues if EVs weren't so rare here. The only EV I could have is a bike, because you can get one for a few grand and carry its battery indoors.

When sales of petrol and diesel cars end we'll see a spiked used market. That's one way to reduce their number, but it's gonna leave millions in the shit. The housing market over the past twenty years applied to cars.

Ideally you’d want charging infrastructure built into all new builds from, well, 5 years ago. Not as easy with flats and high rises (though underground parking with charging capabilities help there somewhat). Home kits don’t need to be fast charge either.

Easier said than done, obviously, and it takes proper government support to make that happen, but it is doable, even in rural areas.

Think Hainan aims to have 20% of all villages and 60% of all residences period equipped with chargers this year. They’re putting in 20,000 more stations on the island this year alone. Crazy numbers.

Minnesänger wrote:

kestla wrote:

Thought I'd pop some news in here, seeing as EVs are on topic. For those that may be interested, the London Borough I work for, currently have between 200-300 charge points with the intention of expanding this to 2000 within 4 years. My team is delivering this. I can't speak for the rest of GB, but... 

That's actually really fucking cool, had no idea that's what you did. Curious about the day-to-day or organising something like this and how it all comes together, if you were willing to elaborate more (without disclosing anything sensitive, obv).

Yeah, no problem! Sorry if it's too much!

My team deals with the public consultation and then subsequent implementation. Before that, the charge point providers identify locations, based on requests, assessed need etc. We'd then review the locations, taking into account parking density, local impact, footway widths and constraints etc.

Eventually, we consult locally and report on the results of that exercise. At that point, some locations may be deferred or dropped entirely. Once we receive approval from those above, we crack on with detailed design, then go to statutory consultation (which is the legal part - you'd recognise the notices on lamp posts etc possibly?) We then have to deal with any objections that may have been received, but usually they're nonsense and just people whinging about their right to park outside their house etc. Once that process is dealt with, we're able to proceed to implememtation, which takes a couple of months depending on the extent of that specific programme.

We're currently aiming to ensure the whole borough is within 10 minutes walk of a charge point, but once we've succeeded with that, we'll aim for 5 minutes.

One thing we have seen, is a very sharp increase in EV registrations, and therefore a rapid rise in usage of the charge points. It's very encouraging, but there is still a clear pattern in the location of the EV owners and charge points, which unsurprisingly is in the affluent areas. We're getting there though, and we are seeing numbers improving.

I really want a small carbon fibre lip roof spoiler similar to the ones on the back of the M5 or CSL. Cannot find one to fit my Corsa wanker VX

Cos tgat will defo make it at least 10mph faster lol

Minkymu wrote:

Cos tgat will defo make it at least 10mph faster lol

12mph at least, 13 if you get a big loud exhaust.

15 if you paint it red and add flames.

Ooh is that Dutch? License plate looks Dutch.

Anyway, B finally got his 4 runner.


It was quite dirty tbh. Also had three different brand of tires, all at different stages of questionable quality.


He did strip it quite a bit. Found a lot of trail mix nuts.


Carpet did get pretty clean.


Lower ball joints needed replaced.


But it's starting to look something. Bumper is slightly bend so one of the front tires rubs a bit during a left corner, and B think the suspension is bad enough that it sits an inch lower by default now.

Went to a scrapyard last Sunday which is quite a thing tbh. Have to bring your own tools, and then it's just a playground for people who like to wrench and need parts. Most Toyotas were pretty much fully stripped already, but B managed to find a stick that has the light switch, ours was missing the cap. When he installed that he found that there's a vent right at crotch height under the steering wheel. Guess that's what a limited edition would get you in the 90s.

In even more exciting news, the Jeep has a winch.


I don't know why the hood is open, and I also don't know what B's plans are that he thinks we need a winch, apart from looking even cooler. Apparently it can't be used to straighten out the 4 runner's bumper.

It's all not very efficient and environment friendly, but it is a lot of fun.

Oh, and since you can't really see it in any of the pictures, the 4 runner does have all seats.

I can genuinely think of at least three episodes in my fairly recent life where a winch would have been helpful.  All vehicle, including bikes, should have at least one.

Yeah, winches are one of those things that turn up a lot in various media but that no one in their right mind actually uses in real life, like elevator trains and condoms.

What a fucking prick. Drag the cunt there and make him do a shift

Funkstain wrote:

It’s this weird moral superiority, this total belief that he is a better person than almost anyone else on the planet and thus deserves all the money whilst others get what they get because they aren’t as good as him that’s so bizarre

I dunno, seems to be a pretty common mindset among the super-wealthy.

It's crazy how EVs keep getting pushed in the UK when hydrogen would be a good replacement based on the ease of modifying existing infrastructure. There are some very remote places in the UK as well where I doubt the infrastructure would ever be suitable or good enough for EV only vehicles

ZMM wrote:

It's crazy how EVs keep getting pushed in the UK when hydrogen would be a good replacement based on the ease of modifying existing infrastructure. There are some very remote places in the UK as well where I doubt the infrastructure would ever be suitable or good enough for EV only vehicles

I keep reading this argument about hydrogen but surely were it more viable at this time thats the way wed have gone?