How then, do we move backwards? How does a society, with most of the people having no clue of future events, move from being dependent on a vast and intertwined network of goods and services produced by the indigenous people of whereever, to a local resource and renewable energy based society, and do so in the timeframe available (20-30 years using the most liberal extimates, 10-20 with resonable estimates, 5-10 with worst case scenarios), all the while prices on everything increasing, world politics getting more militaristic, governments continuously reducing civil liberties, shortages of goods on the market and weather patterns resembling bad Hollywood movies?
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:01 pm Post subject: Re: Importing Efficient European cars
I think in the future we're going to see "naked" cars meaning:
no power windows
no power side view mirrors
no power steering
no air conditioning
no anti-lock brakes
no GPS, DVD player, etc...
just a metal box on 4 wheels that can go F,B,L,R.....no sex appeal, no power, just cheap and efficient. A car like that should cost less than $9K
Joined: May 17, 2008 Posts: 39 Location: UK, Yorkshire
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:00 pm Post subject: Re: Importing Efficient European cars
misterno wrote:
6 years ago I happened to sit on the front hood (where the engine is located) of a Skoda (made in Czech rep but very popular in Turkey), I think we were chatting with friends on a vacation resort. All of a sudden I felt like I was crushing the metal. I immediately stood up and realized that the metal curved back to its original shape. People were laughing at me because it was nothing to be concerned.
The metal of the car is soo light, it is unbelievable,
I should have added that the flexible hood may be a deliberate design feature - a bit of 'give' reduces injuries to pedestrians (part of the Euro NCAP tests I linked to), without in any way detracting from the crumple zone designed to absorb full frontal impacts.
Joined: May 17, 2008 Posts: 39 Location: UK, Yorkshire
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:03 pm Post subject: Re: Importing Efficient European cars
cube wrote:
I think in the future we're going to see "naked" cars meaning:
no power windows
no power side view mirrors
no power steering
no air conditioning
no anti-lock brakes
no GPS, DVD player, etc...
just a metal box on 4 wheels that can go F,B,L,R.....no sex appeal, no power, just cheap and efficient. A car like that should cost less than $9K
Joined: Mar 07, 2007 Posts: 318 Location: Holland, United Kingdom (of the seven Netherlands)
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Importing Efficient European cars
Even European standards are very restrictive. There is a standard for vehicles that can go 45 km/h, but that's just not enough. There is not a lot of demand for vehicles with such a low maximum speed. If you want electric cars to be a success, you'll have to enable a light-weight car.
In the Eco-challenge there was a car that did 848 km/liter (gasoline equivalent - it used hydrogen) (about 2k mpg). This was an almost normal single-seater car. There was no crumple zone though. And the top speed was very low.
If you want an affordable 100 MPG car, then something has to give. We could use a vehicle standard for light vehicles that have:
- reduced maximum speed (e.g. same as trucks)
- reduced safety requirements
Perhaps even keep them off roads with maximum speeds of more than 80 or 100 km/h.
Joined: Nov 01, 2005 Posts: 794 Location: Euro high horse bastard on the run
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 4:08 pm Post subject: Re: Importing Efficient European cars
Gerben wrote:
If you want an affordable 100 MPG car, then something has to give.
Yes, and it's not called safety but COMFORT, LUXURY
and command of XXX HORSPOWER at your will..
=> which is incompatible with the century long autoindustry indoctrination on the ape-planet and all that rush cemented for generations, therefore will not be demanded by the customers till the breaking point. And from there on it's only bicycles if we strike it lucky.. _________________ DOOMerotron: at all-time high [8.1] out of 10..
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:26 pm Post subject: Re: Importing Efficient European cars
newbonic wrote:
.....
TATA in India already make a car with a higher spec than that for $2500! See TATA Indian 'Peoples car'.
and this is why I think oil will go to $300.
For every soccer mom in the USA that gives up on an SUV there will be 2 more of these TATA motors car hitting the road in Chindia.
I don't know if the first world will ever reach down to that level.
I was thinking more of the return of the geo metro:
820 Kg / 1807 lbs
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