Electric cars.

I know, but if you passed your class B test before 1997 you can still drive a vehicle and trailer combination of 8.250 tonnes. I would say most people on here passed their driving test before 1997, so I know for a fact your still allowed to drive an ICE powered vehicle up to 8.250 tonnes, but do we still have to do training if the vehicle is a AFV with a weight limit of 4.250? or is it because its an AFV.

For decades to drive an artic HGV (class 1), you first had to pass your class 2. Due to a chronic shortage of HGV drivers the government changed this in January 2022, but try getting a job driving an artic without any HGV experience, many haulage companies will not employ you as the insurance is so high.

Myself and staff have to do refresher courses every 3 years to drive forklifts and loading shovels, and no one test fits all, I currently hold three different types of forklift certificates.
The instructors and 30% of drivers believe car drivers should have to re-sit the test every 5 years, I also agree.

My point is, if there was some sort of training to drive an EV car would that be reflected in your insurance premium, instead of doubling which some Tesla owners are currently experiencing.

 

We could be going back to the old legislations pre 1997, where you will be entitled to drive a vehicle up to 7.5 tons and tow a trailer no more than 750kg on a Class B licence. This will only allow you to drive in England, Wales and Scotland though, to drive over 3.5 ton in Northern Ireland and the EU will require a category C1. Anything above 3.5 ton required a tachograph in the past, plus CPC training which is 35 hours training every 5 years, but will it be scrapped now. If we were still in the EU these new legislations would not of been going ahead, which contradicts what HGV operators were told, that all licence requirements would stay align with the EU

Motorists with a standard driving licence could soon drive HGVs | carwow

 

Hi,

In the dark ages I could drive things like Scammell Crusader bulk tipper; Seddon 13/4 mill wagon and Albion tippers etc all on my full driving license; log books in those long ago days. Times have changed so much the government are looking backwards.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

Not many replies now is the battery flat.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

EV's will be subject to £65 road tax on the Isle of Man from April. This is subject to Tynwald, the island's government passing it. I think, knowing the island well, it will happen.

 

There's an advert on TV recently, I think its Nissan and it says Fuelled by petrol powered by electric, is this just another hybrid, or is it something different.

I just get the feeling some one is kidding us, and burning fossil fuels to run electric cars is crazy,, we should be using those windmill that dont work when its not windy.

 

It could be a hybrid Pete. I have one but the way that's written it doesn't sound quite right.

 

The new Honda hybrids have petrol engines but they supply electricity to charge the battery and the wheels are driven by electric motor. There is a clutch (no gearbox) to connect the engine to the drive at about 50 mph.
I am on the ClubJazz forum and the Mk4s are returning amazing mpg. 60 seems about average and 80 is not unusual.
For the engineering inclined, this is worth a watch.

 

The youth call it 'green washing'. The idea being that marketing experts skew reality so much that they give the impression that something dirty is actually clean.

 

Seen this graph on facebook regarding the cost per mile for ICE & EV, it's basically a rough guide but it would of been nice to see like for like, take the excise duty out of fossil fuels.



Could be worse, in Oslo they say charging an EV is twice as expensive than fuelling an ICE.

Electric Vehicle Charging in Oslo, Norway is Now More than Twice as Expensive as Filling Gas-Powered Vehicle - Survive the News

Sooner or later, all governments will look to recoup the subsidies.

 

I see the EU has delayed a vote to ban combustion engine cars by 2035 due to a revolt by two EU countries, Germany and Italy.

EU delays vote on combustion engine phaseout after German pushback (breakingnews.ie)

 

It looks like the EU are going to do a uturn and allow the sale of combustion engine cars after 2035 after all, as long as they are run on efuels. In a meeting between transport ministers on Monday, Germany has formed an alliance with 7 other EU countries who oppose the ban on combustion engine cars, Italy and Poland are 2 of the nations, but they had opposed it before without any joy, not now since Germany took a stance.

EU plans for efuel cars to dodge 2035 combustion engine ban | Auto Express

 

So what is e fuel?