How many caravanners on here?.

[Fab Foodie]

Unless there's a monumental improvement in battery technology, what are people going to tow their caravans with, after 2040?
Suppose one solution would be to buy a diesel in 2039 and try to make it last as long as possible.

I'll be 77 years old....I'll be happy if I can still drive....

 

[Alan Frame]

I have given this a lot of thought and the answer I came up with is, an electric car.

And all holiday 300 metres away from home

 

[Drago]

I have given this a lot of thought and the answer I came up with is, an electric car.

Well considered response, Sir!

Apparently, the scalability of battery systems favours big installations in range/efficiency terms, so its expected (on paper at least) that commercial vehicles will work well on electrons. This bodes well for my camper van.

 

[Dirk]

Unless there's a monumental improvement in battery technology, what are people going to tow their caravans with, after 2040?
Suppose one solution would be to buy a diesel in 2039 and try to make it last as long as possible.

I doubt whether any motor manufacturer will be making diesels quite some time before the cut off date of 2040. Realistically, I would think the last ones would be made about about 10 years before that date. The changeover will probably accelerate in the next 10 years as no manufacturer would want to be sitting on a stockpile of unsaleable old technology vehicles. I have read somewhere that Ford will cease production of diesel car engines in 4 years time. The other problem with buying a last generation diesel, at the cut off date, will most likely be future availability and cost of fuel. Less diesels on road = less filling stations. And the government will continue to hike the tax on fuel in order to make electric vehicles more attractive.
Once everyone has gone electric, I would expect laws to be brought in that make it impossible, in some way, to charge a vehicle without the government taking a big tax revenue. They have to replace fuel excise duty in some way, as the exchequer can't afford to take the hit.
I'll be nearly 90 in 2040, so I don't suppose it will bother me too much.

 

[Drago]

Toyota are dropping diesels from their car range, and Volvo will be doing so in 2019. The death of dirty diesel has begun...

 

[gavroche]

Toyota are dropping diesels from their car range, and Volvo will be doing so in 2019. The death of dirty diesel has begun...

When will the death of dirtier petrol begin?

 

[Fab Foodie]

I think there is already a discussion on the future of motor vehicles elsewhere, should we keep this thread for things caravanning?

 

[screenman]

My caravan moves itself on 12v electricity. So I am way ahead already, trips are slightly limited though.

 

[Oxo]

I think there is already a discussion on the future of motor vehicles elsewhere, should we keep this thread for things caravanning?

Yawning!

 

[screenman]

Yawning!

Blow up.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Blow up.

Pump-up the Vango!

 

[Drago]

When will the death of dirtier petrol begin?

Dirtier? Please feel free to explain.

 

[gavroche]

Dirtier? Please feel free to explain.

With pleasure. A petrol engine releases more co2 than diesel so is more polluting for the environment.

 

[Drago]

It does in a lab.

In a live environment they can spew out more than an HGV, because car diesels are optimised to pass a laboratory test, but commercial vehicles optimised to pass a test on the tarmac.

So while in theory they can be made more efficient in that regard, in reality, in actual use, on an actual road, they are not at all.

 

[Dirk]

Maybe future caravans will come with a built in battery that provides extra range for the towing vehicle when they're hooked up together?
The onboard caravan battery would then charge up on site when the mains supply is connected to the caravan.
Think I'll patent the idea.....