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Will our machines be saved from the electric wave ?

Derekthetree

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I'd seen some info on Porsche's efforts in synthetic fuels.

I presume it's similar to other anaerobic digester methods, and seems a very sensible way to produce oil free petrol. Still got the CO2 emission problem I guess though.

I'd see eventually petrol will be priced out so that only enthusiasts continue :confused:
Better enjoy it now while we can
 

Wats_in_a_name

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I reckon the solution is growing petrol. I think it can largely be done from the rapeseed plant. It's renewable, solves the supply problem and CO2 problem in one.
 

Deuce

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I started watching a YouTube series a little while ago about a guy up north showing how to make a burner with 100% efficiency and it turns waste plastic (I assume milk bottles and meat trays) into automotive grade DIESEL.
I really should finish watching that series.
 

shane_3800

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Petrol is a by product of diesel. Battery powered electric cars will never replace trucks as the power density of batteries will never match that of diesel.
This means there will plenty of petrol avaliable for years to come. Why do you Mazda is designing petrol cars?

Trucks may however turn into electric powered vehicles using a diesel turbine to power the electric motors and a small battery and capacitors. Still this system will use diesel with that pesky by product called petrol.
 

shane_3800

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Also synthetic fuels may be more hazardous to the enviroment.
Just look at the fire fighting foams they said were safe.....
 

Skylarking

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Battery powered electric cars will never replace trucks as the power density of batteries will never match that of diesel.
You do know that there are already a few companies like Tesla, Daimler Trucks, Volvo, Riven, Nikola Motors, Workhorse (making UPS vans) and a few Chinese companies all planning or already have prototypes of heavy haulage electric vehicles. Some are rather close to selling commercially (UPS actually having 900 vehicles on order).

And battery technology isn’t stationary, it is moving along, especially in the labs with some amazing energy densities, recharge rates and life expectancy. I’ve read that there is already a million mile battery (16 year life span) commercially available so I expect we’d all see lots of improvements over the next decade.

In any case, an ICE is what, 30% efficient while the drive line looses another 20% which overall makes it about 24% of petrol energy within fuel is actually converted into work... Compare this to an electric driveline which can be 80% efficient at converting battery energy into work. In this context battery density only needs to be @ 30% the energy density of petrol to equal it in terms of motive efficiency ;) So I wouldn’t say will never :p

In my view it can’t come fast enough if the COVID induced clean air isn’t a wake up call to all thinking sentient beings living on this 3rd rock from the sun :eek: else we be dinosaurs o_O

( I just hope we can still by petrol in the distant future so I can enjoy a Sunday drive in my smelly V8 :p )
 

keith reed

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The day will come when the only way we will be able to keep our cars on the road will be to convert to electric. Batteries are still in their infancy, new technology will see the cost and size of the batteries reduced. It will be a great day when we are no longer held to ransom by the oil producing countries.
 

vc commodore

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I started watching a YouTube series a little while ago about a guy up north showing how to make a burner with 100% efficiency and it turns waste plastic (I assume milk bottles and meat trays) into automotive grade DIESEL.
I really should finish watching that series.

A while back, someone was converting waste cooking oils for use in diesel powered vehicles....What ever happened to that idea I can't remember, but did make headlines for a number of reasons...None that I can remember being bad for the environment
 

Pollushon

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I agree with Shane (shock horror) that heavy haulers won't turn to electric until Lion batteries are superseded by whatever is next. Tesla truck puts it in good perspective. With 11 tonnes of batteries it can pull up to 22 tonnes payload around 800kms. A B triple can pull up to 135 tonnes of payload a bit over 3000 kms on 1.8 tonnes of diesel. The other bit they never advertise is that as the battery depletes the voltage drops, sags harder (good luck in the Alps) and speed decreases. When a country relies so heavily on truck transport it can't afford to gamble green. The TCO is appaling

I think the whole electric revolution will move far slower than the evangelists might have you believe. I'm all for it but the market will dictate the transition not bleeding hearts. The vast majority of the worlds population just can't afford it and the second hand market of electric vehicles won't be as affordable as the second hand ICE market, meaning the demand for crude won't reduce anytime soon. Also crude is responsible for 99% of the world we live in outside of ICE vehicles and electric can't replace most of that
 
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