Electric motorhome

wildebus said:
Indeed so.
The extra weight is why the 3.5t GVW limit for light vans has been raised to 4.25t GVW for Electric Vehicles to compensate for the batteries.
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Does that mean anyone passing their driving test after 1997 will not be able to drive one? Or is this just another law the govt have manipulated to suit themselves?...
 
Trotter said:
Eating worms? Not me. I got a pension quote a couple of days ago, I’ve got to live until I’m 87, before I use up MY money, Aviva are holding. I have every intention of costing them money.
Vans, unwanted and sold for buttons! No, I’ll take the wheels off, put it up on bricks, and live in it, until I’m 90, wrinkly, ok wrinklier, and smelly. Not having smellier.😘
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Good luck with that one buddy, you can't easily live in your van now due to current legislation, they'll not allow that kind of behaviour if they get on a "ban your van" roll.
 
GreggBear said:
Does that mean anyone passing their driving test after 1997 will not be able to drive one? Or is this just another law the govt have manipulated to suit themselves?...
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no. the limit is raised so you CAN drive a 4.25t Electric vehicle on a standard license and without the HGV rules applying

Quick search finds lots of info - this is first link when I just looked - New Plans for Electric Vans - LeasePlan UK

Excerpt:
The biggest of the proposed changes is to do with the size of vans. Currently, people with a standard category B driving licence for cars can drive a van with a gross weight of up to 3.5t. The Government wants to increase this to 4.25t, just so long as the van’s powered by electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or hydrogen.
 
wildebus said:
Indeed so.
The extra weight is why the 3.5t GVW limit for light vans has been raised to 4.25t GVW for Electric Vehicles to compensate for the batteries.
Click to expand...

Has that actually happened yet or are they still just talking about it. If so has the licence categories been change to suit it as well, as I don't seem to be able to find anything especially on the licence side of categories going up from 3500kg yet.
 
Fazerloz said:
Has that actually happened yet or are they still just talking about it. If so has the licence categories been change to suit it as well, as I don't seem to be able to find anything especially on the licence side of categories going up from 3500kg yet.
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are there any "electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or hydrogen" vans around available to buy which would make it neccessary yet?


And remember it is not a general change, but just for vehicles with those specific power sources.

Here is the current status:
Category B driving licence derogation for alternatively fuelled commercial vehicles - GOV.UK

And there is a kind of precedent - holders of Class B licenses can already drive 4.25t minibuses (for non-profit) rather than 3.5t IF they are equipped with ramps or lifts for disabled access. (I don't think you will find that noted on the driving license either?)
From gov.uk PDF ...
"If you hire a minibus you must ensure that you have the correct licence to drive. It is important that if you are considering driving the minibus on your car driving licence that you first check the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW); the hirer should be able to advise you of this. If the GVW is above 3.5t, then you cannot drive this minibus on your car licence unless it is fitted with a wheel chair lift and that allows an increase to the GVW to 4.25t."
 
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wildebus said:
Indeed so.
The extra weight is why the 3.5t GVW limit for light vans has been raised to 4.25t GVW for Electric Vehicles to compensate for the batteries.
Click to expand...

At the moment most younger drivers can only drive 3500, but will be able to drive 4.25 if electric,.
Makes a mockery of current laws. They make em up to suit as they go along.
 
So we have a vehicle with quoted range of 200km, most electric vehicles true range is around 80% of quoted, that's 160km, or 100miles in old money. Those of us living in the centre of the country will struggle to get to the nearest bit of coast. Not looking at all practical.
 
I thought the target dates for stopping sales of new diesels - 2030, 2040 etc. only applied to cars, i.e. M1 category

It depends on how tthey draft the legislation as to whether it applies to MHs i.e. M1 (Special purpose)category.

If it will be still legal to buy a diesel vehicle in one country will it be legal to drive it in a country that has banned their sale? Could be an international legislative minefield, especially if the two countries were both EU and subscribed to freedom of movement.

I suspect the intentions to ban are a 'Political Wish List' which will melt under the difficulties of drafting the laws and implimenting them.

Geoff
 
wildebus said:
are there any "electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or hydrogen" vans around available to buy which would make it neccessary yet?


And remember it is not a general change, but just for vehicles with those specific power sources.

Here is the current status:
Category B driving licence derogation for alternatively fuelled commercial vehicles - GOV.UK

And there is a kind of precedent - holders of Class B licenses can already drive 4.25t minibuses (for non-profit) rather than 3.5t IF they are equipped with ramps or lifts for disabled access. (I don't think you will find that noted on the driving license either?)
From gov.uk PDF ...
"If you hire a minibus you must ensure that you have the correct licence to drive. It is important that if you are considering driving the minibus on your car driving licence that you first check the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW); the hirer should be able to advise you of this. If the GVW is above 3.5t, then you cannot drive this minibus on your car licence unless it is fitted with a wheel chair lift and that allows an increase to the GVW to 4.25t."
Click to expand...

That is all is for commercial goods vehicles class N1 and may not automatically carry over to something registered as a motorcaravan which is class M1 Special purpose, but I hope it will.
I had a 2000 reg Transit with Ford factory fit LPG so I suppose there could be. As for the link Its the summary of a proposal to seek exemption from. So I assume its not legal as of yet.
 
ricc said:
with current technology theres noway that civilisation as we know it can continue without the internal combustion engine,
ill go further and say the diesel engine is esential and will remain so. open your eyes and look at industry.
agriculture ,construction and transport all rely on diesel engines, petrol and gas dont get a look in on anything bigger than a lawnmower engine. electric wont get anywhere until it can replace a 150 hpdiesel running loaded 12 hours a day 7 days a week. the batteries and charging system that can do that arnt even a twinkle in a boffins eye yet.

growing biomass for refining into a diesel replacement is far more technically feasable..and we wont need to use energy to produce all the leccy motors and batteries, is there enough copper wire to make all these motors? ..only problem is we need the land needed to grow the biomass for food production.

enjoy today and dont worry about next week.....lets face it were doomed whichever way we look at it
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With the phasing out of several UK nuclear plants in the coming years there is speculation that there will be significant shortages in the electricity supply chain at current demand let alone the charging of several million electric vehicles although the smart meters will help a little.
I read awhile ago (can't find the report) that the worlds demand for Cobolt will increase 28 x by the 2030's to supply the industry's demands this may be even greater if the number of 'Gigafactories' increase massively, an alternative battery technology needs to be found. Lithium-ion technology may have reached it's limit.
As a stopgap the Carbon neutral petrol/diesel/aviation fuel that I linked to the other day could help especially for planes and any surplus carbon captured could be stored underground.
I look forward to the day when we live in a really clean (pollution wise) environment but I think that is further away than the politicians suggest.
 
ricc said:
with current technology theres noway that civilisation as we know it can continue without the internal combustion engine,
ill go further and say the diesel engine is esential and will remain so. open your eyes and look at industry.
agriculture ,construction and transport all rely on diesel engines, petrol and gas dont get a look in on anything bigger than a lawnmower engine. electric wont get anywhere until it can replace a 150 hpdiesel running loaded 12 hours a day 7 days a week. the batteries and charging system that can do that arnt even a twinkle in a boffins eye yet.

growing biomass for refining into a diesel replacement is far more technically feasable..and we wont need to use energy to produce all the leccy motors and batteries, is there enough copper wire to make all these motors? ..only problem is we need the land needed to grow the biomass for food production.

enjoy today and dont worry about next week.....lets face it were doomed whichever way we look at it
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The yanks have a 2000hp truck with over 600mile run on one charge,it can be 80% recharge in 20 mins giving a driver a coffee break,sorry but the piston engine by law which has been passed is dead,some folk dont like change and blindly refuse to see it.
 
colinmd said:
So we have a vehicle with quoted range of 200km, most electric vehicles true range is around 80% of quoted, that's 160km, or 100miles in old money. Those of us living in the centre of the country will struggle to get to the nearest bit of coast. Not looking at all practical.
Click to expand...

Batterys as now in cars are cut back by 40% and can be unlocked by the makers when they like at charge station via a code or ph apt,vw have just done this with the same battery from the golf which will be in the new car which will be on release in spring,range over 200miles,the last few years were test years,by the time 2040 things will be well sorted and most of us will be no more,FACT:scared::wave:
 
sparrks said:
With the phasing out of several UK nuclear plants in the coming years there is speculation that there will be significant shortages in the electricity supply chain at current demand let alone the charging of several million electric vehicles although the smart meters will help a little.
I read awhile ago (can't find the report) that the worlds demand for Cobolt will increase 28 x by the 2030's to supply the industry's demands this may be even greater if the number of 'Gigafactories' increase massively, an alternative battery technology needs to be found. Lithium-ion technology may have reached it's limit.
As a stopgap the Carbon neutral petrol/diesel/aviation fuel that I linked to the other day could help especially for planes and any surplus carbon captured could be stored underground.
I look forward to the day when we live in a really clean (pollution wise) environment but I think that is further away than the politicians suggest.
Click to expand...

Home in the future will by law have to be built with solar panels to charge cars at home during daylight hrs before some smart a-se takes the pi-s out of this thread,secont they have worked a way of using water hydro power and w/mills which at the moment are mainly switched of but will come into play in future years,why do you think so many are springing up,the future is mapped out like it or lump it electric is here.
 
colinmd said:
So we have a vehicle with quoted range of 200km, most electric vehicles true range is around 80% of quoted, that's 160km, or 100miles in old money. Those of us living in the centre of the country will struggle to get to the nearest bit of coast. Not looking at all practical.
Click to expand...
It's over 100 mile round trip to get to the closest decent sized town for me which would have future restrictions on diesel and petrol vehicles.
I'd have to tow it with my dirty van so I could use it in the 'clean' city :baby:
 
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