Ridden with inaccuracies, half truths, and plain old news.
cars
Fear And Loathing On The Road
Dec 21st
Ever since I read Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas I have wanted to travel across America in an open topped sports car, seeing the film cemented this desire. I don’t plan on ingesting a car boot full of drugs but driving cross country really appeals to me. Unfortunately I don’t have an attorney to take with me but I’m sure I can improvise. Las Vegas is the obvious choice for a final destination in particular Circus Circus although if it’s anything like it is in the film I may have to make a hasty retreat.
There are plenty of great books and films which use the wide expanses of the American landscape and a backdrop to events. The great thing about a road movie is that the constant movement drives the action forward so there is never a dull moment. Jack Kerouac’s On The Road is another fine example, a vibrant narrative driven by a cross country journey in a beat up old Hudson. On The Road was written on one long roll of paper in a stream of consciousness style aided by large amounts of coffee, its physical dimensions referencing the endless highways which cross America horizontally.
I have always wanted to hire a car on one side of America and drive all the way across to the opposite coast stopping anywhere that seems interesting. I have even gone so far as to look into car hire in the USA to see if this is possible. Clearly this couldn’t be done in an ordinary car, it would need to be a convertible and preferably red, a Dodge Charger or a Ford Mustang would do fine.
Volkswagen’s Electric Beatle
Nov 16th
Like most automotive companies Volkswagen are looking to the future and designing electric vehicles. Unlike most Volkswagen already have a design classic under their belts in the form of the iconic Beetle. The Volkswagen eUp! (complete with unessential punctuation) owes a debt to the Beetle in terms of style and ambition.
The eUp! aims to have widespread appeal in order to become “the Beetle of the 21st century”. This should come as a surprise from a company whose name translates as ‘the people’s car’. By the time the eUp! comes out in 2013 there should be quite a lot of competition in the electric car market although it may have the stats to make it stand out:
The range is expected to be up to 130 kilometers (80 miles) on an overnight 230-volt charge for the five hours when electricity is cheapest while you’re asleep. Charged in this way, the E-Up! could be driven 100 kilometres for just two Euros in electricity costs (about 14 Euro cents per kWh). This would be the equivalent of driving 62 miles on $2.97 worth of electricity at $0.20 cents a kwh (McMansion Californian electric rates), or about like buying gas for $1.50 in a 31 mpg car. – gas2.org
The eUp! is the smallest VW to date at only 3.19 meters long and 1.64 meters wide. Hopefully this vehicle will lead to Volkswagen creating other, larger electric vehicles across their range. With van emissions being clamped down upon we need more electronic vans for sale.
EU Clamps Down on Van Emissions
Nov 2nd
The commercial vehicle industry has been told that they must reduce the emissions of new vans by 14% by 2016 to avoid facing heavy fines. New regulations are expected to be announced that will force the industry to increase research and development in order to remain profitable. While many companies are trying to reduce emissions the new regulations will put a clear limit on what they can get away with.
The average carbon emission per fleet of vans for sale will need to be cut from around 203 grams to 175 grams by 2016. By 2020 the limit is expected to be reduced further to only 135 grams of carbon. The announcement has been delayed in recent weeks due to while details were debated. Several country who rely on the automotive industry had called for the new regulations to be delayed until 2017.
The European Union also want the industry to increase average mpg figures for all vans by 2014. This will conserve fuel and help to reduce pollution. They want an average value of 43mpg for all van fleets which has been contested by the SMMT. While they support the action to increase efficiency they feel that there is not enough time and money to achieve the increase by 2014.
‘Vans are an integral part of the European economy and, at a time of economic downturn and belt-tightening, businesses do not have the capacity to invest in new products.’
Paul Everitt chief executive SMMT
Coulthard Predicts Spectacular Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi
Oct 30th
I don’t know a great deal about Formula 1 but I know its doesn’t seem as exciting as it used to be. Maybe it is one of those things that become more interesting the more you know about it (I’m assured that American Football is actually interesting if you know what is going on). I’m hesitant to say this because I don’t want to seem morbid or heartless but… I used to enjoy it more back when they crashed more often. I don’t want to see anyone injured or worse but I also don’t want to see a race where the final order is settled upon just after the first corner.
This is why I was excited to read that David Coulthard has predicted that next weeks Abu Dhabi grand prix is going to be a spectacular one:
“The Yas Marina Circuit will really sort out the men from the boys. It will really surprise a lot of the guys, just how tight it is in places, drivers have got used to having tracks with lots of run-off and then they go to Suzuka, which is a track with not a lot of run-off, and kids are throwing it in the wall – we need an element of that in Formula One to maintain respect for the people watching, that if you drop it you are going to have a big shunt.”
Perhaps then we will see some exciting action like back in the good old days. Check out the video below from 1995, it shows Coulthard being squeezed two cars near the beginning of the Monaco track. Whilst Coulthard is catapulted into the air Damon Hill (from who’s car the footage is filmed) takes the lead.
How the Recession Has Changed Our Driving Habits
Oct 28th
Running a car can be quite a drain on your finances. As well as road tax, petrol and a yearly m.o.t there are always the unexpected costs that appear at inopportune moments. I drove off from the petrol station last month wondering what was making a noise on the roof of the car, it turned out to be the petrol cap which was surprisingly expensive to replace.
A recent survey has shown that 61% of car owners in Britain have changed their driving habits in order to save money. Whilst we love having our own cars many are deciding to cut down on journeys and a third of those asked had started car sharing. 95% said that they would walk more if they gave up their cars although that seems like a strange question to me, who are the 5% who wouldn’t walk any more without a car?
The rise in car hire by the hour schemes has meant that some have chosen to not own a car but to lease one when needed. This option is best suited to those in cities who can rely on public transport day-to-day, in rural areas not having a car can leave people reliant on sparse bus services. Car sharing is also a good way of keeping down costs as well as reducing pollution.
The average driver in Britain spends around £106 per month keeping their car running, this is a little less than the European average of £126. This figure is sure to rise as petrol prices increase and local governments try to dissuade people from using their cars by increasing tolls and parking costs.
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