Rally Discussion and Bar Talk Thread

[Watson]

Electric cars is the future...they might not be the future in 10-20 years but they might be in 50-60 years. fossil fuels will run out long before before the sun goes red giant on us... so comments like that do not really help.

but we have to find a balance between forcing electric cars into motorsport because we are relatively close to that point or forcing it because of vegan tree hugging pussies that use macbooks.

I think motorsports will die when we reach the point that we have to use them due to being our only option.

Agreed again. See, we can have a civil discussion.

My look on it is: Push electric cars for people who don't care about cars and racing so there is more left for those of us who do.

Save emissions and the planet in day to day life and pedal to the metal for our entertainment.

Trouble is of course that with no corporate interest the funds for WRC, F1, WEC and so forth might run dry very quickly.

If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense. Go figure.

[Tarmop]

First there will be a generation or two running on biofuels probably. Fossil fuel is already quite absent in top level motorsport, 10% ethanol is already std. in 95 oct. .

[dupanton]

I don't believe in electrical cars. Certainly here in Belgian, there is not enough green electricity to supply all cars. Over the full life span, I don't think you gain much on CO2 emission. I rather believe in other solutions like hydrogen (although you also need electricity to make it).

[AnttiL]

I don't believe in electrical cars. Certainly here in Belgian, there is not enough green electricity to supply all cars. Over the full life span, I don't think you gain much on CO2 emission. I rather believe in other solutions like hydrogen (although you also need electricity to make it).

Even if you used a diesel generator to charge an electric car, it would still consume less energy than a diesel car. https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-ev...nal-car-61942/

[dupanton]

Even if you used a diesel generator to charge an electric car, it would still consume less energy than a diesel car. https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-ev...nal-car-61942/

Yes, but there is also the production and recycling of the batteries...

[Mirek]

Even if you used a diesel generator to charge an electric car, it would still consume less energy than a diesel car. https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-ev...nal-car-61942/

Does really anybody see the result of the test as a good one for the EV? The spent energy difference in same driving profile is marginal while the EV car costs three times more, has much shorter range and requires long time spent on recharging. I don't see any advantage here. Also the talk about weight is quite crap in the article because of the simple fact that EV is heavy because it is EV and therefore it's perfectly natural that it's way heavier than similar combustion engine powered car.

PS The diesel generator used in the test likely hasn't feature any anti-pollution features such as catalyzer, particle filter or AD blue injection. With them the efficiency of the generator would be likely worse.

PSS What Dupanton said. The batteries have to be included. Their production is anything but environment friendly and it doesn't help that they are produced somewhere in Asia where it's not visible.

Anyway EV is good for pollution in cities. For sure. But for energy efficiency and user comfort not yet.

[Franky]

EV is great for advertising. No one sees where the real polluting happens. It's like living in a bubble.

Also some time ago read quite a long article quoting PSA's CEO Tavares that pretty much said that the current push for EVs is not natural and no one seems to think about the possible aftermath (batteries).

Having done two +20000km road trips in Eurasia, I don't see how EV can be a viable option for anything than European urban commuting. At least currently. I'd have a hard think before entering Mongolia or Central Asia with an EV.

[Rally Power]

My look on it is: Push electric cars for people who don't care about cars and racing so there is more left for those of us who do.
Save emissions and the planet in day to day life and pedal to the metal for our entertainment.

The push for EVs is not about protecting the environment; is about keeping a slice of the gigantic Chinese car market; most western manus engaged themselves into the EVs race only after China decided to make EVs a priority.

For China, EVs massive production is a never ending wining situation: it reduces their dependency on foreign oil and allows them to use their raw materials reserves to became a worldwide leader in batteries production; as EVs are a new technology, they don’t need to import western knowhow like in the ICE era, they’ll be (they are already) at the front since day one; additionally they’ll be able to turn down their cities ridiculous levels of air pollution.

There’s only one catch (for them and the whole world): with massive reserves of cheap coal available, China electricity production based in clean sources will always be low, meaning the global CO2 emissions will inevitably grow with the increase of their coal based electricity production...
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22001356

With this overall negative eco-balance and the implications of having China leading another vital sector, western countries must get smart and find alternatives; while Japanese keep their research on hydrogen (a different EV tech), Germany manus are wisely investing on a B plan that allows keeping the use of ICEs: synthetic fuels.
http://www.bosch-presse.de/pressport...al-120448.html

Btw, those who think that it’ll be fine to switch motorsport from ICE tech to EV tech are totally wrong: if EVs become dominant as primal share of new vehicles, left wing short seeing politicians won’t rest till they get rid of the current circulating park; it’d take time, but the sectors using ICE cars as a recreation or sport would be the first to suffer; you don’t need to be a genius to understand that motorsport would be confined to autodromes and all sort of public road disciplines (including Rally) banned.

That’s why each and every remark of Mr. Rohrl deserves our applause.

[Rallyper]

Electric beer, someone? Let´s talk about carburetors from WEBER or something.

[EstWRC]

Well, we can have the same reference with beer, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer.

I don’t understand the people who drink non-alcoholic beer.