Government orders congestion charge on Coventry roads (1 Viewer)

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
The school run has got to be a factor. I went to school in the 80s (left in 92) and it was rare to see anyone dropped of in a car, seems to be the norm now. Look outside any school at opening / closing time and there's cars everywhere - complete chaos.
 

Nick

Administrator
The school run has got to be a factor. I went to school in the 80s (left in 92) and it was rare to see anyone dropped of in a car, seems to be the norm now. Look outside any school at opening / closing time and there's cars everywhere - complete chaos.

I think times are changing though.

We drive to the school mainly because it's not that close, if it was round the corner we would probably still have to drive to then go to work straight from there (unless we had a day off and could work).

I do hate that there's chaos but there's not much choice for some :(
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
The city doesn’t have the infrastructure to cope with the demands that this type of shift would bring, if you had trams or underground like the big cities then it makes perfect sense. The city is reliant on the ring road, it nearly impossible to get from one side of the city to another without going near the ring road.

From a personal perspective, my wife drops the kids to school which is 5 mins away and her work is about 5 from there so she is fine. I can do generally about 700 to 1000 miles per week and not in Coventry so it wouldn’t affect me day to day but it certainly would make us think twice about going into town etc
 

Sub

Well-Known Member
Electric vehicles take a bigger carbon footprint to make the batteries than fossil fuel vehicles. There is no infrastructure for electric vehicles and the battery technology is not there or ready yet. I look forward to seeing all the extension leads hanging out of windows from blocks of flats trying to charge cars parked in the street for the next morning.
As usual government has tried to make everyone go electric before actually looking at the real cost to the environment. Hydrogen is a better way forward but that wont happen as they wont make as much money from it!
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
In terms of environmental impact surely manufacturing the car in the first place has a big impact. Isn't taking working cars off the road and therefore requiring more cars being manufactured actually causing more issues than its solving?
The electricity has to be generated somewhere too. Not convinced 'renewables' are the answer once scaled up either, as it's taking energy from somewhere.
 

skybluegod

Well-Known Member
Isn't this the problem, that everyone is pointing out the flaws in ideas/technologies, and burying their head in the sand rather than actually trying to contribute or help save not just Coventry but the future of our species? Elon Musks 'Gigafactories' are self sustaining, and produce the car batteries, much cheaper and faster than ever before.

People are expecting vast improvements, but improvements don't happen either: 1) a huge financial backer 2) supply &Demand. The technology is getting better, but until there is a demand, there is not going to be any real push to see the improvements that everyone wants.

Too easy to say 'I won't get one until they are cheaper and better', i don't know anything in the world, that gets cheaper and better unless there is demand. Even then it takes years. Everyone has to meet half way, rather than relying on businesses/Government to do everything.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Too easy to say 'I won't get one until they are cheaper and better', i don't know anything in the world, that gets cheaper and better unless there is demand. Even then it takes years. Everyone has to meet half way, rather than relying on businesses/Government to do everything.
You're in a dreamland if you think you're going to get people to move to something which is basically a more expensive but shitter version of what they already have.

Give people a viable alternative, be it vehicles or public transport, that they can afford and you stand a chance.
 

Travs

Well-Known Member
We've had Tesla in this week, pushing their electric cars.. And there may be a push for us to become an ambassador type company for them, having charging points etc....

No doubt the high-spec cars are impressive (and even fast) and the benefits to company car drivers are decent.... But the actual price of these cars are utterly ridiculous... Way beyond the vast majority of people.... The only option then for the rest is the Zoe.... Which I've just looked up, and as mentioned in a post above, looks shit and is more expensive than an actual decent second hand car. Not to mention the range and need for charging.
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
If we had a decent tram/underground system I’d opt for that over driving every time. I can’t stand driving. The time I start work there isn’t physically a bus for me to get. I’d love an electric car. Can’t afford one. (Edit: Actually I can afford one but I choose not to spend lots of money on cars) Luckily I can just use the A45/A46 to get to work if I need to.

I’m all for green policies and saving the earth etc but this in its current expected form (we don’t know exactly what it will entail yet) reeks of a money making scheme to me. If the money goes towards a public transport infrastructure then great, but it’s a chicken and egg scenario. I’d want the public transport in place before. But obviously there wouldn’t be funding for it until the congestion charges hit.

And am I bollocks driving a Zoe. I’d rather stick to my Focus and pay the charges. I could afford the charges quite easily but many wouldn’t be able to. I’m basing the charges on the details about the Birmingham congestion charges not the London ones.
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
I don't have a problem with the concept of congestion charges if they fully fund a not for profit regulated public transport service.

I’d be all for it if this happens. If not the charge won’t stop people driving in the city centre. All it will do is piss them off and lessen the money in their pockets.
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
I need to look into it more, but I believe the Carbon Footprint to produce a Battery for an Electric car, plus charging said car for it's lifetime, is more than the emissions produced by a Petrol engine in the same lifetime.

Hydrogen is the way to go, but it's just storing it and everyone would be driving around in a bomb.
 

Nick

Administrator
Hydrogen is the way to go, but it's just storing it and everyone would be driving around in a bomb.

Obviously never saw my overfueling rs turbo back in the day bruv.

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(not my actual one)

Tell that to congestion charges!
 

Si80

Well-Known Member
Fully expecting the congestion zone to be on all major routes into the city as just covering the city centre inner ring road won't generate enough cash...

I work bang in the city centre. So does the missus. Bus passes for us both would be £1200 a year. Car parking (annual card subsidised through work at Belgrade CP) = £396.
Yes theirs an arguement for insurance, car payment etc against the cost, but I'd always chose to drive rather than switch to public transport.
Very tempted by a Honda e though as my next car. Love the look of those!
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
Very tempted by a Honda e though as my next car. Love the look of those!

Expected to be 35k for a dodgy looking mini. I wish they would make standard looking electric cars. Only one I’ve seen so far is the Golf.
 

Sub

Well-Known Member
They go on about the vehicles killing the planet but there is no mention of chopping down rain forests, the wars in Iraq burning the oil fields which polluted the atmosphere. It's all the people who drive to work that cause the issue!! Is it bollocks it's just easier to blame them and get them to pay for it while the fat cats drive round in their limos and v8\v10 powered cars. If every person said ok I'm not using my car I'm going by public transport or walking the country would lose billions in tax. We would then gat a walking tax and blamed for wearing the pavements out!
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
Expected to be 35k for a dodgy looking mini. I wish they would make standard looking electric cars. Only one I’ve seen so far is the Golf.

Toyota Yaris and Auris are standard looking. Boring but reliable.
 

Si80

Well-Known Member
Expected to be 35k for a dodgy looking mini. I wish they would make standard looking electric cars. Only one I’ve seen so far is the Golf.
No chance that'll come in at £35k... Really? I've not seen a price guide for it anywhere? A Tesla3 is gonna be circa £38k so Honda may as well shoot themselves in both feet right now if they put it in anything about £25k for what's really going to be a supermini.

EDIT - Just googled.... £35k is mental. Aligning it to Apple and claiming premium product bullshit.
 

Mcbean

Well-Known Member
My 2015 Skoda now needs payment to go in the ULEZ in London it’s 4 years old - not out of the lease yet - that’s comical - basically the value is going to plummet and there’s no way to afford an electric car - and even those can’t take 7 people
 

speedie87

Well-Known Member
Thing I don’t get with push for elec cars is where the owes for them all will come from. Country is having trouble producing enough power as it is. Imagine the power need requirements as everyone comes home from work and pullls a car in
 

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