Another advance in research into battery technologies.
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This could be fun:
it was confirmed that Lotus is planning the hypercar, which will travel at incredible speeds
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A little history. Interesting suggestion that incentives for electric vehicles be financed by increasing taxes on fossil fuels. The Murdoch media reaction to any such proposal today would be hilarious.
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The WA government plans plans for – plans.
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This is the cute little electric car that a solar mob in SA wanted to import to Australia, back in 2001. They actually had one for testing but they were never given permission to begin importing. Can you imagine where our use of electric vehicles would be today, had the powers of the day allowed that?
I had planned to buy one, myself. They thought it would probablu cost around $15k at the time but it seemed like a good deal to me. And, they were already in use in many other countries, so well tested. Oh well. That was then, and this is now. Mahindra is the name of the company now, and I see Mahindra vehicles on the road but I dont know if any are electric. No Revas, anyway.
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A great observation on the EV.
Clarkson infamously arranged “drove” a G-Wiz in a 2007 Episode of Top Gear into a barrier at 40mph (approx 65kph). The crash test dummies did not survive. In the fall out some were perhaps desiring J Clarkson had been in the driver’s seat?
In the UK such a vehicle is classified as a quardacycle and can be road registered.
In Australia, surprisingly it is one piece of English legal thinking that does not form part of the road rules. Otherwise we would also be able to use electric powered golf carts for everyday road use. Great for the second car to nip around to the shops, do the school run, or drive to the station. POTUS has a fleet of them.
We don’t need better batteries or alternate fuels to take better advantage of what we have available to us.
Electric powered bicycles and scooters and those red hot flaming electric skate boards will only get better.
It is legally ok to ride a one person powered vehicle on most roads, or a horse and cart, neither of which meet everyday vehicle ADRs. We still draw the line at light weight efficient powered vehicles unless they do meet full ADRs.
EV’s may be the norm one day, hence the need for better energy/fuel solutions. The heavier and more cumbersome our vehicles, the further the technology needs to improve and the further the costs need to fall, to become everyday.
There are significant vested interests in our million a year new motor vehicle sales market. This includes many after market products and servicing. Perhaps another reason change will not come quickly, except on their terms? Our politicians are in no mood for change in this arena either?
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Australia Post to use electric trikes and electric bikes.
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I wonder how they will go with registration requirements in Qld? I will be watching with great interest for the near future. Plenty of room for the shopping too!
P.S.
Our postie used to ride a red Honda. The mail now comes 5 star in a small Hyundai SUV. The new postie has to get out to reach our letter box. No mail if it’s raining? 
I’m not about to move the letter box. It is where it is because the council waste services trucks used to back over it when turning in the drive! 
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On recycling of vehicle batteries:
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Infrastructure Australia calls for the rollout of a countrywide network of fast charging sites for electric vehicles.
Presumably there will be a payment required to use the system to recover capital costs and electricity charges.
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An article regarding accidents due to faults with battery powered Lime Scooters.
Who would have thought that these things could throw someone over the handlebars?
Hitting a small bump with those tiny solid wheels will throw you over the bars, no need for an electric motor!
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More on hydrogen. Some rather unrealistic assumptions. Still very energy-inefficient. Potentially viable, only due to low cost of renewable energy.
https://www.carbonbrief.org/renewable-hydrogen-already-cost-competative-say-researchers
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An interesting article regarding hydrogen.
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A couple of articles regarding converting algae into biofuels.
Great stuff.
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I wonder if bacteria like Helicobacter that naturally produce ammonia could be more effectively harvested to provide bulk ammonia as the hydrogen source. Not sure how big a facility might be required but I don’t think a whole lot of gene manipulation would be required as the bacteria already natively carry out the task of the production.
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I visited the nickel refinery in Townsville around 1980 and I recall that some settling ponds near the plant were emitting ammonia.
The engineer who was showing us around told us that it was caused by bacteria which existed in the extremely hot and toxic ponds.
I was amazed that anything could actually survive in that enviroment.
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The Filipinos seem to be doing quite a lot of work in that field.
https://www.ammoniaenergy.org/optimizing-technology-pathways-for-ammonia-fuel-production-transportation-and-use/
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The solar cells just add to the range provided by batteries, but it’s interesting.
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When unleaded fuel was first marketed in Australia, it was common to smell hydrogen sulphide, aka rotten egg gas, when near a stationary vehicle with its engine running.
I have not noticed this for years.
Is it because the sulphur is now better removed from the unleaded fuel, the hydrogen sulphide is burnt in the engine. the catalytic converter deals with it, or something else?
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