Jaguar halts E Type Zero

[Nickleback]

Jaguar has pulled the plug on E Type Zero

It was billed as the most beautiful electric vehicle on the world when it was announced, but now the project has been put on ice.
https://jec.org.uk/news/2019/jaguar-has ... -type-zero

[chrisfell]

Dammit, now I’ll have to make my own electric E-Type.

[Heuer]

That decision comes as no surprise! They can't even sell the purpose built i-Pace: https://cleantechnica.com/2019/08/13/ja ... th-supply/

With FIVA saying that EV conversions are considered 'modern cars' and do not qualify for classic or historic status it is a death knell unless you can afford to buy an E-Type, convert it to EV, register it as such and lose 75% of its value.

[Barry]

Never mind electric power. It’s a doomed phenomenon peddled by politicians as the answer to saving the planet! Exactly what Toyota said at the recent launch of a hydrogen cell powered car. If anyone has read Doug Nye’s comment in this month’s Motor Sport you can understand the theory. “To replace a 20 pump motorway service station with equivalent quick charging points, it would need 120, 120-kilowatt superchargers, requiring a 14.4-megawatt substation. That is the equivalent to the demand of 32,000 homes. All for just one service station.” Is that joined up thinking! No it’s not; the future is hydrogen. We can all install a carbon fibre tank into our E-types, and that will do the trick.....an electric E-type, that’s so yesterday’s news!!

[abowie]

the future is hydrogen.

Is the problem with hydrogen still that it isn't feasible to store enough of it to make a car with practical range?
Or has that been sorted out?

[christopher storey]

I am not sure that range is a problem, based on the fact that as long ago as about 1992 BMW were running a fleet of experimental H2 powered 7 series. Safety of storage and fuelling at the pressures used seemed to be the primary concern then , and frankly I doubt that much has changed on that front. The other problem seems to be that a great deal of energy is needed to produce H2 on a mass scale

[Robsan]

The other problem seems to be that a great deal of energy is needed to produce H2 on a mass scale

[politeperson]

There is only one solution.

Camel Taxi.

[cactusman]

There were several companies at last year's Excel show selling electric MGs and the like....wonder where the ruling leaves them?
Hydrogen can be made from hydrocarbon fuels....for example heating methane with steam and a reaction yields hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide!!!!needs lots of energy and of course you also get other products you don't want.....and not eco friendly at all.

Electrolysis of water will generate hydrogen and oxygen....but you need a ready supply of cheap electricity!!!! So vast solar arrays or hydroelectric plants....or a few nuclear power stations!!!!!

And then you have to store it. It has a high energy density by weight but a poor energy density by volume compared to petrol. Stored in tanks the tank pressure will be 5000 to 10 000 psi meaning a heavy tank! Hydrogen as a fuel in vehicles has been researched for decades but thus far a satisfactory proposition allowing it to replace petrol has yet to be found for the mass market motorist at least....and it's combustion behaviour in an internal combustion engine is very different to octane so running an XK engine on hydrogen will almost certainly cause premature engine failure.

Here is a link to a very succinct explanation for why Hydrogen is not really a suitable replacement for petrol in an internal combustion engine.

[Barry]

Well, I think you need to talk to Toyota who seem to think that in a few years, this will be the fuel of the future. However, the point of my previous post was to explain why electric cars are Not going to be the answer to our future transport needs. It will be interesting to see what will be.........

[malcolm]

The real answer is less people.....

[cactusman]

Hydrogen is an excellent fuel for fuel cells driving motors but not a good fuel for internal combustion engines....presumably Toyota are looking at some type of fuel cell technology for their cars?

[Heuer]

Indeed. The next generation of vehicles will have electric motors driven by a hydrogen fuel cell, batteries not required:


https://www.hydrogenics.com/technology- ... uel-cells/

Current EV's are not sustainable en-mass as rather a lot of Tesla owners found out a week or so ago:
https://www.unilad.co.uk/technology/tes ... arge-cars/

[Sarthe72]

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I had heard that the change of the car from fuel to electric was being regarded by the DVLA as a substantial change leading the cars open to being re-registered and having to undergo an IVA approval. Cynic that I am I personally believe that they hadn't found enough mugs (sorry, investors) willing to pay out £300,000, but that is only my opinion of course.