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Getting back to the truth about electric cars,If you are fortunate enough to have a driveway, solar panels, and battery storage, you have essentially won the system. You get to fuel your car for next to nothing, and some people can even brag about getting paid to use their electricity. But out in the real world, this setup is creating a massive economic divide, and it is driving a deep, stubborn resistance to abandoning petrol and diesel cars. The current strategy focuses entirely on throwing money at discounting expensive new cars, but that misses the fundamental problem. Having vehicles that are only cheaper to fuel for the relatively wealthy does not encourage mass sales. Think about the actual running costs. If you can charge at home on a smart overnight tariff, you are paying a fraction of what it costs to run an ICE car. But for the millions of UK households with no off-street parking, like people in terraced houses or flats, home charging is impossible. They are forced to use public rapid chargers, which makes an EV significantly more expensive to run than a standard petrol or diesel car. To make it even more unfair, the government charges full VAT on public electricity but only a reduced rate if you plug in on your own driveway. Before anyone replies saying "but there are public night-time tariffs" or "you can find slow kerbside charging that equates to diesel price," that completely misses the point of how people actually use cars. A working family or a commuter without a driveway shouldn't have to wander the streets at midnight or leave their car plugged into a slow lamp-post three streets away just to match the cost of diesel. For a mass transition to work, we need rapid charging that is easily available for all, everywhere, at an acceptable price. Expecting people to jump through logistical hoops just to achieve price parity with an ICE car is unrealistic. When normal working people look at the current setup, they don't see progress. They see an elite lifestyle choice that is financially toxic for them. Seeing wealthy owners boast about free fuel while rapid public charging remains extortionate just creates resentment and a stubborn determination to stick with ICE cars. Instead of targeting money at discounting new cars, that funding should be spent bringing the price of rapid public charging down to fair levels. If government money was used to subsidise and cap public charging tariffs so they actually matched home rates, the economic argument to switch would become undeniable for everyone. It would also instantly spark life into the second-hand market where normal people actually buy their cars. Until we fix the running costs and accessibility for people who don't have a driveway, the mass EV transition is going absolutely nowhere.

I should have started a thread in Alternative fuels. Sorry.

It's what Nett means, 90% from recycled carbon, 10% from mineral carbon. Just as dirty for the Earth. Might burn a bit "smoother" and give slightly better mpg but fundamentally still carbon polluting. One good plant trees or carbon capture for each kilo of fuel produced but it will then compete even more badly against real renewable ie electricity used for cars from real purely renewable non carbon polluting source for vehicle propulsion.

Well well, looks like the V70 can partake of it: And it’s available at my local BP 👍 Gaz

Hi lawlozuk, enjoy the car.

HVO how the 90% cleaner is achieved in how it is produced The massive savings come from a "well-to-wheel" view. For every 1,000 litres of fossil diesel burned, you add roughly 3.6 tonnes of new CO2 to the environment. For 1,000 litres of HVO, the net lifecycle impact drops to about 0.195 tonnes Will reducing the co2 in the atmosphere compensate for the rise in global temperature caused by cleaning the air?

This unit came from my 2007 Mk II Octavia, and was working perfectly when I had it replaced with a more up to date unit 10 or more years ago. I'm selling it as spares or repair, because it has some damage to the LCD screen, and I can't hook it up to the original wiring loom to confirm it works. However, it has been kept safely in a crate in the garage. The speakers were also replaced when the head unit was upgraded. They look in good condition, with no tears or damage to the surfaces. Looking for about £25, but a large portion of that is to cover the carriage.

Nope, nice try but no cigar. I try to verify things first, and the claims that you're questioning as mine are taken directly from an HVO supplier's website. HVO Fuel FAQ – What is HVO & Who can use it? | Crown Oil This time I still have their website on my screen and also saved in my favourites, so I can revisit whenever I like; this has not always happened in the past. Below is a screenshot from part of their website, and if you actually do click on that link, you can actually verify for yourself that I'm claiming something that has excellent backup proof. I don't go in for all that TLDNR BS myself; like I've always claimed, I have an open mind, and I can be swayed to change my mind if there is sufficient proof and the provider of the proof has no vested interest in achieving a particular outcome. I admit that on THIS occasion that website does indeed have a vested interest in getting people to believe what they say. So on this occasion I'm only using it to illustrate beyond doubt that the words are not mine; I'm just quoting them in this instance. Now if it is true, then this opens up another whole new chapter that needs to be explored thoroughly, as it could possibly be more sustainable.

I want to connect a dash cam. I want to activate the 24 hr parking mode. I saw something about using the obd fuse bypass the 12v battery running out. I don't know if that is a good idea. I have a home charger. Anytips on installing a dashcam

As the Fabia MK1 currently has 185/60R14, that was probably what was fitted to the car in the factory. If the spare wheel is also 185/60R14 that would also add to the evidence that the car was fitted with this tyre size in the factory. Notice in the chart below, that the 165/70R14 and 185/60R14 tyres use different rim specifications, ie. the wider tyre uses a 1" wider rim and 8mm more offset (43mm offset instead of the narrower tyre's 35mm offset). ET is the abbreviation of the German word EinpressTiefe and means offset. Increasing the offset from 35mm to 43mm moves the centre of the tyre (and the centre of the rim) 8mm further into the wheelarch. It's common for wider tyres to have more offset than narrower tyres so that the outside edge of the tyre isn't too close to the outside of the wheelarch. 14" wheel specification (Fabia MK1) 165/70R14 5Jx14 ET35 185/60R14 6Jx14 ET43

I can't see your location in your profile as if you were close I'd say pop over and use mine. Also its FAT32 you have to format it to. As this isnt car related I'd ask on a MAC forum or similar unless your lucky and someone sees the post and knows all about MACS. Although having reread it it tell you what the issue is, it says its your permissions so give yourself permissions to do it then it will work.

On our old Fabia and Octavia's the button or a double press on the remote was all that was needed on a ferry. Try it... Double lock, leave the car for a few minutes then give the car a really good rock about from outside by pushing and pulling on the roof bars etc to see if the alarm goes off.

@Graham Butcher local short trips from home for maybe just 5-15 miles, 30 mph - 60 mph it is 23 mpg on Tesco, Asda or Gulf diesel. 25-27 on BP Supreme diesel which is 10 pence a litre 5 or 10 miles away from my local Shell V-power. There are 2 2 miles apart and the one at the A9 side is a couple of pence cheaper. The HVO local same price as that V-power local. HVO has been constant showing 30-32mpg. Arbroath or Dundee much lower prices for Esso or BP premium diesel. PS, it was like Rolling Coal on Tesco or Asda diesel, but I might just have blown out the cobwebs and any carbon build up now from when I got the 2.4 diesel no SCR / Adblue with 113,000 miles. Done 2,000 miles since May.

The manual says double pressing key fob deactivates the "safe securing system" which I think is just about the deadlocks. It also states "the anti-theft alarm system is activated when the vehicle is locked even if the safe securing system is deactivated. The interior monitor is however not activated." I assume the towing protection is part of the anti theft alarm rather than the safe securing system.

Double press on the remote should do both??

The solar eclipse power down results are in with Octopus and I have earned an hour of free electricity between 1300 and 1400 ie when our local fusion generator, Sol, is at its peak without the Earth's moon interjecting. Will try and download around 16 KWh of lecky in that spell.

CO2 production would be very similar. What might be different is that 90% of the carbon released has come from "renewable" ie organic source. Airline are moving thus way as well as F1 etc. Still adding to atmospheric carbon dioxide and adding to the global warming that we are seeing the consequences in weather change, fires, crop reductions etc etc.

Hi all, owner of a 2013 Fabia Estate. I've read the manual about using the button on the driver's door to disable motion sensors and the towing alarm but mine doesn't seem to work. The button doesn't light up when pressed, and the red light by the window doesn't seem to flash at all, so I guess some wiring somewhere has broken? Alarm definitely works though - have tested by waving my arm through an open window! Not a day to day issue but going on the ferry in 2 weeks so need to work out how to not have the alarm set off. It seems the double-press on the key fob deactivates the interior motion detector but not the towing protection, so that's not a solution it seems. Current plan is to just leave it unlocked I think! Any other bright ideas or is this something easily fixable?

Kilen/Lesjofors list the standard rear springs on the Fabia MK2 1.2TSI estate as 6Q0511115M. However, it's best to check using more accurate methods...such as the car's build codes or the "skoda parts com" website. On the "skoda parts com" website, to find out what rear springs the car left the factory with, you can set up a free account and park the car in the online garage using its VIN number. Then when you search for the rear springs, only the correct ones are shown...thereby allowing you to find the correct OEM part number. 6Q0511115M rear springs are marked with 1 orange dot, 2 yellow dots, 1 orange dot. The corresponding build code is 0YD. If 6Q0511115M are the factory fitted rear springs, then going up to 6Q0511115AL would be a sensible option. As you can see in the chart below, 6Q0511115AL is about 15% stiffer than 6Q0511115M...due to both the increase in wire diameter and the reduction in the number of coil turns (both of which make the spring stiffer). It appears that the 6Q0511115AL rear springs are used on the equivalent Fabia MK3, ie. Fabia MK3 1.2TSI estate. Note that the Fabia MK2 Scout (estate) doesn't have increased ride height, but standard ride height. Also note that the 6Q0511115AL rear springs are listed in both the Fabia MK2 and Fabia MK3 parts catalogue. Also, also, note that the 6Q0511115AL rear springs have an uncompressed length that is 9mm shorter than 6Q0511115M...at least according to Sachs...so the Fabia MK2 1.2TSI Scout (estate) should have about the same unladen ride height with either springs...except that once a heavy load is added to the stiffer 6Q0511115AL rear springs the rear end won't sag as much compared to the softer 6Q0511115M rear springs. Specification of rear springs 6Q0511115M, wire diameter 10.0mm, number of coil turns 8.8 6Q0511115AL wire diameter 10.25mm, number of coil turns 8.0 (about 15% stiffer compared to 6Q0511115M) The car's build codes can be obtained from an ebay seller for 3 Euros (about £2.50) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226517872578 Kilen 63146 rear springs (matches 6Q0511115AL) (about £30 each, including UK shipping) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392296331679

But thats only the same as the way petrol or diesel prices are quoted too, with the numbers often reflecting the highest prices per litre in remote rural areas, motorway services, or London which often aren't reflective of what the vast majority of people actually pay.

What sort of mpg improvement are you seeing? With HVO being able to reduce the CO₂ by upto 90%, I wonder if by declaring that your vehicle is running 100% on HVO, if you could get the VED reduced to reflect that of a comparable certified reduced CO₂. vehicle?

If you can charge at home I doubt you will be disappointed, I bought one coming from a diesel with a big boot, Once i got used to using the height of it as opposed to length it's huge.Mine was used not new, Check out the service plans on the Skoda website can pay monthly no interest.

I see now this is the same component as linked by DerekU. It is not a control unit (the advert has it wrong). You can see the individual Light Emitting Diodes on the circuit board. The control unit for the entire headlight is the grey metallic thing on the first image I've posted.

I picked up a pre reg Karoq three weeks ago. The deal (running from July to September 2026 I believe) was a payment of £249 from myself. In return, I got 2 services in March 2027 and March 2028, a £400 dealer contribution towards the cost of the car, 2 years roadside assistance from the date of purchase and 2 MOTs when due. Before buying, I confirmed with Skoda Financial Services that I would not lose the incentives if I paid off the HP agreement within the first 14 days. I did this after a few days and have since received written confirmation from Skoda that the incentives are still valid. A stupid way to do business if you ask me but the arrangements are set by Skoda and you have to work things to your advantage.

New owners very different to what was !