I dont understand what the problem is with battery engineering.

Battery power drills have been around years. When they were launched they had built-in batteries that took hours to charge, then they went to fast-charge, then they went to swappable batteries and providing 2 or more with a drill, so you can keep working whilst charging.

Is it rocket science to make a swappable battery for my car? I keep the spare at home on charge so i am always good to go.

The local fuel station keeps a rack full of charged batteries, and a nice person swaps them over for me whilst I swipe my card.

If I want to go a long way I take my spare battery.

The only thing stopping this happening is manufacturers agreeing a common battery standard. You only need look at battery drills to see that. Every brand has a different fitting, with all the same cells inside!

I dont understand what the problem is with battery engineering.

Battery power drills have been around years. When they were launched they had built-in batteries that took hours to charge, then they went to fast-charge, then they went to swappable batteries and providing 2 or more with a drill, so you can keep working whilst charging.

Is it rocket science to make a swappable battery for my car? I keep the spare at home on charge so i am always good to go.

The local fuel station keeps a rack full of charged batteries, and a nice person swaps them over for me whilst I swipe my card.

If I want to go a long way I take my spare battery.

The only thing stopping this happening is manufacturers agreeing a common battery standard. You only need look at battery drills to see that. Every brand has a different fitting, with all the same cells inside!

The problem is energy density. The batterys in cordless drils today have a lower energy density than the older style drills hence why you get 2 packs now instead of one. Battery technology is stagnent and there hasn't been any major change in over 100 years. Clive Sinclair stated this 20 years ago and he helped developer the rare earth motors now used, but this isn't enough. Batterys just don't hold enough energy for their weight and you cant charge them quickley without damage.

The latest battery type currently in development is the liquid metal battery, where the electrodes are liquid rather than solid. These are being developed for grid storage i.e. solar and wind power stored for use later. But they are too heavy for car use and wouldn't be great in an accident due to spillage.

Batterys in cars just don't work - you end up with a similar situation to space travel - most of the wieght your moving around is the weight of the fuel - not very efficient!

The electric car will come, but not in its current form. The hydrogen fuel cell works and the only missing link is the surpless electricity generation required to make the hydrogen. Once we can make sufficient hydrogen we will have and endless supply of electricity with no need for batterys in the car - you just fill up and go, generating the electric required as you drive. The best part of this technology is that when you get home you will be able to plug your car in to your home and instead of charging your car, your car will supply the electricity your house needs - no need for a connection to the grid !

Here’s how we compare when it comes to diesel, so I'm not sure your figure is correct:

Country

% of pump price taken in duty and tax UK 58 Italy 53 Sweden 52 Ireland 51 Austria 48 Germany 48 Czech Republic 47 France 47 Hungary 47 Belgium 46 Denmark 46 Netherlands 46 Slovakia 46

recent figures showing how bad a deal UK motorist get, especially on diesel, compaed to other near EU countries:-

April 11, 2012

Unleaded (Euro95)........Petrol Price (Excl VAT)...Diesel Retail Price...........Diesel Price (Excluding VAT)

Austria........ € 1.487..............€ 1.239................. € 1.404............................€ 1.170

Belgium...... € 1.772 .............€ 1.464...................€ 1.552.............................€ 1.283

France....... € 1.735...............€ 1.451..................€ 1.560.............................€ 1.304

Germany.... € 1.698.............. € 1.427................ .€ 1.550............................. € 1.303

Ireland....... € 1.662 ..............€ 1.351................ .€ 1.586.............................. € 1.289

Luxembourg € 1.470..............€ 1.278................ € 1.278............................. .€ 1.111

Netherlands € 1.861.............. € 1.564................ € 1.503............................ .€ 1.263

Poland .......€ 1.398 5.83 z? ..€ 1.137 4.74 z? ....€ 1.379 5.75 z? .................€ 1.121 4.67 z?

Spain ..........€ 1.506.............. € 1.276 ................€ 1.385............................. € 1.174

Sweden...... € 1.785 15.78 kr. € 1.428 12.62 kr ...€ 1.695 14.99 kr.............. € 1.356 11.99 kr

UK...............€ 1.733 £ 1.430.. € 1.444 £ 1.192.... € 1.799 £ 1.484............... € 1.499 £ 1.237

EU AVERAGE.. € 1.594.......... € 1.322............... € 1.490............................... € 1.231

Edited 11 April, 201214 yr by lol

To Poland!

How come every other country mentioned above sells diesel cheaper than petrol (one of the by over 36 cents) yet here diesel is more expensive?

How come every other country mentioned above sells diesel cheaper than petrol (one of the by over 36 cents) yet here diesel is more expensive?

Typically, diesel is taxed less heavily in Europe. In the UK the amount of duty per litre is the same for petrol and diesel

How come every other country mentioned above sells diesel cheaper than petrol (one of the by over 36 cents) yet here diesel is more expensive?

In general goods are taxed as heavily as they can be to maximimise the revenue that can be raised from the tax type. Taxing Diesel more heavily feeds though to inflation more than petrol does because of the facts goods are delivered on diesel vehicles not petrol ones, hence some countries are reluctant. I work for one of the ten largest logistic providers in the world.

Overlaid on that are sometime politcal considerations. Countries may favour diesel to meet their Kyoto targets.

What I find amazing is that the Government can even be considering the 3 pence rise in about one hundred days time by another 3.6 pence considering all these facts.

Truck companies who move goods in to the UK goods will buy their fuel in Europe and use that fuel on the UK Roads. Many people in the six counties of northern Ireland tended to buy their diesel south of the border as it was much cheaper, even fill up big drums to use. This is much less so since the Euro got so much stronger and Eire VAT went up to 23%.

In Customs we had "brain storning" sessions to see how we could maxmise tax then pass these idea on to Ministers much as Tax Avoidance firms have brain storming sessions to avoid tax. Have not read up on the Amazon one but it sound a doozie.

Edited 12 April, 201214 yr by lol

Typically, diesel is taxed less heavily in Europe. In the UK the amount of duty per litre is the same for petrol and diesel

Current 59 pence per litre as near as damn it but will be 62 p in about a hundred days time.

There is even VAT aplied to the Excise Duty, tax on tax.

Typically, diesel is taxed less heavily in Europe. In the UK the amount of duty per litre is the same for petrol and diesel

Diesel used to be taxed les than petrol, and was cheaper at the pumps by about 5p.

Govt at the time put the tax up using the excuse that it was more polluting. Funilly enough this was just after the big fuel protests by hauliers etc a few years ago. The cynical might say it wa the governments way of saying f@ck you.

Diesel used to be taxed les than petrol, and was cheaper at the pumps by about 5p.

Govt at the time put the tax up using the excuse that it was more polluting. Funilly enough this was just after the big fuel protests by hauliers etc a few years ago. The cynical might say it wa the governments way of saying f@ck you.

It is all about getting in as much tax as possible and the policy to tax diesel the same as petrol is simple that they believe that the could set that level of tax and it would not suffocate demand or lead to too high inflation.

As the table above shows almost all European countries belief the best place to price diesel is about 5 to 10% below that of petrol.

As I also said above this leads to billions of pounds worth of diesel being bought in Begium, Luxembourg and Ireland and used on British roads.

This also applies to alcohol and tobacco where also billions of pounds worth of these goods are bought in Mainland Europe and consumed in the UK.

Edited 14 April, 201214 yr by lol

It is all about getting in as much tax as possible and the policy to tax diesel the same as petrol is simple that they believe that the could set that level of tax and it would not suffocate demand or lead to too high inflation.

As the table above shows almost all European countries belief the best place to price diesel is about 5 to 10% below that of petrol.

As I also said above this leads to billions of pounds worth of diesel being bought in Begium, Luxembourg and Ireland and used on British roads.

This also applies to alcohol and tobacco where also billions of pounds worth of these goods are bought in Mainland Europe and consumed in the UK.

not contesting anything in your post. The point I was making was the the Labour party shafted the hauliers in 2000 for daring to protest at fuel duty.

not contesting anything in your post. The point I was making was the the Labour party shafted the hauliers in 2000 for daring to protest at fuel duty.

If you are refering to the Fuel Duty Escalator (FPE) that was introduced by the Conservatives in 1993, I know as I was working for HM Customs (pre-HMRC) at the time. Tories set it at inflation plus 3% originally and the jacked it up to inflation plus 5%.

What Labour did was to tweak the percentage upwards a further one percent to 6% in 1997 but it was discontinued in 2000 after the Fuel protests and since then has been as much as the market can stand which is the current policy I suggest.

There are other solutions and even the French are considering a price stabliser like most Asian countries have.

There could be a tax element like cigarettes have ie 16% of retail price and then a lower Excise duty in addition to the VAT.

There are interesting alternatives ie like making the VAT 5% same as electricity and household gas, reduced Excise in the 6 counties of Ireland in the UK to reduce cross border purchasing of diesel, perhaps the same for Scotland and Wales to promote decentralisation.

Excise Duty on fuel is just another tax rasing angle, it shows how out of touch this Government, and perhaps the last one, are about the effect of the retail price.