Replacing train drivers, now that is funny, we could not even get rid of the guards without massive strike intervention and now we have a labour Government even less likely to happen, but a debate for a different thread.
Electric vehicles
- Thread starter Woodchips2
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selectortone
Still waking up not dead in the morning
Hope your Mum is OK Cobbs.
What3words is accurate to 3sqm. If you go on the website with a cellphone it will give you the three words that correspond to your current geolocation. People have been found halfway up mountains in fog using it.
Jacob
New Luddism. Awake and resist!
Driverless cars is verging on science fiction IMHO.
Not sure why it's even being talked about - it doesn't solve any problems which couldn't be solved in easier and more reliable ways.
Just think of a busy town street with dozens of cars moving through - it'd only take one of them to go out of order to cause chaos. Could be just a bit of bird shi t on a sensor for instance.
selectortone
Still waking up not dead in the morning
In our lifetimes perhaps.
You'll have androids sharpening your chisels too - and much better than you!
I cant help sorry, so I've asked on an Ebike forum im on and should get the answer to you soonish.
Owner of that forum built something similar, and put together a rather nice bike, so there is at least that thread about it.
Failing any replies I'll hunt down that info on that forum
Agent_zed
Established Member
I certainly agree that we need to be careful of what we wish for.
As for train drivers, they are subject to the same limitations as other drivers. They get tired, distracted, annoyed, sick etc etc. They can ignore speed limits and jump red lights with arguably bigger consequences.
My sister took a direct train to penzance from bristol a few weeks back and ended up having to change trains as they didn't have a driver to replace the current one. Wouldn't have been an issue if it was automated.
It would make far more sense to show automation can work on the heavily regulated train system first, rather than releasing it onto the wild and wonderful road system of the uk.
That said I am not advocating for automation.
jetsetwilly
Established Member
Finally made it to the end of the thread - had to resort to my personal jetpack after my autonomous subscription-taxi clocked off to recharge at the local cold fusion plant...
Don't think eFuel has been mentioned yet - https://www.efuel-alliance.eu/efuels/what-are-efuels
Not read v much about it, but it represents a route to using renewable energy sources to power transport without batteries or major technology changes in storage, transport or point of use technologies.
I'll get the popcorn...
Don't think eFuel has been mentioned yet - https://www.efuel-alliance.eu/efuels/what-are-efuels
Not read v much about it, but it represents a route to using renewable energy sources to power transport without batteries or major technology changes in storage, transport or point of use technologies.
I'll get the popcorn...
sploo
Somewhat extinguished member
But will those androids argue amongst themselves as to the best technique?
sploo
Somewhat extinguished member
It's a difficult moral question. We accept a certain number of (human caused) deaths by driving mistakes every year, but any car company offering an autonomous car with the equivalent safety record would be sued off the face of the planet.
Personally I'd be very happy to have a self driving car for the dull tasks (commutes, motorway journies) and I'd be very happy to see quite a lot of humans no longer driving (given the standards of many of those fleshy robots currently behind the wheel).
Not for me, and I suspect many others. Cleaner air in built up areas is one of the most important factors to me, together with lower running costs.
Those with deep pockets may have other reasons like being able to beat most German production cars off at the lights?!
Jacob
New Luddism. Awake and resist!
It's about saving the motor industry, and toys for the boys.
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Blackswanwood
Still Learning
The TFL have wanted to remove all the drivers on the underground for years. The only thing that has stopped them is the unions.
Blackswanwood
Still Learning
Is that your Luddism tendency showing through Jacob?
We should also get away from the idea that bigger is necessarily worse. Why not consider a vehicle's efficiency rather than its size? One of our cars is a BMW 420 that is bigger than most cars I have had in the past, but also the most economical. I suggest that economy is more important than size.
There is no reason for cars to weigh less either. Weight is not important. Large & heavy cars can be more economical than smaller and lighter cars. Why not consider a car's economy rather than its size or weight?
As an example, my first car was a 1966 850cc Mini. It used 50% more fuel than my current BMW yet had much worse performance, far less comfort and weighed far less.
niall Y
Established Member
The problem for driverless cars in this part of the world would be the narrow roads. They are two way, but it's often only possible for one vehicle to fit down them. There are passing places but these are unmarked .so it depends very much on local knowledge, or paying attention to all the likely places where two cars can safely pass, whilst driving.
During the summer months there are often stand -offs between holiday makers who find themselves unable to reverse their vehicles the several hundred yards needed to find a wider part of the road. Adding driverless cars to this mix, would certainly prove interesting.
During the summer months there are often stand -offs between holiday makers who find themselves unable to reverse their vehicles the several hundred yards needed to find a wider part of the road. Adding driverless cars to this mix, would certainly prove interesting.
There are plenty of driverless trains around the world. The example I am most familiar with is the Copenhagen metro system where they rarely have any staff at all on the trains.
It does add up. One person in a car takes up a disproportionate amount of ground area. Yes mass transport is the right answer as well as bicycling for short trips but people always favour zero physical effort and non shared space if given the choice.
Unfortunately you’re basing your observations on the situation in a third world country, UK, look at China and you will see a very different story.
I think you will find a driverless car would be far more adept at reversing than the majority of current drivers….The problem for driverless cars in this part of the world would be the narrow roads. They are two way, but it's often only possible for one vehicle to fit down them. There are passing places but these are unmarked .so it depends very much on local knowledge, or paying attention to all the likely places where two cars can safely pass, whilst driving.
During the summer months there are often stand -offs between holiday makers who find themselves unable to reverse their vehicles the several hundred yards needed to find a wider part of the road. Adding driverless cars to this mix, would certainly prove interesting.
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