The Diesel engine powers a generator to make electric energy to turn a massive induction motor that makes it move, I tell Jamie.
It's quiet, but you can just hear the engine's dull drone as we fly through the countryside. I'm guessing being diesel-electric, it is more efficient than pure diesel and also cleaner.
Travelling Through a Changing World
I was also on a bus this morning on the way to work. It was one of Aberdeen's new hydrogen-powered fleet. Diesel buses have been abandoned in favour of turning hydrogen into electricity, which again powers a motor to make the bus move. This bus is almost silent apart from some transmission noise on the move. When stopped, there is no noise at all. Great for commuters like me tapping on my iPhone and writing my blog.
Looking back now, this post captures how quickly the shift towards electric vehicles felt like it was happening in 2017.
Some of these predictions clearly didn’t happen as fast as expected, but the transition away from traditional engines still felt inevitable at the time.
Why I Still Loved Petrol Engines
I like both these forms of transport in terms of where we are with the tech. I am, however, a massive car fan… a petrolhead at heart, and I feel a sense of gloom coming.I like my petrol and Diesel engines. I have a few cars. All of them are older. A big 4x4 with a Diesel engine in it. I love the torque and the feeling of going anywhere it gives, and it's 500 miles or so range. I have a Lotus Seven kit car with a revvy 16v Toyota engine that makes it fly. I also have an Abarth 500, which has a little 1.4-litre turbocharged engine. It's got twin intercoolers and one of my favourite exhaust notes of any car I have owned.
I have promised the Abarth to Jamie when he is old enough to drive.
Jamie is 9, and he will not be able to drive till he is 17. That's in 8 years' time. With care and regular servicing, little Abarth should still be in good health when he is ready. It's quite easy. I have had many cars that were over 10 years old and had higher miles on them. The Abarth is a modern car, and the build quality and corrosion protection are really good.
The big problem, as I see it, is whether petrol and diesel cars will still be on the road in 2025. In only eight years' time.
Jamie is 9, and he will not be able to drive till he is 17. That's in 8 years' time. With care and regular servicing, little Abarth should still be in good health when he is ready. It's quite easy. I have had many cars that were over 10 years old and had higher miles on them. The Abarth is a modern car, and the build quality and corrosion protection are really good.
The big problem, as I see it, is whether petrol and diesel cars will still be on the road in 2025. In only eight years' time.
The Fear That Petrol Cars Might Vanish
I read an article while having my lunch today, which was a report by Stanford University that is predicting that fossil fuel cars will vanish in less than EIGHT years time! The report suggests that as electric cars become cheaper, 'Big Oil' and the petroleum industry will collapse. People will have no choice but to invest in electric cars. Electric cars will become cheaper, more reliable and travel further.
It painted a picture of petrol and diesel cars being abandoned. No longer being economical to run. Petrol stations would close and become increasingly difficult to find. Spare parts would stop being made. Garages will no longer repair the current generation of cars. The falling oil price is predicted to fall further.
So it may be game over for the little Abarth and my 4x4. Eight years does not seem that far away. What's their fate in years to come, abandoned, in the 2025 fuel crisis?
It painted a picture of petrol and diesel cars being abandoned. No longer being economical to run. Petrol stations would close and become increasingly difficult to find. Spare parts would stop being made. Garages will no longer repair the current generation of cars. The falling oil price is predicted to fall further.
So it may be game over for the little Abarth and my 4x4. Eight years does not seem that far away. What's their fate in years to come, abandoned, in the 2025 fuel crisis?
Imagining an Electric Future
For my Lotus Seven kit car, I'm not so worried. I built it after all. As technology changed, I could even imagine replacing the petrol engine with a large electric motor and modern battery systems. Possibly both were donated by a crash-damaged modern electric car. The performance could be better than the current petrol engine.
My kit car has a simple 12-volt electric system with a separate wire harness for the engine. So, to remove the petrol engine and its ECU would be easy. It would leave big holes where the engine, gearbox and petrol tank lived. These can be replaced by the motor's ECU, batteries or fuel cell. Who knows, I may be able to put a motor per wheel and make it four-wheel drive. That would be fun.
All the other electric systems would remain unchanged. There are no antilock brakes or traction control. It's really only lights and a horn left when the engines are gone.
It should be lighter too, if I could get a range of 200 or so miles, that would be ideal. It doesn't go much further on a tank of petrol at the moment. It's not very comfortable for long distances, so the majority of driving I do is just a quick blast in evenings and weekends.
My kit car has a simple 12-volt electric system with a separate wire harness for the engine. So, to remove the petrol engine and its ECU would be easy. It would leave big holes where the engine, gearbox and petrol tank lived. These can be replaced by the motor's ECU, batteries or fuel cell. Who knows, I may be able to put a motor per wheel and make it four-wheel drive. That would be fun.
All the other electric systems would remain unchanged. There are no antilock brakes or traction control. It's really only lights and a horn left when the engines are gone.
It should be lighter too, if I could get a range of 200 or so miles, that would be ideal. It doesn't go much further on a tank of petrol at the moment. It's not very comfortable for long distances, so the majority of driving I do is just a quick blast in evenings and weekends.
Would Classic Cars Survive?
So 2025, here's hoping Jamie gets some use out of the Abarth before we need to abandon it at the side of the road.
I also need to get my finger out as I have dreams and promises of building a hot rod project with the boys when they get older. Nothing fancy. Something rat-looking with old black faded paint, a small noisy engine, no mod cons, and flames up the side. Fingers crossed.
(edited, The Abarth may have some reprieve, found this great article on an electric rally car... Hmmm 460 bhp?)
I also need to get my finger out as I have dreams and promises of building a hot rod project with the boys when they get older. Nothing fancy. Something rat-looking with old black faded paint, a small noisy engine, no mod cons, and flames up the side. Fingers crossed.
(edited, The Abarth may have some reprieve, found this great article on an electric rally car... Hmmm 460 bhp?)
Looking Back at Those Predictions
It’s interesting reading this back now that we’ve actually reached 2025.
Petrol and diesel cars clearly didn’t disappear overnight, but electric vehicles, hybrid systems, and alternative fuels have become far more normal than they felt in 2017.
What I still find fascinating is how quickly technology transitions can feel inevitable, even when reality turns out to be slower and messier.
Looking back, this post says as much about engineering optimism and uncertainty as it does about cars.
A lot of the same engineering mindset also appears in my reflections on building and maintaining my Tiger kit car projects.
The same fascination with understanding and rebuilding systems also connects closely to my post about why I like fixing things.
Looking back, a lot of this engineering curiosity probably started with things like LEGO Technic.
