The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Lithium is highly reactive, when processed into raw state it has to be stored in oil just like all other alkaline metals. What I was intending by the statement was you don't find nuggets of it lying around, in its natural state it has reacted with other stuff...there's lots of it in sea water for example, but you'll only achieve small quantities by processing it.

Just listening to an F1 guy on radio 5. Missed the start so didn't get his name or position within F1. He said that 90% of the worlds engines are currently ICE and they won't be going away anytime soon. He said that F1 are working on a new (non-electric) fuel source to use and that they will be using it by 2025! Also said that, as often is the case, this F1 technology will filter down to the mainstream public?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/55352108 for old info.

Could well turn out to be a blind alley, but fingers crossed!

Lots of interesting opinions so far.

Ultimately battery or hydrogen power comes with their own special problems
Batteries as said before used “rare earth” metal. An misnomer, they are there but as said before highly reactive as a metal, hence exist as a stable compound in the ground, to get the metal from the ore or raw material involves a expensive, generally energy intensive process.
Hydrogen, is highly flammable and explosive in air. Storage is a problem, fill a metal storage tank with it under pressure - come back in a couple of days and half will have disappeared!! The Hydrogen molecule is that small it can move between the molecular space in the metal atoms.
The best and most efficient way of producing and storing hydrogen is in situ and when required.
If you can do this it’s great, and the emissions form combustion is water.

Weve been early adopters of EV’s. We’re now onto our 4th.
They all have been company cars and have been chosen to reduce tax.
We’ve had a Leaf, Tesla 75, Merc hybrid c-class and most recently a Jag ipace. The cars have been perks. All have limitations.

When the leaf arrived we had a 30a charger, 7kw mains charger installed. We live in a older property, which has 2x100A (2 meters) electricity supply. The lead would charge from flat in 4 or so hours. Now the jag with its 90kWh battery will take in theory around 13.5, but in practice is longer as the battery fills up, above 80% charge, charging seems to slow down. There is also the ability to charge at work. Both work fine as long as you remember to plug in when required. We don’t have solar, but if the cars have been plugged in, time the charge and take advantage of cheaper tariif electricity overnight at home.
For us all the cars have worked great. They have provided cost effective, for us, reliable (the fully electric ones anyway) transport over the last 9 years. Looking at the running costs, and comparing to similar sized ICE in their class and it’s a no brainer for us. Yes we don’t have to worry about depreciation, but for the company has been sensible and taken advantage of the tax schemes available from central government, and also bought the Tesla and the jag 2nd hand to minimise this. From a “fuel” cost if we charge at home, we reckon per mile has cost in the region of 3-4 p per mile. Which helps again.

The EVs have been my wife cars. I work from home, have done for most of my working life, don’t travel when allowed much in the uk, so can get away with what I want and like for a car. However, if I was commuting to an office each day - I’d have an EV for that purpose 100%. From the experience we’ve had with them it’s a easy decision to make.

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1976 Tahiti Sprint
2017 Mercedes c350e Hybrid Estate
2009 Honda S2000 Berlina Black one of the last
2014 Mini Cooper S GP2
1996 Porsche 993 C2 (3.8!!)
1994 Porsche 968 CS again
2011 Landrover Defender pickup - twisted
2017 Lexus GSF

Gone but not forgotten 2008 BMW M5 (E61) Touring (George, as in Best, as it likes a Drink) to be replaced soon...... Epic epic car

Quote: "Hydrogen, is highly flammable and explosive in air. Storage is a problem, fill a metal storage tank with it under pressure - come back in a couple of days and half will have disappeared!!"

I disagree on both counts. Hydrogen stored in the correct pressurised cylinder is MUCH safer than a tank full of petrol. It is very unlikely to be breached in a collision unlike a steel or plastic petrol tank. I once saw a demonstration where a marksman fired a high power rifle at a hydrogen cylinder and at a petrol tank. The petrol tank exploded in a most spectacular fashion whereas the hydrogen cylinder simply leaked with no fire. Agreed once it is out of the cylinder you have a problem, but as I said those cylinders are tough.

We have lived with petrol for so long we are blase about just how dangerous it is.

In the lab where I worked we used hydrogen cylinders to operate some of our equipment. They certainly didn't lose any gas just standing.

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Mike
(MGB GTV8, and Dolomite 1850HL. New: a 1971 MGB roadster in need of welding)

Like any flammable material if it’s stored correctly it’s fine.
What I said is hydrogen is highly flammable and explosive in air - it is - fact, and I agree with your comments on petrol. We are complacent.

Large scale industrial storage of hydrogen loses significant volume of the gas through the walls of the tank if left unused.
If you look at any large scale industrial process using hydrogen - now it’s generated onsite, almost on demand for that reason.

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1976 Tahiti Sprint
2017 Mercedes c350e Hybrid Estate
2009 Honda S2000 Berlina Black one of the last
2014 Mini Cooper S GP2
1996 Porsche 993 C2 (3.8!!)
1994 Porsche 968 CS again
2011 Landrover Defender pickup - twisted
2017 Lexus GSF

Gone but not forgotten 2008 BMW M5 (E61) Touring (George, as in Best, as it likes a Drink) to be replaced soon...... Epic epic car

Not your average choice for a electric conversion.

https://youtu.be/-1OvcXyJBfs

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2005 Mercedes C Class V6 Diesel Turbo Daily Driver.
1980 Dolomite Sprint with a touch of BLTS
Balanced Lightened and Tweaked 13B Rotary and SuperCharged.
Rebuilding the Sprint time taken so far, 111Hrs@15/12/2020

Member TDC no 0471

Project 13B Sprint now back on. 121 @ 15/04/2021

I reckon the gross weight of a classic is a limiting factor, as although the engine and gearbox are 200kg taken out, a decent motor,control system and battery are a fair bit more, still it's an interesting concept given torque and refinement possibilities.