Waitak

The issue of battery safety is interesting. Lithium ion (rechargeable lithium batteries) are fundamentally volatile, and I'm afraid that as the boundaries of power output and charging rates are pushed, they become more risky. A few years ago there was a cellphone with a tendency to self-combust without warning - was it the Samsung 7 ?  For a while airlines banned that particular model on flights, and the manufacturer eventually withdrew it. 

The International Air Transport Authority (IATA) classifies lithium ion batteries as "dangerous goods" and will only allow them as freight on aircraft under very strict conditions. Meanwhile, every passenger these days gets on a plane with at least one lithium-ion powered device, and many people with multiple devices, all without controls of any kind.    

Indeed.  Do you read any of Chris Hedge's work ?

8 hours ago, Creator Supreme said:

If we're serious about saving the planet then well funded zero emission public transport is the answer, along with mass cycle use for more local journeys. Obviously exceptions may need to be made for the incapacitated.

 

However, I don't think we have the will as a species to go this far. I'd struggle without a motor at present, and I haven't got to considering an EV or Hybrid yet. I'm still paying off the loan on my current diesel!

The transition of retail outlets from local shops to massive shopping malls on the outskirts of town means that most people have to own a car these days.  Back in the day, it was possible for many people to buy most things they needed within walking distance of home, but that's no longer the case, and increased car ownership is the result. In many ways, human beings were more environmentally friendly back then, compared to these "enlightened" times. 

The NZ Government has been offering cash incentives to buyers of new EVs, so there is some competition in the market. BYD is a new entrant, but they are the top selling EV brand in NZ at the moment, followed by Tesla then MG.  BYD apparently has factories in China, Brazil, USA and Hungary, so it's probably only a matter of time before they start penetrating the UK market. I'm assuming Tesla and MG are already well established there ? 

Hah !  Yesterday was one of  the 12 days since Christmas that it DIDN'T rain in Auckland, so I doubt he had his wipers on !  It was also quite mild, so no need for heated seats, and he was driving in daylight so no lights either. 

I don't drive an EV or hybrid myself, but my wife has a Corolla hybrid, which she loves.  Toyota's reputation for reliability is pretty good, so I have to believe they've got the technology sorted out.  If I was in the market for an EV, I would look at hybrids first. 

A mate of mine bought a new BYD Atto 3 full electric SUV a few months ago. The advertised driving range is 420Kms on a full charge. Yesterday he took it on a longish drive - 150Kms from Auckland to Te Aroha.  He got 90Kms into the return journey before having to stop for a recharge with the battery reading 10%.  Realistic driving range appears to be around 250Kms, despite what is advertised.

Personally, I think it's hard to go past a hybrid.  You get some points for saving the planet if that concerns you, but you are never going to be restricted by the limited range of a full EV. 

10 hours ago, Fugitive said:

Always wanted to go to Japan, it looks brilliantly insane.

I was there for 10 days in March. Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima. It was a great experience, lots to see, we always felt safe, hotel accommodation and food is high standard, the locals are very courteous, public transport is cheap and accessible.  We will certainly go again, and recommend it to anyone who is interested. 

Balotelli ? 

And we beat Newcastle home and away. 

Sorry to hear about your Mum. 

I would strongly encourage you to get a will in place while your Mum is still alive.  Dealing with these things is never easy, but when there isn't a will, disputes over inheritance can drag on for years and become hugely acrimonious.  

Hi, assuming you or your wife haven't noticed a serious problem with the brakes in the 8 months you've been driving the car, I suggest you ask them what they mean by "brake pads being incorrectly fitted".  Due to the design of these things, about the only way I can imagine brake pads being fitted incorrectly is to fit them inside out - in other words the metal backing plate of the pad is contacting the disc rotor. That would mean direct metal-to-metal contact, horrible noise and virtually no braking effect.  The car would essentially be un-drivable. This would also destroy the disc rotor very quickly, and you'd be looking at an expensive repair. The only other explanation I can think of is that someone has left out some small metal pressings that serve to stop the pads rattling around when the brakes aren't applied. The garage might be suggesting that these have been displaced due to vibration, but I think it's far more likely that they were simply forgotten when the pads were last changed.   

In summary, the answer to my original question might be that the UK hire companies are simply catering to the local market.

I just looked up the stats.  Around 90% of the new cars sold in NZ are automatics, which confirms my general impression. No doubt the overall ratio of automatics on the road is a bit lower, but the number of manuals will continue to dwindle.  If you pass your test in an automatic, you are only licensed to drive an automatic. If you pass your test in a manual, you are licensed to drive either. I insisted my kids learned to drive in a manual, although they are the exception !

Stats in the UK are quite different. Around 70% of the cars on the road there are manual, but 54% of new cars sold last year are automatics, so there might be a gradual move to autos over a few years.  

New Zealand

The one thing that always gets me is the indicator stalk - on the left in European cars, on the right in Japanese. I'm forever getting confused and indicating with the windscreen wipers. 

Speaking for myself, I regularly drive both automatic and manual transmission vehicles, so I am comfortable with either. However, many people these days have only ever driven automatics, which is one of the reasons I'm surprised they appear not to be the standard offering by hire companies in the UK. 

Genuine question. Why is it difficult and more expensive to hire an automatic car in the UK ?  I would have thought automatic cars would be the preferred option for hire companies because many people no longer know how to drive a manual, plus an automatic transmission is less prone to abuse by careless drivers. However, on the last couple of occasions that I've hired a car in the UK, there are either no automatics available, or you are charged a big premium to get one.  

It's all bollocks. The national anthem has been routinely disrespected by the great British public for decades.  I'm old enough to remember it being played in cinemas, they had to stop doing that in the early 70s because the rush for the exits when the anthem struck up caused a dangerous rush for the exits. This is just another trumped-up "outrage" to throw at Liverpool.  

Civil War soldiers of both armies wore immaculately tailored uniforms with colour co-ordinated accessories. 

World War 1 started in 1917.  World War 2 in 1941. 

Something very strange is going on there.  Gray comes on as a sub, and within a few minutes scores a very good individual goal to get them back into the game at 2-1 with 25 minutes to go.   

Cue celebrations and a collective determination to equalise ?   Not a bit of it.  No-one celebrated, not Gray, nor any of his team mates.  It was like he'd just scored an extra-time consolation goal in a 6-1 hammering.  So much for their great team spirit.....

12 minutes ago, Section_31 said:

People who aren't Australian but speak with a rising inflection.

All New Zealanders, then ? 

Look at getting a reverse-cycle heat pump.  Cool air in Summer, heat in Winter.  I don't know what brands are available in the UK, but here in New Zealand there are many Japanese brands available - Daikin, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu.  

1 hour ago, DalyanPete said:

Must have been over 20 years ago the aerospace company i worked at announced redundancies telling us parts would be made in China and all places east. Managers boasted how workers took their families to work with them, very little PPE was worn, the better your job the further away from the factory you lived.

At the time I asked, "and the company thinks that's progress?" I also said the more work you give to the east the more strength they get when eventually they will say, "we have the capabilities to take any nation on in war"

Didn't go down too well. I'm not a prophet but fuck me anyone could see what could happen.

But it was all about the dollar man.

 

Ultimately, the transfer of manufacturing to the Far East was driven by the Western consumer. All Western countries had, and still have, the ability to make tee shirts, training shoes and electronic products, but given the choice of paying (say) $200 for a pair of trainers made in England vs $50 for the same item made in China, what is the average consumer going to do ?  Some governments tried to stem the tide with tariffs and subsidies for local manufacturing, but it was a losing battle, and no government would risk its future by imposing an outright ban on the import of these products.  The West has imposed limits on the transfer of sensitive technologies, but the import of all manner of products from the Far East has been a growing trend since the 1960s, which in turn has led to increased commercial strength, and now military power, in the exporting nations.   

11 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

She is in Korea now.

 

They seemed to have missed their targets by a little as a few landed in Japanese zone. Unless they are practicing for when Pelosi stops in Japan later.

I doubt that was accidental. 

51 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

I thought I'd get this as soon as I started posting in here. I'm not interested in taking the side of the Chinese gov, more hoping that they don't attack Taiwan. Pelosi being there now might be seen as a show of support by many but I think it's just as likely to aggravate the situation and make China more likely to think about invading.

China has already declared its intention to re-unify Taiwan, by force if necessary. I see Pelosi's visit as an attempt to make them think again.