The Rebellion has Began!

 Less than six years to all Electric?

The way are government is going at the moment, it take one to be an complete idiot to see that this is not possible and going against the peoples will over Brexit, does not mean he can do what he likes, unless there is to be a vehicle rebellion across the U.K.

The rich Labor party is not dictating freedom, but rather you have to do what we say or be without electric transport?

Currently even the best electric vehicles have some serious issues of over heating in summer weather and have to cool down after a hundred miles of travelling, since we as yet have not found a alternative to the lithium battery and all the problems that go with it?

The other is that not everyone can afford a new car and low carbon vehicles are being sought, but if Starmer wants what he wants, there will have to a new type of scrapping scheme with grants for people to change from petrol to electric!

Lithium Dangers?

 Overheating Electrics.

With the recent incident of a K-Line car carrier catching fire in the North-Sea, off northern Holland, there are some serious concerns in relation to how safe are electric cars in storage and on the roads.

Many people are being almost forced now to consider electric over that of the fossil fuel burners, by the introduction of ULEZ type schemes across the U.K.

But for the poorer end of the market, there is not much to choose from and warnings on second-hand electrics, is that they are riddled with problems that will be not worth paying for.

It would seem that at some point another lower fuel emission will have to be considered, before a new improved electric system can be found.

Despite all this many people are still buying, and others are finding the overheating problem is really dangerous with cars being abandoned in many places when they catch fire?

Gas and Battery Buses?

 Electric is much cheaper than fossil Fuels.

Many city fleets of buses have now either opted for battery or gas, but with the very hot summers of recent years there is a problem of the Lithium overheating and vehicles catching fire.

To this date nothing better is yet available, but there are many innovations that are not getting tested and so for most of the year, apart from two months everything works fine.

Lamp post hubs are becoming the norm in London for buses and other vehicles on a pre-paid system and with the phasing out of diesel. We will have better transport connections that are far cheaper by at least £1.70 per litre of conventional fuel.

Demise of the MBT?

 A New Kind of Warfare!

The battlefield is a developing place in tactics and technology, ever since Cain killed his brother Able out of jealousy and ever since then most wars stem from bitterness and hatred of each other and at the cost of human life soldiers and civilians?

Enemies come and go, so do causes, but also criminal cartels, dictatorships and maniacs wanting to rule the world. The origins of the Main battle tank stem from World War I (1914-18) and was invented by the British with everyone following to this present day, but not all nations use this type of vehicle opting more for the personnel carrier or armored recon vehicles.

These first tanks were clumsy, but one has to start somewhere and by World War-11 very little had changed, since it was believed that the last war would be the one to end all? The Soviet Union developed a light machine known as the T-34 to outrun the Nazi-German heavy tanks, which were better in pack operations but not isolated in the open steppe!

It was after 1945 that what we understand in shape and design of these vehicles came to the fore, the U.S. Sherman and successive designs up to the present Abrahams, Israel Merkava, Russian t-90 and their electronic countermeasures or deflection equipment. 

But the last few wars in Iraq proved that the days of this type of armor were really coming to and end, missile guided and drones can be very effective now in most weather conditions and the role of helicopters and lighter vehicles equally.

Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle

The ARV combined Vehicle?

It is strange how in modern warfare the Main battle tanks are being replaced by a newer battlefield multirole vehicle that combines the armoured car, and armoured personnel carrier with a smaller fire power than the tank and on at least six wheels.

The U.S. LAV and the Swiss MOWAG with the Finnish SISU are the bases of a new range of ARV, they being more an APC with addons?  Experience worldwide has seen the demise of the armoured car and the APC apart from para-military security operations and some UN work.

The ARV will not fully replace the MBT as yet, but robotic and drone vehicles of various types under development and secret trials probably will?

What this new generation of armour provides is the transportation of specialised troops, light artillery and rocket power combined with speed and maneuverability and much computerised and military satellite software for more accurate aiming of moving as well as static targets! 

The Peoples Republic of China, N-Korea and Russia have also developed their own versions along side their traditional fleets and newer versions of their mobile missile sytems?

Chernobyl?

The worlds worst (Known) nuclear Accident?

When we see documentary evidence of the clean up operation that followed this incident back in the mid 1980's we lack information on the many types of vehicles that were employed? We see that helicopter pilots had to sacrifice their lives to drop concrete on what was technically a mini Sun revealed within the casing of the collapsed reactor!

Mil Mi-6, 26 and 8's were used in various overflights and many were lost or overpowered be the intense heat and radiation that would have caused sickness. Much has been written about this leak, which was caused by lack of care and an attempt by slack Ukrainians administrators to meet Soviet documented requirements?

Recently the European Union (France) has finished placing a new concrete shell on to the plant to again cut the amount of Gamma rays leaking, but despite this enormous work and achievement another crack has is reported by the Ukrainians to have developed!

We do not really know how much radioactive exposure our atmosphere is suffering with a second year of mass heatwaves across Europe! Governments will not report on this situation because there is no real alternative to nuclear power to cut down on the burning of fossil fuels?

Emergency Vehicles Electric!

Conversions to alternatives Underway!

The emergency services are to introduce a new breed of electric vehicles soon, this will be the first service to do so, followed by the Fire and Police? It is hoped that these new vehicles will cut down on emissions and one supposes this change has to start somewhere?

This will be a test run in relation probably to speed and their viability for range between charges! Batteries means more can be done on board maybe before getting to the Accident & Emergency rooms!

Eventually technology will improve and most service vehicles along with the emergency services, buses and trains will start to pay off with the cutting down of carbon monoxide in the air? We still have a long way to go, but at least we are getting there!

Pollution! Part-One.

Fire, steam, electric and Nuclear?

Through the last two hundred years humanity has moved from the burning of wood to splitting the Atomic atom and yet we remain limited to the use of fossil fuels to keep our world of manufacturing and travel to derivatives of oil for most vehicles, shipping, trains and aviation?

One has only to live by the coast to see the effects of polluted smog gathering in the mid summer afternoons to know that the petrol engine is a serious problem to human health!

Governments do need to wake up and reduce traffic on roads and find quick alternatives to our reliance on petrol, oil and coal?

LPG Conversions might be the solution for many between now and the compulsory introduction of battery and electric vehicles?

Roads? Part- Two.

Dual carriage to Motorways!

The automobile still rules the world with other carbon burning vehicles and road building continues to be the most costly infrastructure building programmes around the world! With the improvement of steel and concrete more ambitious projects are being undertaken such as high-level motorways in China and Bridges in Sweden-Denmark!

The movement of goods is essential over difficult terrain and the road seems to be one of the best options over that of railways? Roads can get through most of the weather conditions and elements thrown at it, since metal will crack in the cold and melt in the heat!

Humanity is resourceful in that vehicles can be used in mining, many trucks are opting now for road train ability and can be fitted into specialised trains! Even the prospect of living on the Moon and Mars in this Century will still call for roads to be constructed to move from A to B/Z?

The negatives with roads is the cost of up keeping them and the problem with speed and it being broken by reckless drivers who kill others out of selfishness or irresponsible fun? 

The electric car will not change our need to keep what we have in the future, things will change in relation to speed control, robotic driving and many other areas, but the road is here to stay?

African Technology. One.

Arms, civilian and Space!

Republic of South-Africa is the leading military industry complex on the continent of Africa and has a well established arms industry in aviation and vehicles as well as small arms! Atlas was responsible for the conversion and adaption of many aircraft and helicopters to meet local conditions and requirements in the long wars in Namibia, Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and Botswana.

French Mirage jets to an Israeli co-opt development programme, Aloutte-II/III conversions for bush operations. Many trucks and jeeps along with former British armour went under prolonged development to meet the local requirement from ANC resistance to full out war.

Today BAE Systems has an extensive military component in the RSA with a huge range of vehicles on offer.

Kenya and Nigeria meantime have extensive experience in rocketry and the launching of western satellites, which has encouraged them to develop their own ideas about going into space. 

Meanwhile both have also over the years developed their own drones for battlefield operation, perhaps more so Nigeria than any other.

Egypt, Algeria and Ethiopia also have their own successful similar industries and with the advent of more and more computer technology a bright future to move away from small fire arms and artillery?

The Conventional?

Stuck with Now!

What we have today in technology, engineering and transport will still remain around for some time yet? Teething is always a problem with new technology, it works fine until its out trying to what is demanded of it?

Recently the U.K. has suffered from a railway cock-up failure which has not as yet fully resolved itself, yet shipping, aviation and vehicles all over the years have suffered a similar fate with breakdown, crack failures and engine problems!

Movement is big bucks today, ships provide coal, ores and grain along with chemicals, fertiliser and when things are late windows are missed and monies are lost? Many people do not understand that we cannot sow crops anytime of the year, steel has to keep rolling in the supply of sheet materials for car plants, timed foods!

Aviation is not just about moving people from A to B/Z, its also the military and specialised cargo from live produce to, flowers, horses and mail, packets that also share some of our aircraft! New Tech is promised and it will gradually come in the shape of machines may not radically change mush, but the way they are powered will!

Norways Determination?

To be all electric Soon!

One nation is now so determined to go all electric within the next few years, will be the worlds first! It has started with a Lithium powered light aircraft and believes that within less than ten years world aviation will be on the brink of this new revolution?

This is not actually any longer far fetched since most vehicles can be converted, small shipping is in the progress and soon Diesel is to be defunct, so all other fossil fuels may be cut back seriously?

One has to wonder will there be any side effects of electricity such as static and other problems, that some people say that they suffer from living near overhead power lines? Will nature be effected by the vibration and static from electricity in our machines, such as shipping and aviation?

Railways Infrustructure!

Investment well overdue?

Britain is seeing a revolution in its railways from newlines to stations and ticketing, but the older stock is still a problem to shift on as new trains are being introduced? Line re-building and repair is taking up valuable time and cutting in to shedual but it is hoped that there will be enough equipment purchased to cover the long term investments being now in place?

London despite much new ideas, Cross rail and extensions, new stock and planning, still is suffering from lack of investment! Brexit is not helping the economic climate and there is a lack of initiative by the London Mayors to ask for the money!

The other cities in the U.K. are pressing on with trams as the future, we can be critical that they should not have stopped but the new lines are far more versatile than what was in place before? The introduction of electric vehicles will be an ever needed factor in our future transport needs, cutting carbon emissions from fossil fuels now in the advent of the end of the Diesel engine!

Transport in Africa. Part-Two.

Adaption and Innovation!

We tend to think that the so called third world only gets the hand outs of our advanced world, but this is far from the truth! There are the cases of ex-colonial assistance, but many nations have opted to  buy what they want from Japan as in the case of the Toyota pick-up.

It today is the most prevalent vehicle on the planet for its known versatility and operational capability, Land rover and the Mercedes Unimog follow quickly behind. Hino is perhaps one of the most common type of trucks that despite being of the late 60' early 70's era is still viable today as it was them?

Cost determines who has what, but with the possibility of mining and the discovery of fuels the wealth is pouring in to the coffers to be spent on the latest machinery from Volvo and many other expensive manufacturers.

Home grown manufacturing in South-Africa if it continues despite the new political situation will see a tremendous growth in supplying the continent with all types of machinery?

The formation of the African Union (UN) is a driving force behind the need for newer types of existing Atlas military equipment and also the various RSA BAE ground vehicles which not many know about outside!

Transport in Africa. Part-One.

Changing Continent?

Not much is thought about the continent of Africa, when it comes to transport it all seems backward? But this is far from the truth, in fact it is seeing some of the latest technology being tested before we might get it?

Republic South-Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya and Botswana are fast growing economies with the technology and industry to back them up and they are aiming higher than Europe in some areas? Solar power, Aviation, mechanical engineering, mining and automobiles as well as Space flight are on the cards for them to pursue in the next one-hundred years!

What is not much known about the continent is that is has a long space-race history with Europeans using facilities in Kenya and Nigeria and that RSA is one of the most advanced nations with an established Locomotive, military, vehicle and aviation industry!

China, Russia and the U.S. along with Europe and the U.K. have had a long history of supplying equipment, but it has been the Africans who have adapted everything to meet their own needs!

Electric Vehicles. Part-Two.

Everything Electric?

There is now a great push into the development of electric, because it is cheaper and much cleaner than burning fossil fuels? Perhaps one could say that electric is the new Diesel without any long term effects, that we yet do not know of?

By 2020 Britain and the EU hope that they will be at least 90% electric, wither this will happen is really uncertain, but the big cities will see more electric battery powered vehicles for delivery and possibly even taxis?

It is the development of aircraft, were we will see the biggest changes many designs along the with the American X-57 will appear this year and there will be improved changes to pollution levels? It is still not clear what will happen to the petrol engine and aviation fuel or how the conversion to neo will happen?

Specialist Police Vehicles. Two.

Radioactive, biological and Chemical.

We are living in the age of International terrorism and the growing threat of the use of a dirty bomb on the British mainland is ever nearing the day? The Police use many dedicated vehicles in their various lines of work, we are seeing an increase of their deployments on our TV's because of the more reported incidents?

Some seem to be traffic incidents, but may be more sinister that they seem, much training is underway by the emergency services in preparation for another mass casualty attack such as the terrible events of Manchester earlier this year!

The role of the Police is changing from Guardians of the peace and keeping the peace to that of dealing, if not eventually be armed because of religious inspired terror and enhanced criminal activity with acid and other toxic substances!

New vehicles will need to be developed alongside existing ones to deal with the excessive cuts and the rising situations?

Ambulances. One.

Mercedes Sprinter!

The need of a medical corps or the need to transport the ill to a hospital goes back millennium with pack animals and horses pulling a wagon of some type, but since the advent of the petrol engine many vehicles have been adapted for this role!

Today the Ambulance is a mobile medical centre, but remains limited and this depends in what country one may be ill in? In Israel and the U.S Emergency vehicles along with many European countries have some of the best state of the art facilities being enabled to treat on the scene thus saving time, money and lives!

Here in the U.K. much was made about the introduction of this new type of ambulance, but cuts have been made by the NHS and experience in one can be like being on a Merry-go-round? All emergency vehicles one believes should have four by four drive and be fairly stable, especially in the light of recent terrorist attacks here in the U.K. (England) this year?

Electric Vehicles. Part-One.

A new Generation!

Currently Royal Mail, the British postal delivery has taken delivery of six new Polish built electric vans to work the streets of London the capital of the U.K. This is one of many who are trialing these new battery powered vehicles along with UPS, FexEx and Tesco's!

There are many ideas and possibilities on the table for Transport for London (TFL) along with many other European cities in the hope to decrease the ever rising problem of pollution! TFL is also looking at a new generation of electric buses that could have terminals for re-charging at their final destination points?

Currently bio-fuel and dual engine vehicles from Italy and Germany are being put through their paces, but the development of new Lithium batteries with a capacity of up to 130 miles without a charge looks much more viable than ever!

Snow Patrol. Part-One.

Vehicle Adaptions.

There is money in snow, one has only to ask the Swiss, French and Austrians! 

Many vehicles have been adapted to work in snowy conditions, while many more have been specifically designed to operate all the time. Caterpillar tracks have the great advantage over the wheel in moving through snow and ice, but there is much more to this area than one might think!

Many vehicles can be fitted with snow ploughs and they have a limited use in clearing roads to rails, but the problems only start when the snow freezes and is extremely difficult to shift. Many early types started life as military vehicles (British Army Viking) and are now standard civilian vehicles used in a huge variety of ways from utility to scientific research.

Skies work great, when the surface is flat and smooth with many aircraft and helicopters being capable of operations in high mountains and winter flying conditions. Kamov Ka-32