What is hacking you off today?

[GBJ]

No they're not. What do you suggest would help? I suggest banning anything but electric vehicles from central London (and other major cities) or upping the charge to something like £50 a day. That'd put off the selfish driver who is too sociopathic to mix with the hoi-polloi in public transport (and I knew someone who would not use any form of public transport because of this very reason).

It’s difficult to say tbh. You could pedestrianise the entirety of Central London, but that of course would have a huge knock on effect to jobs & businesses.

You’ve got to remember that it’s not just people going for a leisurely drive around the City, or popping to the shops to get some milk. There are Hundreds of thousands of people who depend on being able to access the city, via the most polluting vehicles. Emergency Services for example.

The ideal solution - which in fairness, is in the very early stages - would be to make The City all electric. But that is a way away yet.

 

[MK Shrimper]

The ideal solution - which in fairness, is in the very early stages - would be to make The City all electric. But that is a way away yet.

It's something that has to happen, and with will and a budget it could. Modern electric cars can do 300 miles on a full charge, that's enough if you consider everything inside of the North & South circulars to be London.

We have a lot of buses up here that are battery powered. There are trials ongoing of battery powered trains. The future has to be this.

 

[GBJ]

It's something that has to happen, and with will and a budget it could. Modern electric cars can do 300 miles on a full charge, that's enough if you consider everything inside of the North & South circulars to be London.

We have a lot of buses up here that are battery powered. There are trials ongoing of battery powered trains. The future has to be this.

I think it’s a given.

The problem at the moment is, the electric car market is still in its infancy.

In terms of production, manufacture & longevity, the Motor industry works on long term (10-year) plans. Hardly any had (or could have) planned or predicted the sudden uprise in the popularity of electric cars.

They’ve had to rip up those ten-year plans, and rush through new ones to accommodate this new trend.

Unfortunately though, most don’t have the required infrastructure to mass produce these cars, and certainly not at an affordable rate.

 

[South Bank Hank]

They’ve had to rip up those ten-year plans, and rush through new ones to accommodate this new trend.

Unfortunately though, most don’t have the required infrastructure to mass produce these cars, and certainly not at an affordable rate.

As I’m understanding things from consulting with some of the major players, they don’t want to. While Tesla may ultimately leverage their strengths and become a battery company, many of the leading big brand car manufacturers see themselves focusing more on building interiors for the customer experience rather than the vehicle. Makes sense for me... if I cant continue to enjoy the pleasure I get from driving and if I’m going to become more of a passenger, my spend is going to go on making the passive experience work for me instead. It doesn’t at the moment. I hate being a passenger.

We should get back on topic though. Driverless cars could be its own topic.

 

[RHB]

As I’m understanding things from consulting with some of the major players, they don’t want to. While Tesla may ultimately leverage their strengths and become a battery company, many of the leading big brand car manufacturers see themselves focusing more on building interiors for the customer experience rather than the vehicle. Makes sense for me... if I cant continue to enjoy the pleasure I get from driving and if I’m going to become more of a passenger, my spend is going to go on making the passive experience work for me instead. It doesn’t at the moment. I hate being a passenger.

We should get back on topic though. Driverless cars could be its own topic.

Don't worry SBH, we forgive you.

 

[GBJ]

As I’m understanding things from consulting with some of the major players, they don’t want to

Eh? I must be misunderstanding. The future of the motor industry IS electric cars. Every single manufacturer is currently looking for ways to evolve their products, using this market. I don’t mean driverless by the way, I mean battery powered vehicles.

The trouble is, they don’t have;
- the factories to make them
- the replacement parts
- the staff to maintain them
- the know how to work the market

Within the next few years, they’ll have cracked these issues and I’d say that within the next ten years, diesel/petrol cars will be well into their final decline.

 

[South Bank Hank]

Eh? I must be misunderstanding. The future of the motor industry IS electric cars. Every single manufacturer is currently looking for ways to evolve their products, using this market. I don’t mean driverless by the way, I mean battery powered vehicles.

The trouble is, they don’t have;
- the factories to make them
- the replacement parts
- the staff to maintain them
- the know how to work the market

Within the next few years, they’ll have cracked these issues and I’d say that within the next ten years, diesel/petrol cars will be well into their final decline.

I agree but I’m talking about a longer term position.

It’s all about a pace of change that’s rapidly accelerating and the next 10-15 years will see developments at a speed we’ve never known before.

At the moment, on this topic, it’s electric cars. And it WILL be about electric cars. But that future is also giving more and more ground to driverless electric cars (or driverless transport more generally). And that’s when it will be about interiors. Once you take away the actual tactile driving experience, it just becomes a chauffeur driven environment. We’re not there yet but we’re hurtling towards it and it’s a long term view they’re taking balanced against maintaining profitability and relevance in the shorter term.

Tesla’s leadership position in batteries (and their acquisition of Maxwell) means they’re many years ahead of their nearest competition. If they can scale quickly (to your point about factories and know how etc), others won’t be able to compete - making Tesla a more dominant player as a provider of components than cars. Who knows how it will actually pan out but this is a perceived commercial reality at the moment.

 

[GBJ]

I agree but I’m talking about a longer term position.

It’s all about a pace of change that’s rapidly accelerating and the next 10-15 years will see developments at a speed we’ve never known before.

At the moment, on this topic, it’s electric cars. And it WILL be about electric cars. But that future is also giving more and more ground to driverless electric cars (or driverless transport more generally). And that’s when it will be about interiors. Once you take away the actual tactile driving experience, it just becomes a chauffeur driven environment. We’re not there yet but we’re hurtling towards it and it’s a long term view they’re taking balanced against maintaining profitability and relevance in the shorter term.

Tesla’s leadership position in batteries (and their acquisition of Maxwell) means they’re many years ahead of their nearest competition. If they can scale quickly (to your point about factories and know how etc), others won’t be able to compete - making Tesla a more dominant player as a provider of components than cars. Who knows how it will actually pan out but this is a perceived commercial reality at the moment.

Ah right I’m with you now. Yeah, agree with all of that tbh.

Especially the part about developments over the next 15 years. It’ll move quickly for sure, but in what direction is anyone’s guess.

For years it’s been pretty easy for car companies. Make a faster car, put new gadgets in it, paint it in this lairy colour, slap a eye-watering price on it, jobs a good’un.

Right now, they’re pretty much flying blind. The market (now and subsequently the future) is in such an unpredictable state, that if You bob or weave the wrong way, it could be disaster.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Indian restaurant branded after dinner mints.

After Eights don't scream class but they are a hell of a lot better than something that tastes like it is from an out of date pound shop Easter egg.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Ah right I’m with you now. Yeah, agree with all of that tbh.

Especially the part about developments over the next 15 years. It’ll move quickly for sure, but in what direction is anyone’s guess.

For years it’s been pretty easy for car companies. Make a faster car, put new gadgets in it, paint it in this lairy colour, slap a eye-watering price on it, jobs a good’un.

Right now, they’re pretty much flying blind. The market (now and subsequently the future) is in such an unpredictable state, that if You bob or weave the wrong way, it could be disaster.

Diesel

IMO,FWIW.anyone who buys a diesel car (as we did,reluctantly. last summer) will be ok ,at least in mainland Europe for the next 10 years or so.
Diesel

 

[Mad Cyril]

I have just realised my beloved Casio digital watch is no longer strapped to my left wrist.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I have just realised my beloved Casio digital watch is no longer strapped to my left wrist.

G shocks are the now, and the future, virtually indestructible

 

[Mad Cyril]

G shocks are the now, and the future, virtually indestructible

Not retro chic enough for me.

I'll just wear one of my other Casios tomorrow. Maybe a calculator watch.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Horsefly bites.

 

[Ricey]

Call me sexist or whatever you want but this is absolute bull****!

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/15/lashana-lynch-new-007-james-bond-daniel-craig

 

[Firestorm]

Call me sexist or whatever you want but this is absolute bull****!

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/15/lashana-lynch-new-007-james-bond-daniel-craig

I agree, ANOTHER Bond film !!! Flemings books ran out years ago. If they have to "freshen it up" then surely that indicates its past its sell by date.

 

[GBJ]

Call me sexist or whatever you want but this is absolute bull****!

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/15/lashana-lynch-new-007-james-bond-daniel-craig

Just look at the recent, all-female reboots, such as Ghostbusters & the Ocean’s film. They’ve hardly breathed fresh life back into the franchises.

As it happens though, I’m not really a Bond fan*, so I wouldn’t be devastated if they went this way.

*How many times will we hear that over the next few months?

 

[MK Shrimper]

Bond should have gone back to the Cold War a rebooted itself, but I guess in the current climate, Connery-style Bonds are certainly not in vogue. A black, female Bond (whilst revolutionary and daring) sounds like the cry of a dying franchise to be honest. The Incels will kill it stone dead.

 

[South Bank Hank]

Call me sexist or whatever you want but this is absolute bull****!

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/15/lashana-lynch-new-007-james-bond-daniel-craig

Bond should have gone back to the Cold War a rebooted itself, but I guess in the current climate, Connery-style Bonds are certainly not in vogue. A black, female Bond (whilst revolutionary and daring) sounds like the cry of a dying franchise to be honest. The Incels will kill it stone dead.

No offence, but I think you're missing the point. It's NOT a black, female Bond. It's a female spy who has been assigned the 007 codename as Bond has retired. It's a clever way of dealing with what has become a ridiculous and overblown issue without pandering to political correctness. Bond is neither black nor female, but there's no reason why another agent in the same role might be. As any Bond movie, it'll be as much tongue-in-cheek as taking itself seriously but it strikes me as a positive message.

I agree, ANOTHER Bond film !!! Flemings books ran out years ago. If they have to "freshen it up" then surely that indicates its past its sell by date.

....sounds like the cry of a dying franchise to be honest. The Incels will kill it stone dead.

Skyfall grossed $1.1bn, nearly double its predecessor Quantum of Solace, around three times The World Is Not Enough/Tomorrow Never Dies/Goldeneye, seven times Licence to Kill etc.

Whether you're a fan of the movies or not is a choice, but it's far from a dying franchise or past its sell-by-date. "Freshening up" is just a necessary part of moving a franchise forward with the times and, in fairness, Flemming's original conception of Bond IS now completely out of step.

 

[Ricey]

No offence, but I think you're missing the point. It's NOT a black, female Bond. It's a female spy who has been assigned the 007 codename as Bond has retired. It's a clever way of dealing with what has become a ridiculous and overblown issue without pandering to political correctness. Bond is neither black nor female, but there's no reason why another agent in the same role might be. As any Bond movie, it'll be as much tongue-in-cheek as taking itself seriously but it strikes me as a positive message.



Skyfall grossed $1.1bn, nearly double its predecessor Quantum of Solace, around three times The World Is Not Enough/Tomorrow Never Dies/Goldeneye, seven times Licence to Kill etc.

Whether you're a fan of the movies or not is a choice, but it's far from a dying franchise or past its sell-by-date. "Freshening up" is just a necessary part of moving a franchise forward with the times and, in fairness, Flemming's original conception of Bond IS now completely out of step.

I’m not missing the point! I know she is not replacing James Bond or 007. You either do a spin off or you retire Bond and end it. It’s not a dying franchise but if they go with this storyline then it will die a quick and fast death!