Finding the chase and cutting to it

One of my earliest memories was a “Watch” TV programme about the future of automation, in the late 1970s.  It discussed coal and gas powered generation of electricity for national consumption, petrol and diesel generation for automation and nuclear power.  It recognised acid rain and particulate pollution from vehicles and stated that we needed cleaner alternatives as population density rose.  I saw a hydrogen powered car and its “exhaust” of “clean water”.

At this time, of course, the West (Europe, Russia and America) were the obvious polluters: these were the rich countries and while car ownership was not yet cheap, it was affordable for most people with a job.

Times have changed: India and China are now recognised as producing more pollution than the West.  Smog in China is so chronically bad that cyclists often wear masks to protect themselves from the dust produced from car and motorcycle exhausts.  On internationally broadcast events from Beijing, the smog level is discussed much as the rain forecast is for a cricket match held in Lords.

Western car manufactures are being bought by Chinese and Indian firms and stretch versions of Mercedes and Jaguar models are aspiring models of lust.  It is unlikely though that China or India will be the first to bring in a ban on particulate emitting forms of transport.  That is much more likely to come from the West.

In 2003, London’s “congestion charge” was launched, quickly identified as creating a “Low Emission Zone”.  The intended outcome of the fee to ensure road users thought twice about bringing polluting vehicles into London, especially as motorcycles and “low emission vehicles” such as electric and hybrids are exempt.  The aim was to stop habitual users where at all possible.

Other towns and cities, especially in the South of England, have watched the adoption of the zone and its outcomes with interest.  In particular, East Anglia, with its sparse population, poor road design and the difficulties of providing meaningful public transport (cost benefit analysis will never come in).  Most of the intercity railway was electrified in the 1980’s which really does allow us to see that car, HGVs, buses and motorcycles are the polluters.

Cambridge has been notable in using excessive parking charges to discourage car users coming in to the city, but of course, this only works short term and drivers just add the parking or congestion charge to the cost of running their vehicles.  If you’re not careful, the outcome will be damage to high street businesses rather than benefits to the cities inhabitants.

Of course there’s more to the story than switching vehicles just to reduce your carbon footprint.  Other things need to be in place to win the heart and mind.

Heart and mind?

When I told a friend that I had bought a motorcycle, she wasn’t at all interested.  “Noisy, dirty things,” was her only comment.

Over the past four weeks, I have used my motorcycle twice and my diesel once to do the commute.  To be honest, that was the comment that came to mind with my beautiful diesel: noisy and dirty.

You very quickly get used to the lack of combustion noise with the Leaf.  Indeed, I find driving the diesel quite nauseating.  It’s not so bad with the motorbike and after the first 20 miles of a journey, I get used to the vibration again, but that effect wasn’t something I’d expected.

However, I got a bit of a shock from my 13 year old son.

Formula E had it’s first race yesterday in Beijing.  There have been big concerns that “petrol heads” would not be interested in a “quiet motor sport.”

Being part of the motorcycling community, there are many who would not want a silent bike.  I am not one of these bikers.  Not only do I wear my lid, but I have a pair of moulded ear plugs which are designed to protect my hearing from not just the bike but wind noise when travelling above 35mph.

We got tickets to see the MotoGP in 2010.  You arrive at Silverstone and signs every where point you to free ear plugs as the noise coming from the 20 bikes on the circuit is deafening.

With the first race from Formual E, it was lovely to watch a motor sport which didn’t have to stop the noise from the track in order to hear the pundits talk about the race.

All the drama was there, even up to the end – it was such a relief to watch Heidfeld climb out from the cockpit.

My 13 year old did not agree.  He didn’t like the “whine of the engines” and “it [was] a waste of time to watch something that slow.”  It wasn’t slow: far from it.  The road circuit supported speeds up to 115mph and the cars are capable of 150mph.

I loved the drama, many of the drivers have been top runners in GP and Formula 3/Ford (although both Katherine Legge and Michela Cerruti are less familiar to those following just F1).  During the race, you could actually “hear” the gear changes.  The only smoke was from the brakes and the conversation between Prost and Heidfeld.

To get engagement, social media has been used to allow the most popular drivers to use a “fanboost” – if enabled in their car it allows the driver to access an extra bit of power which should be available to the engines: going “from 150kw (202.5bhp) to 180kw (243bhp).”  Three drivers on the circuit get this facility; those most popular with the audience.

So, you like it?

I wish I could have been there in person, I am really looking forward to the next one: 22/11/2014 in Putrajaya, Malaysia.  Though, as it is so quiet and pollutant free, I would not mind this happening outside my house.

Not sure I would ever say that about F1.