RUMCars Forum
General Category => Unusual Microcar Discussion => Topic started by: Bob Purton on March 28, 2012, 02:26:21 PM
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I know not everyone on the forum likes electric cars but as the G-wiz is a microcar and some may be interested I thought I would share my experiences.
My one is over 4.5 years old now and although the batteries on these cars usually last three year, my battery pack has only just faded and died. Not bad ah? The bats have had over 900 charge cycles. I have just had a new set installed by EV workshop and can wholeheartedly recommend these folk in every way. Whilst I was up in Stevenage delivering the car for its change over I saw a black wiz in the corner of the workshop with police marking on it, I enquired what it was about and Ric told me that the London police had commissioned the workshops to build a special wiz that would do 75mph so that they could chase speeding motorists in London, Ric thought it was a mad idea from the start but as he was being paid and it was an exercise he did it. Tested at Santa Pod, it did 85mph but when the police tried it it frighten the life out of them [well it would having just got out of BMW's and alike!] They gave it straight back to Ric and it now just comes out for police exhibitions etc. What a waste of tax payers money! Mind you wouldn't catch me driving it!
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If that was for sale, I would have it straight away.
Were your batteries expensive?
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Great to hear about the batteries Bob, that's a pretty good life.
I am certainly not against electric cars, but as yet I doubt anything would fit my needs well, and this was confirmed by your post 1 or 2 years ago where you described the distance you do regularly, and I think your requirement seems to be a very good match for the capabilities of a G-Wiz or other small electric cars.
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If that was for sale, I would have it straight away.
Were your batteries expensive?
Well the batteries are about £1000.00 but I didnt want to fit them my self plus has some other bits looked at so the bill was obviosly more. The first money I have spent on it so far though.
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Sounds good to me Bob.
Everyone should have a small simple no frills electric car for local trips and a family car suitable for longer trips. I need six seats and luggage space so I am snookered when it comes to transport. As I carry five passengers in my big car I suppose I should have cheap tax compared to one man Range Rovers. I wish there were a 6 seat electric car for the school run - 8 mile round trip.
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I know not everyone on the forum likes electric cars but as the G-wiz is a microcar and some may be interested I thought I would share my experiences.
My one is over 4.5 years old now and although the batteries on these cars usually last three year, my battery pack has only just faded and died. Not bad ah? The bats have had over 900 charge cycles. I have just had a new set installed by EV workshop and can wholeheartedly recommend these folk in every way. Whilst I was up in Stevenage delivering the car for its change over I saw a black wiz in the corner of the workshop with police marking on it, I enquired what it was about and Ric told me that the London police had commissioned the workshops to build a special wiz that would do 75mph so that they could chase speeding motorists in London, Ric thought it was a mad idea from the start but as he was being paid and it was an exercise he did it. Tested at Santa Pod, it did 85mph but when the police tried it it frighten the life out of them [well it would having just got out of BMW's and alike!] They gave it straight back to Ric and it now just comes out for police exhibitions etc. What a waste of tax payers money! Mind you wouldn't catch me driving it!
Something of a G-fuzz
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Which is more polluting?
Creating new batteries every 3.5 years and recycling the old ones plus burning something at a power station to power the electric car.
Or using some oil and a few filters in an ICE.
Which is actually the green option?
If we then decided we could run cars on hydrogen or Methane produced in a more controlled and recyclable way which is the green option?
An electric car out here would be all but useless. They are ideal for urban use however.
One answer does not suit all and bullshit is not an effective Government policy on something as important as sensible use of resources. I repeat we sit as a developed country with a wealth of untapped energy and a wealth of natural resources like coastline, wind, waves etc etc. and ignoring huge, world leading industries formed by investment in our position to lead the world in green energy sources. WE do not need to be buying energy from anyone. What do we get, several 13 amp plugs on the M6. Fools are in charge.
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Honestly Al, your like a worn out record . I wouldnt mind if it were Led Zepplin no.4 or Liege and Lief!! :D A tiny minority drive electric cars because of green issues, nearly all G-wiz drivers bought theirs to avoid the congestion charge and are not the tree hugger type at all. This is proved by the current situation, now that many ICE engined cars are also exempt Wiz sales have ground to a halt. Of course power is generated at power stations by burn prehistoric dead stuff but at least that way the fallout is confined to a whacking great chimney pointing upwards and is a whole lot healthier that blasting it through an inner city kids bedroom window. Most electric car folk are just enthusiasts for electric cars or like me are trying to save money, not necessarily the planet.
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johnny cash called petrol -dinosaur bones ;) it could be all of us one day ;D
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How are you getting on with the fuel crisis Bob? Both of our local garages are out.
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Well quite! Anything within a 40 mile radias is no problem. MInd you, when I come and visit you next week I shall have to burn some"dinosaur bones"!!
Correction 20 mile radias, as I have to get home again
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on way home tonight asda, sainsbury, tesco closed - no fuel . shell station no diesel as was BP - i wanted and eventually got diesel but people were in long queues to reach the pumps only to find their required fuel had run out.
to all in other countries reading this there is the POSSIBILITY of a fuel delivery drivers strike . any such strike would be at least 7 days off . its something we do when not buying up all the stamps we can as they go up 20- 30 % shortly and we can still use them .
i think we just like queuing - we are famous for it ;D
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Well quite! Anything within a 40 mile radias is no problem. MInd you, when I come and visit you next week I shall have to burn some"dinosaur bones"!!
Correction 20 mile radias, as I have to get home again
Why not stick a v8 generator on the passenger seat. Plenty of electricity and a great noise!
How would a small generator ticking away extend your range..........................?
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Honestly Al, your like a worn out record . I wouldnt mind if it were Led Zepplin no.4 or Liege and Lief!! :D A tiny minority drive electric cars because of green issues, nearly all G-wiz drivers bought theirs to avoid the congestion charge and are not the tree hugger type at all. This is proved by the current situation, now that many ICE engined cars are also exempt Wiz sales have ground to a halt. Of course power is generated at power stations by burn prehistoric dead stuff but at least that way the fallout is confined to a whacking great chimney pointing upwards and is a whole lot healthier that blasting it through an inner city kids bedroom window. Most electric car folk are just enthusiasts for electric cars or like me are trying to save money, not necessarily the planet.
This was a generalised rant, not a personalised one. I am all for folks using the best tools to hand.
New batteries might be a sharp intake of breath but I assume this is effectively fuel and servicing for the period of use/mileage minus hook up. Be interesting to see how the chassis copes over the years as that comes in as a longer term cost that we all pay.
For all that folk were in every garage buying as much fuel as possible it did not empty the roads any on our trip to Horsham to collect dead Trojans with two wagons and trailers. Absolute nightmare of a drive. Made only worth it by two acres of fine quality crap to sift through for stuff we had obtained the right to remove. Add in a Sachs engine, a Jowett engine and a strong Trojan A frame etc. found awaiting the Scrap man and given freely by the, now, friendly owner and a darned good days work.
On our return we discussed the sense in buying fuel with humongous tax levied on it to sit in Government sponsored traffic jams burning said fuel to no great gain. Is it me or is the Government not in a win win if we use more fuel, just as the price of fuel hits the highest level ever? The timing with a change in fuel chemistry is interesting to, another hidden tax rise as previously pointed out. Hence we are advised to make our cars as heavy as possible to use more fuel and pay more tax to do the same trip because 800 guys might go on strike over a health and safety issue. Advice from a Government in serious cash flow difficulty set to get really bad when the summer's half yearly tax payments are due. So many companies filed low returns they paid in full after Chrimbo. This allowing the Gov to say they had a good tax income revenue, classic political con, but the truth is this summer they need to sell our assets off to cover the hole in finance be it Post Office, RBS or the Womens Institute in a con with North Korea. So sat in line waiting for fuel, you have been a victim of propaganda. It works though, dunnit?
Prediction. The new fuel will finish off a lot of older second hand cars, hence the need to force folk to consume a load of it to stimulate the market in time to collect revinue. Funny to report how the car manufacturers are gearing up production in the face of a slump in sales. What do they know that we do not? Its a con.
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It was a generalised answer. Just pointing out that a part of the green issue is air quality in cities.
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I lurv the smell of two stroke in the morning.
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Surely Barry, you must wake up to the smell or agricultural Diesel?
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just hope its only two strokes your giving it in the morning ;D
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It was a generalised answer. Just pointing out that a part of the green issue is air quality in cities.
Air is to good for them!
No one is forced to go into cities but I take your point. Things like buses sat idle on tick over to keep the air conditioning on etc. do not help. Visited this topic before.
My answer is a cop out and has been / is not to go into built up area if at all possible. The main reason I did not attend the National in Cardiff on a Beaulieu Autojumble weekend. One reason I gave up doing courier work, which never included metropolitan London, on the back of Alan's Unusual Autos, as well.
Likewise I do not do cities abroad either. So tours to a large metropolis tend not to interest me.
I am beginning to think that I might need to expand my exclusion zone to other areas with the traffic conditions in some areas. Interestingly I was following the lead vehicle on this last run and we went a route I would have not on my own as I already avoided several areas we passed through by going outside the M25 as far and as much as possible. Seems I am right to do so even though 'it takes longer'. Hmm, not so sure about that. I have an odd route to Esher when I do the conference there but it works.
Then again much of these probs would be solved if the larger roads became like a Scalextric track with electric cars! Us carrot crunchers would have to have a ICE engine and an additional licence to go off piste I guess. Now that could be green.
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I always thought the Scalextric track idea was a good one albeit an old one. It could also be designed so that cars could not crash into each other as well.
I never had Scalextric track when I was a nipper, for some strange reason Roome stores or Upminster only sold the Airfix track system, it was gray instead of black, never caught on!
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If you like Scalextrics, there is a man in France, Guy, (with Messerschmitt) who has got a massive collection. Photos on eBay
What about induction charging of electric cars at junctions and parking bays - or on the induction scalextric motorway!
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I'm told thats on its way!
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back to scalextric hows this then
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scalextric-conversion-Bond-Bug-700-ES-3-wheeler-car-SUPERB-/110852435802?pt=UK_Toys_Games_Scalextrics_Slot_Cars_ET&hash=item19cf51ef5a
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scalextric-conversion-BMW-Isetta-car-SUPERB-Fun-Fast-/150788376835?pt=UK_Toys_Games_Scalextrics_Slot_Cars_ET&hash=item231bb00903
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Love the Isetta, pity I have no track!
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back to scalextric hows this then
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scalextric-conversion-Bond-Bug-700-ES-3-wheeler-car-SUPERB-/110852435802?pt=UK_Toys_Games_Scalextrics_Slot_Cars_ET&hash=item19cf51ef5a
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scalextric-conversion-BMW-Isetta-car-SUPERB-Fun-Fast-/150788376835?pt=UK_Toys_Games_Scalextrics_Slot_Cars_ET&hash=item231bb00903
Ah both from Sandbach. The motorway services that got confused about sandwiches, filled rolls and roughage to produce the worst snack in Britain, the Sandbach. My suggestion, turn off, if north to the left at roundabout, 2 miles and there is a very nice Waitrose, I think it is, which has cheaper, nicer foodstuffs. They might also have Bond Bug and Isetta scalextric cars. Not sure you can charge your G-Whizz there so you might have to suffer the services for that armed with double up plug on the few 13 amp plugs available ----, glowing red ------, here come some more, ---- boom.
Why isn't there a scalextric G-Whizz, they are electric. Job for Bob.
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Love the Scalextric cars, want to see Heinkel/Trojan and KR/TG ones!
Sandbach Services oh yes!
On tour 1980s, 3 am, road weary, low on money and hungry, so in we go for petrol and a tiny portion of greasy almost cold chips which cost 3 times as much as a normal portion of chips.
Then we leave and spot the police car near the exit and we all know we will be followed for a couple of miles then pulled over, as always! They pull us over 10 minutes later, quite friendly, just want to check, I show my docs, but they want to see what's in the back of my old VW van, so the 3 in the back open the side door while I look at the wing mirror.
First out is the guitarist 6 ft 9" tall and looks like Frankenstein's Monster or Herman Munster, he is doubled over to get out, then straightens up to full height. In the mirror I see 2 cops' jaws drop as they take 3 rapid steps backwards in uncontrolled fear and surprise. Guitarist is a gentle giant, so all soon calms down.
The checks all get sorted without too much fuss; as a musician, your journeys are virtually impossible unless you are fully prepared and have a good attitude to cope with endless pulls!
One cop comes back to me and says "That big mate of yours, does he play football?" "Oh yes", I reply, "he loves his footie".
"Do you think he would want to join our Police football team?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
"Ooo, I don't like to, he looks a bit, er, intimidating like".
"Yup, I noticed you both running backwards when he got out of the van".
"Yeah, well, er, he took us by surprise...glad you lot turned out to be nice lads, we were a bit worried! Thanks for your patience, have a good tour and mind how you go".
"Cheers, bye now".
The hilarious sight of the 2 cops staggering back in terror is etched permanently in my visual memory!
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back to scalextric hows this then
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scalextric-conversion-Bond-Bug-700-ES-3-wheeler-car-SUPERB-/110852435802?pt=UK_Toys_Games_Scalextrics_Slot_Cars_ET&hash=item19cf51ef5a
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scalextric-conversion-BMW-Isetta-car-SUPERB-Fun-Fast-/150788376835?pt=UK_Toys_Games_Scalextrics_Slot_Cars_ET&hash=item231bb00903
Ah both from Sandbach. The motorway services that got confused about sandwiches, filled rolls and roughage to produce the worst snack in Britain, the Sandbach. My suggestion, turn off, if north to the left at roundabout, 2 miles and there is a very nice Waitrose, I think it is, which has cheaper, nicer foodstuffs. They might also have Bond Bug and Isetta scalextric cars. Not sure you can charge your G-Whizz there so you might have to suffer the services for that armed with double up plug on the few 13 amp plugs available ----, glowing red ------, here come some more, ---- boom.
Why isn't there a scalextric G-Whizz, they are electric. Job for Bob.
Its becoming clear that Al has developed a new phobia to go along with his many others, electric car phobia, I'm sure we can come up with a suitable medical name for it. How about Andersophobia? [Robert Anderson, inventer of first electric car 1830] Strangely though, so far no sandwich and filled rolls phobia. ;)
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I lurv the smell of two stroke in the morning.
Even better if you burn castor!
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ah but can we really see sand as roughage ? has anyone ever eaten enough sand to find out ?
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[quote author=Bob Purton link=topic=3230.msg21753#msg21753 date=1333618329
Its becoming clear that Al has developed a new phobia to go along with his many others, electric car phobia, I'm sure we can come up with a suitable medical name for it. How about Andersophobia? [Robert Anderson, inventer of first electric car 1830] Strangely though, so far no sandwich and filled rolls phobia. ;)
[/quote]
I quite like Dodge Chargers. Does that count as electric or green?
Prefer Gerry Anderson, the inventor of the nuclear powered car, well anything nuclear powered you could think of really. That or metal girders that could burn and explode. Also in at the start of String theory.
While diverging off topic I like the new Audi advert. Until they morph the car into a brick with a badge on it. Not sure which car that older one was. It does not look mean enough to be the record breaker that Rosemeyer lost his life driving. Interesting machine that should appeal to micronauts if only for styling. And strangely G-Whizzish in shape.
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Yup, I too love that odd little Audi car, quirky and over-flowing with character.
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Funny enough my Nephew drives a Dodge Charger, I used to think that the pleasant wharbling sound it made was the v12 or what ever it is engine turning over but it turns out its the sound of the fuel guage going down! I dont think he can afford to drive it these days and thats at South Carolina give away fuel prices.
Sounds like the Andersons were a brainy lot!
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My Texan business partner is always complaining about the price of petrol, to which I reply that theirs is about the cheapest in the world and should be given away free when you buy a few cents worth of Green Shield Stamps! That winds him up nicely!
He bought a new Ford 4 litre petrol van for our timpani business. At that time over here at the Studios we had an old 2.5 diesel (not turbo) Transit, Extra Long Wheel Base and Hi-Top. This was much bigger, but accelerated FAR faster, had more power and torque, went uphill better and used half as much fuel. I find it incomprehensible that the same company can make such extremes of vehicle performance, and furthermore the big engine in the US Ford van left virtually no room at all for the passenger's legs. And I am hardly the world's tallest person!
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But can it go around corners?
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Even with a full load our old Transit cornered better and was faster than the US one empty. Herb kept saying that he should have got the 5 litre one, he always said that US needs a larger engine because they have to cover great distances, so I had to remind him that so do Continental European ones! The European Fords just seem to be 20 years ahead of US ones.
Starting to see more electric vans in London nowadays, good thing! I am very pro-electric vehicles but do not at present have the right application for any that are currently available.
Does a G-Wiz have a heater?
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But can it go around corners?
What Marcus's legs? Yeah, when he bends them.
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Does a G-Wiz have a heater?
No those slots on the dash board are for toast.
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Does a G-Wiz have a heater?
No those slots on the dash board are for toast.
Yum, toast, humous and sliced beetroot!
Seriously though, do they have slots and a heater? How effective is the heater in Winter, and if you use it at full blast how much range does it take off? I ask this seriously, as if I were to get a car for myself and Carla her joint problem and Italian blood means she REALLY does need the car to have a good heater!
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Starting to see more electric vans in London nowadays, good thing! I am very pro-electric vehicles but do not at present have the right application for any that are currently available.
Old to middling milk float? Is it the Four Tops? Well might be, Gold Silver Green and Blue. Though Blue is banned a bit. More likely it is the Four Tom-toms of the Apocalypse better known as Marcus de Milkboy in his drumtastic Unigate tricart.
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No milk floats round our way anymore, need Endangered Species protection and an owners club, Rare and Unusual Milkfloats?!
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The Milkfloat register? Dont give Stuart ideas! We still have the electric ones round our way
Yes the Wiz does have a heater, its a bit feeble though for obvious reasons, when left on for a reasonable amount of time it does warm the inside up but not as warm as toast! I have never noticed it making a huge difference to the range. One thing about these cars is that in the winter you dont have to scrape the ice off the glass in the mornings if the car has been plugged in over night, the batteries are wrapped in an electric blanket to keep them at optimum temperature, some of the heat escapes into the cab and keeps the frost off the windows.
Glad to know you have bendable Legs Marcus, quite important for a drummer.
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Cheers Bob, sort of how I imagined.
My legs are OK but not as bendable as Carla's, hers go quite a few degrees beyond normal the wrong way, it makes my eyes water!
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The Milkfloat register? Dont give Stuart ideas! We still have the electric ones round our way
I think it is Root that has a purvey video on Milk floats we watched at a BUMS do. There used to be a place near Bampton that serviced them and rumour has it that there are still dead ones yonder. If a reasonably solid one could be found they are pretty well made so it could be an ideal London transportation device. Only prob with Milk Floats is they are not designed with security in mind.
No doubt Marcus could electrify a more modern van but time is never available to those that do things.
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loads of milkfloats up nawf !! no shortage up here