Long term outlook for old vans...

[Eber123]

Good afternoon,

This is a very complex topic that the different governments in Europe have to sort out.

In the last 50 years an infrastructure grew that work was in the city, but because living space was so expensive everybody bought a house a rented a flat away from the city. Now we need to rely on transport (be it cars or public transport).

Here is an example of the dilemma. In Frankfurt diesel vehicles will be banned in a few month (if memory serves right up to Euro4 and later to Euro5). Everyday thousands of those cars have to drive into Frankfurt. What to do? Local counsel consider to build huge car parks on the outskirts. Wow, that is ambitious. The ban will be in place at the end of the year, that is not even time enough for planning. On top of that there is simply not enough space easy available.

I am one of those people who won't believe in electric cars. I simply don't believe that it is sustainable. I have not read one newspaper article explaining from where the electricity is coming from if Ireland has 500,000 electric cars. Also with the limited travel distance (obviously this alone is a huge topic for discussion) has a massive impact in rural areas on tourism in Europe.

There is a lot of work to do, but traveling will be different in the future, certainly not so as we know it know.

Regards,
Eberhard

 

[Padraic]

Well if the VR6 lump fits then the RS will.
400bhp.

Matched with an s-tronic gearbox, would be very smooth to drive.

 

[bxl_lad]

My real concern is if governments decided that all old Diesels need removing from the roads and by far the easiest and effective method is to make the emissions tests on MOT's more stringent. (Bear in mind I live in Germany, where they do have emissions test with the Diesels) I could be really worried and paranoid about this, but have decided instead to take the gamble and spend a chunk of money on getting my rust sorted this winter. I'm confident of getting at least another 10 years of joy and pleasure out of it and would love more. I just hope that the government allows me that.

My point exactly Chris... I'm not questioning my desire to keep running this van for many years to come, but instead "will I be allowed to?"...Its indeed that point that worries me, and more so given that we're living already just inside a zone... And ours already has a DPF fitted, so we're sporting a green disk for Germany (although it seems quite easy to obtain one of those...), but in Belgium they're not even taking that into account, having a DPF changes nothing in their eyes...
So, will be applying for the exemption next year and hope that, at least for now, that will be the end of the worrying...

 

[bxl_lad]

Maybe there is a future.... This guy has fitted a Tesla motor and batteries to an old T25:

(video is in French, but with English subtitles)

...although I'd still have to convince the Belgian authorities of its zero emission credentials!

The future is coming!