If you buy a ‘lectric car, a proper ‘plug in’ one, it needs to be charged. That’s kind’a how it works. Charge it up and, like your phone, or iPad or the zillion other things we spend our lives charging, it’ll let you down when you really, really, REALLY don’t need it. And you can use a normal charger, which will take 73 hours to charge the car up to 14% usage, or you can buy a ‘supercharger’ which will give you 80% charge in 20 minutes. Maybe 30. So you can drive your G-Whizz at up to almost 9mph without worrying about it just dying on you. Not that you’d probably notice.

The picture is what ‘superchargers’ used to be. And in some cases can still be. That ridiculous chrome ‘thing’ sticking out of the bonnet of the Dodge Charger (the one used in the original ‘Fast & Furious’ movie in this case) is a mechanical device which forces masses of air into the car engine at great pressure, making it burn fuel more quickly and consequently go faster. But like… a lot faster. And I do appreciate that forcing a car to burn twice the normal amount of petrol as it would normally is not a very zeitgeisty thing to recommend. Particularly as ‘normally’ for this particular car is about 9 miles per gallon.

In about nineteen seventy-something, God, or Porsche, invented a turbo-charger. We’re not sure who, they’re still arguing over the rights. Turbos are different. They recycle exhaust fumes back into the engine to push more power out the other end. And they’re fine and dandy and even efficient. But they ‘lag’. Which means you put your foot down to overtake a lorry and… and… and three seconds later you pick up speed. And turbochargers don’t make any noise. Just a feint whirring. With superchargers you get no ‘lag’. You put your foot down in the above car and your only hope is that it stays on the ground. And whilst you’re worrying about take-off, the noise is a spectacular reminder that you are driving a lethal weapon.

I’m not recommending a return to such values, like speed, fun, enjoyment and driving insanely and preferably with chemical stimulation, that is the most un-Covid concept ever! But…

Sadiq Kahn, poxy little dwarf shit-for-brains Mayor of all London has a problem. Other than the preceding. No tube and train travel means no income for TfL. So the congestion charge (“its not a TAX, its for pollution; honest!”), already hiked to 15 quid a day and 7 days a week, is possibly to be extended out to the north and south circular roads. No, its not to raise money; its about congestion and pollution. And he’s right. The air’s shit. So why stop there. Why not extend it out to the M25? Or better still, to Paris, Brussels and Reykjavik? That’ll show those Europeans whose boss.

Happy Sunday

A xxxx