It strikes me that there is a major area of potential energy saving and reduction of emissions that we should be commending to our legislative authorities. I refer to the lack of provision of car pre-heating/fast heating equipment by vehicle manufacturers in this country.
Every morning a high proportion of my neighbours who plan to commute (even the few hundrd yards to the local school!) go outside, start the engine of their car/van/all terrain vehicle and then go back inside to give the vehicle time to heat up – sometimes for up to half an hour(!).
Have any of our members I wonder done the necessary research to quantify the harm this practice does in terms of fuel usage and emissions? I know that modern vehicle engines are relatively polluting when cold and since they are not being loaded, in these circumstances are unlikely to reach operating temperature particularly quickly.
I have heard that Scandinavian countries require that vehicles are supplied with a form of mains powered electrical engine preheater but equally, since electrically powered vehicles are already available, I assume that electric-only car heaters must also be available. This last with its potential for quick heat up must surely offer the simplest and best way to achieve the desired speedy demisting of windscreens/warming of interiors in much reduced time if incorporated into conventionally engined vehicles.
None of this is about technology that is particularly mould breaking but, I believe, potentially offers substantial benefits and represents the sort of practical improvements that we should also be promoting.
Don Bryden
© PE Publishing, February 2010
