If EV's are so good why did electric milkfloats die out?
Discussion
I too have a milkman, but I think we're the only ones on our street he delivers to. He comes in a transit pick-up.
My point was, 20 years ago everyone had a milkman, there used to be a large co-op milk depot were dozens of floats would emerge in a morning covering pretty much the whole town. Now everyone buys in 4 pint cartons from their supermarket in order to save a few pence.
My point was, 20 years ago everyone had a milkman, there used to be a large co-op milk depot were dozens of floats would emerge in a morning covering pretty much the whole town. Now everyone buys in 4 pint cartons from their supermarket in order to save a few pence.
I think it's a combination of things.
But old EV milk floats used to work because they were quiet at unsocial hours in the morning and were fairly efficient when stopping at every house in a street.
These days, people car less about the noise, and the individuals milkman's round can be much wider and larger, so they need a vehicle that can drive faster with the same weight.
But old EV milk floats used to work because they were quiet at unsocial hours in the morning and were fairly efficient when stopping at every house in a street.
These days, people car less about the noise, and the individuals milkman's round can be much wider and larger, so they need a vehicle that can drive faster with the same weight.
Their range was only around 30 miles, and the top speed was around 12 to 15mph. So they worked well when the milkman delivered to every house on the street, and his round covered a small geographical area. They don't work so well when you're covering a much bigger delivery area, and having to travel further between deliveries.
Technology has moved on significantly since they were designed in the 1960s, but I doubt that with competition from supermarkets, dairies now have the profits to invest in designing custom delivery vehicles. Far cheaper just to buy a transit more or less off the shelf.
Technology has moved on significantly since they were designed in the 1960s, but I doubt that with competition from supermarkets, dairies now have the profits to invest in designing custom delivery vehicles. Far cheaper just to buy a transit more or less off the shelf.
RossP said:
It's a Q-reg bitsa, too.I'd love a milk float - we live about 3/4 of a mile from the river and I would use it to trundle there and back loaded up with bikes and canoes. I would be pretending to be Pat Mustard in the cab.
No VED, no MoT, overall almost zero running costs. I wonder (with the right smart meter) if it could be used to time-shift electricity consumption (charge the float with cheap night rate power and run the house load from the float battery when grid electricity is more expensive).
No VED, no MoT, overall almost zero running costs. I wonder (with the right smart meter) if it could be used to time-shift electricity consumption (charge the float with cheap night rate power and run the house load from the float battery when grid electricity is more expensive).
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