On Fri, 27 Oct 2017 13:30:57 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:



You think a train running on rails the same as a car on a road? ;-)

No, although some trams will be using the same technology and they run
on roads in places.

You think a tram could stop as fast as a car using regenerative brakes?

Not as good as car I would have thought, they can stop surprisingly
fast in emergency if the regenerated power is sent to the track brake
which is basically a long electromagnet mounted to a shoe that gets
clamped down to the rail , it also increases the downward force on the
wheels themselves.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._car_truck.jpg
Drivers try not to use them if it can be avoided as standing
passengers may be injured as they are thrown of their balance.
I just thought that maybe you had some sort of phobia or mistrust
about something not being 100% mechanical in action
Absolutely not.
Fair enough

I was just commenting on the nonsense that electric cars don't have
normal brakes. Of course they do - even when using regeneration to slow
them down to some extent. Unless you think two wheel brakes are going
to be marvellous for all occasions.

The post to which you were replying said "The mechanical brakes are only
used to stop the car. Normal
braking is regenerative,"


It did not say it had no mechanical brakes,
only you introduced that with your line on personal preferences
"Not sure I'd like a car with no brakes - other than just to bring it
to a halt over the last few yards. ;-)"

How did you read 'only used to stop the car' then? That just says what
every brake ever made does - until it was qualified by mentioning
regenerative braking.

I read as it as if you thought there was no alternative to relying on
the regenerative braking until it had slowed and you thought the
mechanical system was only operative for the last stage as regen
retardation became less.

I've no beef with that just wondered why, some drivers when conditions
allow like to combine throttle and brake input simultaneously

Really? It is a technique used by some rally drivers. Not sure it would be
much used on a public road.

There are quite a few out there who will try, often the unlicensed
and uninsured, not that I'm accusing you of being one of them.
Others may just let rip on a quiet road out in the sticks for a bit of
fun because they can even though their insurance company would not
approve. At least till we all get compulsory trackers in the
future,its possible you have may have done something like that till
the expericence of age moderated machoness.

But won't the mechanical brakes be applied anyway from he
brake pedal when required if you wanted them to?

You'd have to ask harry.
There others on here with electric cars that although I may not agree
with all their views are not just senile old gits, Harry as been KF'd
for years and will remain so.

G.Harman