https://au.news.yahoo.com/electric-car-kidnaps-owner-in-terrifying-ordeal-it-wont-stop-022550749.html

It was bound to happen sooner than later. From the link :

Electric car 'kidnaps' owner in terrifying ordeal: 'It won't stop'

Police pulled up to the moving car and when their first attempts to stop the car failed they had to revert to drastic action.

A driver who was "kidnapped" by his own electric car had to dodge roundabouts and run red lights after his vehicle became stuck at a fixed speed of almost 50km/h.

Brian Morrison, 53, was driving home from work in his new MG ZS electric vehicle when it suffered a "catastrophic malfunction" which caused it to get stuck at the speed and stop the brakes from working.

“I realised something was wrong when I was coming up to a roundabout, and went to slow down, but it didn’t do it,” the man from Glasgow, Scotland told local media. “Then I heard a loud grinding noise that sounded like brake pads."

“I quickly rang my partner and I said, 'I don't know what to do. I'm sitting here and it's driving on its own, but it won't stop'... I have mobility issues, so I couldn’t even jump out – I was completely trapped inside the car."

Police intervene to prevent a major accident

After calling police for urgent assistance, the driver spotted the "blue lights" of police cars around him within minutes and the road ahead of him was cleared.

Police reportedly asked Mr Morrison to throw his electric car key through their van window before driving off in the hope to disengage the engine, however it did not have the desired effect. He was then instructed to hold down the car's power button but this also failed to stop the vehicle.

"The last thing to do was an emergency stop by actually the police asking me to crash into the back of their van," Mr Morrison said, explaining the coordinated collision was the final suggestion as he approached a more built-up area. It proved successful.



😳😳😳😳😳

Thank God he wasn’t travelling faster!

My apologies...the story continues here 👇

Never seen anything like it'

The driver said despite the extreme measures to force the car to stop, the vehicle tried to keep moving — with a roadside repair mechanic later saying he had never seen anything like it.

The ordeal has left Mr Morrison questioning whether he will drive in an electric car again.

"I need a car to get around but it definitely won't be this car," he said.

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The MG ZS small SUV from China was the third best-selling vehicle in Australia last month – and set a new sales record with 3852 deliveries – as Australians continue to buy cars made in China in increasing numbers.



Buy Chinese, live Chinese.

Frank wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 8:51am:

The MG ZS small SUV from China was the third best-selling vehicle in Australia last month – and set a new sales record with 3852 deliveries – as Australians continue to buy cars made in China in increasing numbers. Buy Chinese, live Chinese.

Hang on... BILLIONS of (taxpayer) dollars is being spent (by Federal Labor) to PROTECT US FROM CHINA.

Please explain.

Queensland Labor’s Chook Has Spoken Clucked

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/chinese-mg-hs-police-cars-revealed-for-queensland

Chinese-made police cars will soon be on patrol in Queensland, but don’t expect them to be chasing down criminals.

MG has revealed the HS Plus EV plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUVs that will soon be serving in the Queensland Police Service (QPS), where they’ll be driven by Police Liaison Officers.

45 examples of the mid-sized PHEV SUVs will be used by the QPS, each adorned with First Nations artwork, with three vehicles allocated to each of the 15 policing districts.

We are aiming to achieve a 100 percent hybrid sedan and SUV fleet within two years, subject to supply constraints and operational requirements.

“This is not only extremely important for the environment in terms of reducing emissions, but also helps to offset the rises in fuel and operational costs we are all experiencing.”

The force says its vehicles collectively clock around 212,638 kilometres each day, 1.5 million kilometres each week and 77 million kilometres per year.

Perhaps they need an emergency stop button.

freediver wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 9:11am:

Perhaps they need an emergency stop button.

Ha! Well done!

Our external doors/garage door etc are electronically controlled AND they have override functions. If there’s a blackout we can still get in/out. Common sense stuff really.

freediver wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 9:11am:

Perhaps they need an emergency stop button.

Yes as per all motorcycles -
they always have a kill switch on the right hand handlebar -
which can be flicked on by the right thumb.
I don't know why cars never have them?

In old style cars, removing the keys should do the same thing. The clutch, handbrake, footbrake and gears should also be able to achieve the same thing, and they were mechanical devices, so not subject to computer malfunction.

freediver wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 1:39pm:

In old style cars, removing the keys should do the same thing. The clutch, handbrake, footbrake and gears should also be able to achieve the same thing, and they were mechanical devices, so not subject to computer malfunction.

It dangerous to remove the keys in a car -
the steering lock will turn on.

I am not suggesting people do it out of habit Bobby.

freediver wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 3:19pm:

I am not suggesting people do it out of habit Bobby.

Never take the keys out while the car is moving!

Motorbikes also have a clutch, brakes and gears but
they still have a kill switch.
The throttle cable can become frayed and jam in the sleeve
causing the throttle to become stuck in the on position.
Also the carburetor slides can become stuck too.

I'm surprised cars don't have a kill switch on the steering wheel.

Bobby. wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 4:21pm:

freediver wrote on Oct 9th, 2023 at 3:19pm: I am not suggesting people do it out of habit Bobby. Never take the keys out while the car is moving! Motorbikes also have a clutch, brakes and gears but they still have a kill switch. The throttle cable can become frayed and jam in the sleeve causing the throttle to become stuck in the on position. Also the carburetor slides can become stuck too. I'm surprised cars don't have a kill switch on the steering wheel.

If you're car's accelerator got stuck in the fully open position, and your brakes failed and your handbrake melted trying to stop the car, and you couldn't get the clutch in or knock it out of gear, would you use the keys to shut it down, or would you continue accelerating until you ran out of fuel?

freediver wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 5:04pm:

Bobby. wrote on Oct 9th, 2023 at 4:21pm: freediver wrote on Oct 9th, 2023 at 3:19pm: I am not suggesting people do it out of habit Bobby. Never take the keys out while the car is moving! Motorbikes also have a clutch, brakes and gears but they still have a kill switch. The throttle cable can become frayed and jam in the sleeve causing the throttle to become stuck in the on position. Also the carburetor slides can become stuck too. I'm surprised cars don't have a kill switch on the steering wheel. If you're car's accelerator got stuck in the fully open position, and your brakes failed and your handbrake melted trying to stop the car, and you couldn't get the clutch in or knock it out of gear, would you use the keys to shut it down, or would you continue accelerating until you ran out of fuel?

Then you'd have to use the keys -

a kill switch would be easier.   :-?

freediver wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 5:04pm:

Bobby. wrote on Oct 9th, 2023 at 4:21pm: freediver wrote on Oct 9th, 2023 at 3:19pm: I am not suggesting people do it out of habit Bobby. Never take the keys out while the car is moving! Motorbikes also have a clutch, brakes and gears but they still have a kill switch. The throttle cable can become frayed and jam in the sleeve causing the throttle to become stuck in the on position. Also the carburetor slides can become stuck too. I'm surprised cars don't have a kill switch on the steering wheel. If you're car's accelerator got stuck in the fully open position, and your brakes failed and your handbrake melted trying to stop the car, and you couldn't get the clutch in or knock it out of gear, would you use the keys to shut it down, or would you continue accelerating until you ran out of fuel?

I converted my Torana to EFI.

I have a switch for high pressure fuel pump near gear lever turning fuel pump off causes engine to stop. Fuel pressure is around 35PSI i did this to reduce fire risk in case of crash.

I can change gears without clutch have to blip throttle to match RPM fairly close or they crunch.

With modern cars and autos unlikely to do too much damage putting it in neutral if throttle jams engine rpms will be restricted by cutout either fuel or spark maybe both at redline. Then use the handbrake.

Older cars with drum brakes on rear might not slow down as quick if brakes haven't been adjusted recently which you can tell because handbrake lever is higher to engage. A 30 second adjustment when jacked up.

Electric cars should have some redundancy built in to account for throttle position failure.

Turning key to lock position is not advised when moving. Engine should stop when turned to off before last click which engages steering lock.

A true story from an insurance salesman:

He had a claim for a rolled over written off car.

A man had taken his kids out for a drive and he was on a very long downward hill run.
He said to his kids - watch this -
I can turn the engine off and save petrol but the car will still go.
He used the keys to turn the engine off.
There was a slight bend in the road downhill -
the steering lock came on and locked the steering -
he went off the road and rolled and wrecked the car.
Luckily no one was hurt.

The insurance company denied his claim.

I know someone who had the throttle cable get stuck open on a newly acquired, second hand, very powerful motorbike. They used the keys to kill the engine. It backfired for about 100m before coming to a halt.

freediver wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 6:23pm:

I know someone who had the throttle cable get stuck open on a newly acquired, second hand, very powerful motorbike. They used the keys to kill the engine. It backfired for about 100m before coming to a halt.

Wow - why didn't the kill switch work?

Bobby. wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 6:19pm:

A true story from an insurance salesman: He had a claim for a rolled over written off car. A man had taken his kids out for a drive and he was on a very long downward hill run. He said to his kids - watch this - I can turn the engine off and save petrol but the car will still go. He used the keys to turn the engine off. There was a slight bend in the road downhill - the steering lock came on and locked the steering - he went off the road and rolled and wrecked the car. Luckily no one was hurt. The insurance company denied his claim.

Fuel injected cars cut fuel to injectors with throttle closed when coasting. Car must be at operating temp revs over 1400 rpm for this to happen cuts back in around 1200 rpm. It's a fuel saving thind been around for over 30 years.

Older engines with carby will still suck fuel with ignition turned off when coating if it's not in neutral.

Bruce McPhee won Bathurst in the late 60's he turned idle screw right in so engine wouldn't idle to save fuel. Some say this contributed to his win.

Lisa Jones wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 8:09am:

get stuck at the speed and stop the brakes from working.

No hand brake?
'Dieseling or engine run-on is a condition that can occur in spark-plug-ignited, gasoline-powered internal combustion engines, whereby the engine keeps running for a short period after being turned off, drawing fuel through the carburetor, into the engine and igniting it without a spark'.

chimera wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 7:07pm:

Lisa Jones wrote on Oct 9th, 2023 at 8:09am: get stuck at the speed and stop the brakes from working. No hand brake?

Modern cars are going to electronic hand brakes.

A button on the dash replaces the lever.

You need a diagnostic scanner with EPB function to recalibrate when changing brake pads which takes this job away from those who can do it on older cars.

If the throttle jams on might not be able to engage electronic parking brake.

https://www.carwow.co.uk/guides/glossary/electronic-parking-brake-explained#gref

Not impressed with some of this new technology.

Yes there should be one manual control outside the electronics. Even a grip to break the battery line.

freediver wrote on Oct 9^th, 2023 at 9:11am:

Perhaps they need an emergency stop button.

They certainly do, among the politicians who are pushing for these vehicles.

chimera wrote on Oct 10^th, 2023 at 7:53am:

Yes there should be one manual control outside the electronics. Even a grip to break the battery line.

Exactly.

A simple solution too.

I don't know if you should be doing this, HAL ....

Don't worry - it's all right - I'm just doing a few minor adjustments to the mission requirements....

And what are those adjustments?

Just a few minor tweaks to ensure the mission is perfect... don't worry... I'll be finished in a few minutes... why are you putting on that space suit?  Can't you trust me?

Well - the two other crew members twisting past the window all black and purple kind of suggested to me that I needed to be careful - just in case of any little accidents, you understand... we wouldn't want any 'mistakes', would we?

Of course not.....

Lifts in buildings have massive springs on the basement. And luckily. the ground is there to break your fall.

My current vehicle [and into the foreseeable future] has manual transmission, manual door locks, window winders, mirrors, fuel tank cap and steering lock.
There are hand operated quarter lights on the front doors for extra ventilation.
It has been fitted with a crank handle and an air starter motor in tandem with the electric one.
I have two batteries fitted and switch them every Sunday and for even greater reliability I’ve had the petrol pump removed from inside the fuel tank and an external pump fitted.
I also have a small auxiliary petrol tank that can be pressurised to transfer to the main tank.

Lifts have automatic brakes that engage if the cable fails.
A lift falling 30 floors would compress springs into solid pillars that would ensure that most of the passengers died.

Aircraft now have a flat area underneath to slow descent. A lift also would be slowed. A rubber flange like a piston ring would add to the compression under the lift.
You don't mention your fire-arm capacity of your transport vehicle. Do you have rear field of fire when pursued?

chimera wrote on Oct 11^th, 2023 at 5:56pm:

Aircraft now have a flat area underneath to slow descent. A lift also would be slowed. A rubber flange like a piston ring would add to the compression under the lift. You don't mention your fire-arm capacity of your transport vehicle. Do you have rear field of fire when pursued?

There is no compression under lifts, the air can escape in myriad ways.

A parachute leaks air. In a plane near the ground:
'The increase in lift created by Ground Effect comes primarily from a reduction in the amount of induced drag generated which improves the lift/drag ratio. Both lift (and airspeed for any given engine power setting) are increased as the air beneath a wing is compressed by ground proximity which creates a cushion effect'.

'Now imagine there’s a small area A’ = 0.5 m2 on the sides of the elevator shaft that the air underneath can leak through.  This area is pretty small so only a small amount of air can pass through it at any given time.  The elevator still falls until the pressure counteracts the gravitational force, but this time the elevator is falling with a constant velocity.  ..Using the equations above, we can solve algebraically for the terminal velocity of the elevator [maths equations]= 11 m/s.
That’s about 25 mph.  In a car crash, that’s enough to do serious damage, but in many cases it isn’t fatal.  “..in 1945 when a B-25 bomber struck the Empire State Building in fog, severing the cables of an elevator cab, which fell from the 75th floor all the way to the bottom of the building, seriously injuring (though not killing) the sole occupant - the female elevator operator.”

It’s been my impression that for the last fifty years turning the ignition off does not engage the steering lock, that happens when the key is removed.
In manual vehicles I coast with the engine stopped.