The Electric Car Of The Future, Ireland 1980

Energex ’80, organised by Galway Chamber of Commerce and Industry was an attempt to make people in the West of Ireland more conscious of the need to conserve energy in the home, in the factory and especially on the road.
In light of rocketing petrol prices, one of the exhibits attracting a lot of interest is an all-electric car which was put together in the basement of a house in the village of Moycullen.
One of the exhibits which has been attracting greatest interest is this all electric car.
The car runs on a series of twelve-volt batteries, has a range of approximately fifty miles, and according to the designers, Seán MacFhlanncha (Clancy) and Seán Walsh is the first of its kind in the country. The designers maintain that their invention makes the ideal energy-saving second car and is focused primarily at female drivers.
Speaking to RTÉ News Sean Walsh describes it as the car of the future which is designed for the woman of the house as a runabout. While the car might be a bit more expensive to manufacture than a conventional car, Mr Walsh claims the running costs are about half that of a petrol or diesel car. Cutting costs even further, the designers claim that the batteries can be recharged from wind generators.
The report also includes an interview with Seán MacFhlanncha in Irish.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 20 March 1980.

[@daracoyne168]

That's my grandfather, Sean Walsh!

[@cycledublin]

They were even looking at wind power to charge the car. Visionaries! Bhí sé go deas éisteacht leis an Gaeilge á labhairt

[@rutgersplague4595]

Between this and the mobile bar stool, how have we not become tech giants in our own right 😂

[@freespeechisneverwrong9351]

This will answer your question. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ2tk6OMot5-ndE

[@MotherAlgorithm]

Well the country is being filled with young engineers so the futures bright

[@ivanjosephmurray605]

Imagine every fecker in the pub with a mobile bar stool! 😂 This channel is pure Irish gold.

[@ruairiobradaigh9810]

Where did it all go wrong, way ahead of the game

[@Frank-1978]

They didn't know how right they were 👍

[@johnnielson7676]

At 0:10 you can see some stellar parking.

[@MEGADETHTHRETH]

Nothings changed then, still plenty of pricks around

[@bobcooter]

hahaha good spot!

[@theclancy100]

Yes sir

[@banehawi]

How right he was!

[@michaelf4506]

Elon musk is saving the world sure we were doin it 40 years ago in ireland and elons technology is more or less the same as the lads

[@johnnygunz2300]

Actually electric cars were pretty in vogue in the late 1800's. There was a fierce battle of electric vs ice. Allot of folks (especially woman) preferred the electric carriage due to how easily it was started and was more reliable. Electric suffered back then due to range, expensive batteries, and top speed.... But they were a thing in decent numbers.

[@JDLeonard74]

👍 # 14

[@JDLeonard74]

@@johnnygunz2300 👍 # 2

[@tadhgoshaughnessy6612]

if crook charlie haughey did take the peoples hard earned tax we probably would have electric cars in Ireland now.

[@tadhgoshaughnessy6612]

didn't sorry😊

[@theclancy100]

That’s my grandad no joke he lives down my road that is the future

[@diarmuidclancy926]

You suck at fortnite my guy

[@diarmuidclancy926]

I am james who sent that messege and its ment caoimh

[@lornemalvo3298]

rocketing petrol prices...

[@noelmaher4633]

I remember the good old days when Diesel was 2 euro a litre...

[@gavindaly5731]

I remember the good old days when the Diesel Queen was 2 pounds a ride ...

[@seanoriain6477]

Sounded a bit on the loud side for a electric car ???

[@ciaran5588]

"we think it will be the car of the future". He wasn't wrong, right?

[@michaelwalsh9145]

It still isn’t though.

[@ciaran5588]

@@michaelwalsh9145 What, the future still isn't though? Yeah, you're right. But it will be

[@michaelwalsh9145]

@@ciaran5588 in the future the globalists don’t want any privately owned cars excluding themselves of course that’s why they are pushing electric cars because they know there isn’t enough resources to keep making batteries for them.

[@murpho999]

Great for the woman of the house to get out of the kitchen to do the shopping. Limited range so she won’t go far. 😂

[@TheBenzer9]

Like Jesus gone on Friday back on monday

[@toyotaprius79]

Crying shame how often opportunities were put under the axe for decades

[@Discover-Ireland]

Elon musk must’ve got hold of this recording before CR’s video vault

[@tomservo5007]

Electric cars go back to Henry Ford's time.

[@michaelf4506]

Don't worry pal I got the joke haha

[@Coastwiser]

What are they speaking here towards the end? I assume it’s Gaelic I really would like to learn.

[@rocon86]

Great to see, I wonder what electric motor they used. If they picked a lighter car like a mk1 Golf or Kadett C rather than the heavy Volvo, they could've got another 10 mile range out of the batteries.

[@COIcultist]

Are you thinking the car was the small Volvo that came with the Renault engine? Look at the back of the car. I'm thinking it is the much smaller DAF Variomatic that was later made or at least badged up as a Volvo.

[@crankcase75]

That's a Volvo 66 which is just a mildly reworked DAF 66 after Volvo bought DAF. Slightly lighter than even the Kadett or Golf. Came with an efficient variomatic CVT too which if they kept it meant the car would have been as fast in reverse as it was forward. Even the big volvos are much lighter than people realize though, a 200 series volvo is about the same as an E28 BMW and much lighter than a Mercedes W123. They were sturdy simply by having a well engineered body structure rather than an over-engineered one.

[@diarmuidclancy926]

Hi

[@jakebutler6473]

can it do rings?

[@declantwomey7525]

Brilliant thanks for sharing they where right 💪🏻🇮🇪👍🏻☘️☘️☘️

[@MotherAlgorithm]

We'll see in another 40 years

[@michaelwalsh9145]

@@MotherAlgorithm exactly electric cars being mass produced is still only a pipe dream

[@animallover19581]

Those lads out West, always ahead of the game. Wonder how it went for them, not great me thinks. Admiration for effort. Elon musk would be proud of them.

[@deirdremacnamara9885]

Well how about that I'll bet he was laughed at all those years ago. Amazing.

[@nlpnt]

30-50 miles of range. That was about the limit with lead-acid batteries.

[@gavinhickey8815]

Well Before any of the new modern electric cars.

[@jimmymcjimmyvich9052]

Homer tested it))

[@del7538]

Elon has de-aged well over the years since.

[@freemindthinkerezrapound5071]

None of these guys were dope heads like elon musk

[@James_BAlert]

At 1:55 the chap looks like he is sporting a 👔 tie fashion from the 1920s, maybe the women were still going around in shawls in the village? Jim Fahy must of told him he was from Pathé News and not RTE so as not to upset him with ideas of modernity!?😶

[@CaseyKCRichards]

Elon Musk who ? Lol