Eco credentials

[Jeremy]

I've recently ordered one of the new varieties of Tongxin motor (not the similar Keyde motor). I've bought it from Justin at www.ebikes.ca Homepage of the revolution, because he bought a few samples from the manufacturer for testing (see www.ebikes.ca/simulator )and offered me one. I've been watching the Fedex tracking information and have realised that, before it gets to me, this little motor will have already covered around half the circumference of the Earth (or more) on various aircraft.

The motor started life in Zhejiang, China, and was then flown to Vancouver (maybe not directly) a distance of around 5,700 miles. From there it has been despatched to me, but for some reason only known to Fedex it's now right down south in Memphis, Tennessee, around 2,000 miles from Vancouver and only around 400 miles closer to me. From there I expect it to get flown to somewhere in the UK, perhaps another 4,500 miles, if it goes via a direct route. Judging from it's track so far, I'm not expecting a direct route to the UK from Memphis, though.

Carbon neutral this little electric hub motor certainly isn't!

 

[flecc]

12,200 miles without a single fault, not bad for a tiny hub motor!

 

[amigafan2003]

The "eco" question didn't even enter into the equation when I researched building my bike.

I simply enjoy being on a bike and I loathe commuting in the car (I drive only for pleasure which driving at rush hour through Blackpool certainly isn't).

The money saving aspect didn't really even register - although saving £1200 a year in fuel is nice and I'm happy to accept the 20p/mile cycle allowance I get from work!

 

[RoadieRoger]

Jeremy if your motor is coming across today direct from Memphis to Stansted , it`s on FedEx 2 a Boeing 777 that`s about 600 miles past Newfoundland and landing at Stansted at 5.48 pm if you want to be there to welcome it ! I can even tell you that the 777 today is N857FD . You can go to `Flight Stats ` and insert FD for airline and 2 for Flight No and click Flight Tracker or put in Flight Radar and click on the planes heading our way over the Eastern Atlantic . `Plane Finder` is another site .

 

[Jeremy]

Jeremy if your motor is coming across today direct from Memphis to Stansted , it`s on FedEx 2 a Boeing 777 that`s about 600 miles past Newfoundland and landing at Stansted at 5.48 pm if you want to be there to welcome it ! I can even tell you that the 777 today is N857FD . You can go to `Flight Stats ` and insert FD for airline and 2 for Flight No and click Flight Tracker or put in Flight Radar and click on the planes heading our way over the Eastern Atlantic . `Plane Finder` is another site .

Thanks for that! All the tracking site says at the moment is that it has left Memphis and is in transit, so it may well be on that very 777!

Pretty amazing world we live in, when we can sit at home and track little things like this from the other side of the planet.

 

[RoadieRoger]

FedEx 2 has now entered the part of the Atlantic that is sparse on Tracking coverage . In about an hour or so when it nears the Irish Coast it will reappear . It comes up the Bristol Channel and over Barry in late afternoon usually .Until recently it was the 3 engined Douglas MD 11 , but the twin engined 777 `s have now taken over, as they are more economical .When I spot it I will post . Sorry to turn the post into a nerdy one , but I felt sure you would be interested .

 

[Jeremy]

That sounds about right. It left Memphis at 04:25, local time, so around 3 hours ago. My money is that my little motor is mid-Atlantic on that very 777.

I shall see if this is right later when it gets checked in on arrival.

 

[Scimitar]

If it's FedEx, expect a customs bill

 

[Jeremy]

If it's FedEx, expect a customs bill

Not a big problem, it's a "sample"...............

 

[RoadieRoger]

Jeremy just come onto my laptop Radar , a few miles off the tip of Southern Ireland . Go to Flightradar24.com and look for the plane , click and it`s FDX2 . Expand the map by clicking +or- in the top LH side of the map . You can then follow it all the way until 300 ft above the Stansted runway and by expanding the Map to see all the villages it flies over !

 

[Jeremy]

Thanks, I've just found it!

It'll be interesting to see for sure whether it is the aircraft with my little Tongxin motor on board, my guess is that it'll be scanned in a few hours after it lands at around 18:00, so maybe later this evening.

 

[RoadieRoger]

Heading for the Gower and probably will fly right over me at Barry . Glad you are following it , shame the sky is not clear otherwise I would see the flashing strobes .

 

[Jeremy]

Looks like it will track a fair bit North of me, pretty much along the M4 corridor. Pretty close to Barry right now, just a few miles to the North.

 

[RoadieRoger]

Heard it go over but the clouds did not part soon enough to see it . A bit wild and windy standing looking up for it , back in now watching on radar . Good omen though !

 

[Jeremy]

It's about 20 miles from me right now, about the closest it'll get. No doubt I'll have to wait another few days before it gets this close again!

 

[RoadieRoger]

Yes it won`t be doing 500 mph again either !

 

[amigafan2003]

If it's FedEx, expect a customs bill

Do what I did and pay the VAT part (which I have no problem with) but don't pay the "advancement fee". They wrote me a stern letter and demanded I pay that as well but I refused on the basis that they had provided an unsoliciated service.

They dropped it.

 

[Jeremy]

it's coming in as a "sample" so should be OK.

Currently following a Ryan Air flight into runway 23 by the look of it...............

 

[Jeremy]

well, that's the excitement for the day over, it looks like "The Tongxin has landed"...........

 

[RoadieRoger]

The Tongxin Eagle has landed . Put N857FD on the nameplate of the bike , that will fox the nosey parkers .