Elelctric cars are boring right??

[KitCarlson]

People were often confused about the silent car. I had a switch that turned the motor off when the clutch pedal was in. People would say, "your car is stalled". And when the light changed it went without starting.

The motor had significant torque, my wife pulled the front wheels off the ground on her first start.

 

[Loosenutz]

I'm not too worried about the battery in my volt. It has a 10 year 150,000 mile warranty on it. As far as the battery getting cold in the winter, it has a built in heating/cooling system to keep it at the perfect temp. You can also preheat or cool the interior with the keyfob or a smartphone app. If it's plugged in it will use household electricity to do this instead of using the battery.

 

[V-100]

Brewil, there is a Fiskar dealership on NE 8th here in Bellevue. Several of them here at Microsoft. If they weren't so expensive, I think most folks would consider one. They are a nice, nice car in person!

 

[magnumdust]

You won't catch me looking into an electric vehicle until they can get the charge down to the time of the average gas station stop and add some gears. Whats the fun of a car if you can't enjoy banging gears when your not commuting?

 

[KitCarlson]

The torque curve of an electric motor may not be what you think. They have maximum torque at zero RPM. My car had a 4 speed, but I needed only 2nd and 3rd. If it was of more modern design one gear would do.

 

[bbrroowwnn]

I'll go with the Tesla Model S, Motor Trend Car of the Year........... Now all I need is a spare 90K.

http://www.teslamotors.com/models

The Tesla cars when they first came out were awesome looking....now they just look like any other normal car...don't like 'em

 

[67Dart273]

I'm not too worried about the battery in my volt. It has a 10 year 150,000 mile warranty on it. As far as the battery getting cold in the winter, it has a built in heating/cooling system to keep it at the perfect temp. You can also preheat or cool the interior with the keyfob or a smartphone app. If it's plugged in it will use household electricity to do this instead of using the battery.

Yeh. Heh. But everything you've mentioned uses power. Once again, until electric cars get their SOURCE of power from a completely "free and green" IE solar, etc, source, this sort of thing does not add to their appeal in my book.

There are rumors that the batteries are federally subsidized, and based on performance of things like I-thingies, laptops, and cameras, there is no possible way those things will actually LAST that long.

The point is that if you are willing and have the moola, there ARE autos currently available that get over 30 MPG.

And with the dealer's track records of really poor repair performance with modern electronics, I can only IMAGINE what the service nightmares might be as things become "not a car" but a space capsule, in effect.

(Is NASA going to repair Volts?)

I found a U.S. govt chart detailing power in the general US from various sources. Coal, by far, is in the lead. NG, while cleaner, is hardly a renewable fuel

And I don't know what in hell to think about nuclear. Even if there's no earthquakes or accidents, there's that annoying "waste" problem. Hardly "green," is it?

 

[Hersbird]

67dart273 is right. That's a COAL powered car! While natural gas may be a gasoline replacement electric will not. Leave the electricity to power stationary objects and leave the mobile stuff powered by something that actually has huge energy stored within it, fossil fuels. If every car were electric you couldn't imagine the grid upgrade that would be required along with all the new power plants feeding it.
I had my first electric car ride in 1994. It was a Porsche speedster kit car and would do a good 60-70 mph, I have no idea the range but it was fun for a few minutes at least! LOL!

 

[Hersbird]

I worked for 11 years in the nuclear power industry in the Navy. Modern nuclear power is very safe, and the waste is nothing compared to other industrial waste. You can run a reactor for 20 years and then store all the waste generated in a swimming pool on site. The Japan reactor was a very old design, as was Chernobyl. It's like comparing the technology in a model T to Cummins Ram. Imagine if we were actually pursuing new reactors over the last 30 years how much better they would be by now.

 

[KitCarlson]

I do not want to turn this political, just stating some facts that are often forgotten.

Just at the time when breeder reactors were being developed, Jimmy Carter put an end to nuclear development. Many of my classmates were nuclear engineers. It is nice that Jimmy helps build houses for the homeless, he had part in that. We need to have faith that we can solve our energy problem. The facts show solar and wind are not the solution.

 

[Hersbird]

Carter was actually a pioneer in the nuclear navy. He lead a response team to one of the worst nuclear accidents of his time. I don't know if that's what turned him or what but he was out of the navy before they saw their long success with nuclear power to run he peanut farm.

 

[magnumdust]

I worked for 11 years in the nuclear power industry in the Navy. Modern nuclear power is very safe, and the waste is nothing compared to other industrial waste. You can run a reactor for 20 years and then store all the waste generated in a swimming pool on site. The Japan reactor was a very old design, as was Chernobyl. It's like comparing the technology in a model T to Cummins Ram. Imagine if we were actually pursuing new reactors over the last 30 years how much better they would be by now.

honestly, my only issue with nuclear power is that there needs to be more forethought as to where they are placed.

Sure the japan reactor was very old, but would this have even happened if japan didnt have reactors in an earthquake prone area?(if there even is place in japan that isnt prone to quakes)

Chernobyl is kind of moot in either direction given that those instance was an act of human error

 

[Mad Dart]

Thought I'd put this 403hp, 125mph, unlimited range car in the Electrics Section. Cooool

From the guy that designed for BMW and Aston Martin

http://onward.fiskerautomotive.com/en-us

403HP....... I bet the torque is crazy in the 600+ range. Electric Motors are capable of Serious Torque.

 

[DionR]

The EV, unlike the first car, has a big business (Government) pushing the development for their own purpose. It's not the pursuit of the best technology, it's the pursuit of the technology they chose to push. That's why it's subsidized, otherwise it would take on a life of it's own.

Seems like bio-desiel would be a better solution, provided they can make it without using food producing land, but that doesn't have the "green" feel to it so doesn't get the development dollars or the government money.

Sorry, I just can't believe in EV's, feels too much like a soylent green sandwich.

 

[67Dart273]

The facts show solar and wind are not the solution.

I'm not sure I agree with solar, but having the countryside covered in huge rotating blades doesn't sound good. But if "something like" wind or solar won't solve the problem, what is there? I mean, really, we are back to "burning stuff."

There are those who would like to destroy hydroelectric, and there is no doubt that the dams have killed traditional fishing

While I agree that nuclear can be made safer, seems to me we are going to HAVE to ask someone like Nevada, Arizona, etc, to give up vast areas of land for a permanent "dump."

The point is, until you get recharge sources "off the (coal) grid" they are not green, and do not help the overall problem in any way.

In my view, arguing that big electric plants are more efficient than individual gasoline cars is offset by the environmental footprint of the sourcing and disposal of batteries, especially if they cannot be charged from a completely green source

And let's not forget that IF you are arguing FOR batteries, let's ramp this up a bit. Do you expect us to run around on battery powered mopeds? No? Well how about I want or NEED a 1 ton van? In my years working HVAC, or site work for Motorola, a big heavy pu/ van, usually 4x4 is exactly what was needed. I certainly could not throw equipment, tools, and ladders into a Pree-*** or Jolt.

The point is, if you expect us to putt around in compact cars, then you can make a small, possibly turboed, variable valve timing, etc, 2, 3, 4 cylinder that will get substantially better fuel mileage than some do now.

The answer? I don't know. But I won't be buying a PreeAss or Jolt anytime soon. I'll let the rest of you Beta Buyers out there test 'em a little, first.

 

[Michaeluser]

**** I thought we all would be flying around like the Popular Science said...

 

[67Dart273]

**** I thought we all would be flying around like the Popular Science said...

LOL. I've read, and still have a few of those!!

These certainly didn't "coming in two years" unless you want to count the entirely ugly Pontiac Aztec

Yup. We were all gonna "fly to work" each day in our private, small, aircraft, with nothing but the entire blue sky all to ourselves