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330 messages, Last post on Nov 13, 2008 at 12:13 PM
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Replying to: tpe (Jul 28, 2006 1:40 pm) I would think that for a lot of us, that a Plug-in Prius with a primary motivation of electric only (for me I would like to have a 50-70 mile EV only mode), with a smaller engine to maintain charge for extended driving, would be just about ideal. |
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Replying to: tpe (May 25, 2006 6:01 am) Correct as far as stated! But incorrect if you consider the requirements necessary to generate, distribute and store the electricity necessary to power the electric drive motor. Power to the People, MidCow
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Replying to: midnightcowboy (Sep 01, 2006 9:09 am)
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you know, if they can work the bugs out, I would like the all electric option. It would be a far simpler machine with vastly less maintanance required. You might even be able to have a small on board gas generator..akin to a small lawnmower engine for the sole purpose of recharging when required on the fly. I am not rolling in dough, but i would consider paying well up for an electric with a 200 mile range. I don't need to go 0-60 is 4.7 seconds so hopefully we will have some more practical options soon. Godspeed Tesla, et al...work those bugs out. |
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Replying to: reddroverr (Sep 02, 2006 12:19 pm) You are absolutely right and that was my point; maybe I made it too subtle. The oil/gas refineries already exist. The transport structure for oil/gas already exists; pipelines, gas tanker trucks. Local gas stations exist and are everywhere; you can drive almost anywhere from anywhere and not worry about finding a gas station to refill your car. And you can refill you car in 5-10 minutes. My point is that the infrastructure does not exist for electric cars and it will take a considerable amount of time and thought before it can be put in place. To economocally justify the infrastructure elctric cars will have to be ubiquitous and for electric cars to be ubiquitous then "charge stations" will have to be everywhere. the ole catch 22- chicken and egg sysndrome. Then some new form of electric transfer will need to be developed. Overnight changing will not be acceptable! 2-3 hour charging will not be accptable. 1 hour charging might be marginally acceptable. 30 minute charging would probably be accepted. But to approach the current convience of gas/diesel fill-up of 5-10 minutes on an electric charge system does not currently exist. So their are two major problems to overcome: (1) "charge station" infrastructure. (2) "charge station" recharge time. Unitl these two problems a re solved you have a plug-in home novelty. That is why EV-1 failed in California. EV-1 was also very expensive per vechicle. Cheers, MidCow
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Replying to: midnightcowboy (Sep 05, 2006 6:01 am) |
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Replying to: tpe (Sep 05, 2006 9:36 am)  I mean, some city, like Chicago, or out in the Midwest in farm country or perhaps in Denver or on Long Island?
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Replying to: terry92270 (Sep 05, 2006 9:47 am) If you claim an EV is unsuitable for your needs then I'll accept that you know better than I do what your needs are. By the same token I think that I know better than you what my needs are and an EV will definitely suffice.
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Replying to: tpe (Sep 05, 2006 10:09 am) But the point is sales, isn't it? People wanting to buy the technology, and being confident in it? Being suitable for a very large segment, not a small one? While I would certainly buy one, I can afford to do so with no sacrifice whatsoever. The average family cannot easily afford to pile Mom, Dad and two or three kids onto an airplane for two out of town trips a year. And studies show they make double that at least. I live in a rural area as well, some 60 miles outside Reno. Between here and there, there is nothing.  Once in Reno, it, like all of the West, it is spread out. A typical driving day, with shopping thrown in, even for those living in Reno, can easily involve 100 miles! For me, if I need to visit Home Depot, it is a 140 mile round-trip, plus an additional twenty miles of running around. I've lived in DC. Foggy Bottom area. Typically I would drive out to the Manassas area, perhaps Fredrickburg, etc. Doing that can bring a person over 100 miles, round trip. Someone living in LA, venturing to Orange County for shopping or whatever, that is a common thing there. That is over 100 miles round-trip. So, it all comes down to the infrastructure being there to recharge at will, and quickly, no waiting for 60 or 30 minutes, or even newer technology, one not here yet, before anything but true technofiles will buy it in numbers to support its marketing. People in NYC/Chicago/Boston/DC will have no need for such a car, as they have dependable public transportation they are used to using.... I am not down on the technology, but please understand that most people just seem to drive longer distances, in a shorter amount of time than you seem to be. 
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Replying to: tpe (Sep 05, 2006 9:36 am) Or .047 gas stations per square mile or worst cast 1 gas station per 21 square miles. Assuming a square this is 4.58 miles per side anbd worst case distance is 1 /square root of 2 or 3.23 miles. You dont have to plan where you are going in a car by looking at avaialble gas stationsa. There are everywhere; i.e. ubiquitous. Ekectric recharge stations will not be so plentiful for a long, long time if ever. What is you charge is running low on your EV? Waht is you forgot to recharge last night? You said the only palce the recharging stations need to be is interstate or major highwya. Let's just consider that statemnt; do you realize how many miles of interstate and major highways there are? 42 million miles. Every 200 miles would be 210,000 Wah thats more that the number of gas stations. let's just say there are only 10,000 needed if they are strategically placed. Let's say they cost $5 million each and that the intial research to develop quick cahrge is $2 Billion. Total cost to put in a minimal EV infrastructure together= 10,000*5,000,000 + $2,000,000,000 = $52 Billion Who is going to pay the $52,000,000,000 ?? YCMV, MidCow
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