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The Electric Car Has Come of Age — Parallax Forums

The Electric Car Has Come of Age

The classic Jaguar E-type of the 60s is world renown as "sex on wheels." Even with an electric motor, it still sizzles.

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/jaguar-electric-e-type-zero-is-the-most-beautiful-ev-ever-made/

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Comments

  • Beautiful! I always get chills when i see one go by.
  • What about people that live in hurricane areas. When power is lost for a week how do you charge your car
  • DigitalBob wrote: »
    What about people that live in hurricane areas. When power is lost for a week how do you charge your car

    Electric generator -- which many people in hurricane areas have. Hopefully, though, they'll have some gas on hand, because gas stations don't work when the power is out.
  • There is a school of thought that says electric cars are too quiet and pedestrians aren't aware of them. It would be good to be able to switch on some really throaty engine sounds on the electric E-type.
  • Range! It's all about range. And charge time. Until range exceeds 300 miles, and you're guaranteed a fast (as in about the time it takes to fill a gas tank) charge whenever/wherever you're depleted, electric cars are still the transport of the future.

    'Agreed on the sound effects, BTW. Even Priuses are much too stealthy!

    -Phil
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,066
    Just saw that Mazda have a new Skyactive X petrol engine that works on compression like Diesel engines. They are stating 35-40% less consumption. Available in 2019.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    On the other hand it isn't.

    Everyday I travel 5Km to work and 5km back. With a few other trips around town here and there I'd only need to charge that E Type once a week. That can be done when I'm sleeping or the 99% or the time it is parked some place.

    A few times a year I make a 1000Km round trip for a holiday break. What to do? Same as now, hire a machine that does it. Same as I do now because I don't even own a car, I get to work by bus and go shopping by tram/bus.

    Now, as much as I have been lusting after an E Type since the 1960's I don't think that is quite what I need for the task at hand. I always think that something more like an electric Tuk Tuk would fit the bill https://cleantechnica.com/2014/01/20/electric-tuk-tuks/

    I'm sure my situation compares to that of billions of the rest of the worlds population.






  • MicksterMickster Posts: 2,588
    edited 2017-09-10 10:52
    Hugh wrote: »
    There is a school of thought that says electric cars are too quiet and pedestrians aren't aware of them. It would be good to be able to switch on some really throaty engine sounds on the electric E-type.
    No problem. Someday, I'm gonna stick one of these on a moped.

    http://www.vroombox.com/
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,066
    Yes, electric vehicles are too quiet for pedestrians and cyclists. But it's easily solved, and cheap too!
  • E-Types have spokes on their wheels. Get a pair of playing cards, stick some against the wheel well so they brush against the spokes ... job done.
  • E-Types have spokes on their wheels. Get a pair of playing cards, stick some against the wheel well so they brush against the spokes ... job done.
    ROFLOL
    Jim


  • Mickster wrote: »
    Hugh wrote: »
    There is a school of thought that says electric cars are too quiet and pedestrians aren't aware of them. It would be good to be able to switch on some really throaty engine sounds on the electric E-type.
    No problem. Someday, I'm gonna stick one of these on a moped.

    http://www.vroombox.com/
    Their demo system with a 400W amp is going to reduce the range of an electric vehicle slightly. I wonder if they do the sound of horses galloping, or do I need to rely on trusty coconut halves (no comments about coconuts migrating -please!)?
  • I can't believe people shell out 90-100k for these Tesla's . If my car runs out of gas I put some gas in and I'm running again. I don't have to charge it up for an hour or more. And if you need a new battery for your Preis get ready to spend 20k. Plus don't think your going green by buying an electric car. More than likely the electricity your charging it with comes from a coal fired power plant.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Those expensive Tesla were a smart move. Of course the plan is to churn out cheap cars for the masses but when you starting out you don't have the capacity. You have to start somewhere. So an impressive upmarket machine, a toy for the rich, is a good way to launch the idea.

    A couple of guys have been running a Tesla here as a taxi. In Finland there are no tax breaks for such things so they really had to bear the cost. After 400,000 miles or so, I forget the details, they changed the battery pack. Seems the economics of this works out.

    Certainly the energy for you car has to come from somewhere. So you are only as green as you source. Except of course we could hope the electric car is more efficient. Which is a good thing.

    Me. I was eyeing up an old original Tesla Roadster. Very nice looking machine. Excellent performance. Proper dashboard and instruments instead of all that heinous flat screen real estate on the new models.

  • Call me when it you have a electric car than can go 200 miles without a recharge while running the AC, carry four people and sell less than $15k.

    Otherwise they remain toys for wealthy people who are into social preening.

    In terms of being quiet most late model cars are almost silent, you have to be careful in parking lot due to this.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2017-09-10 23:15
    As I said above. If the machine can get me to work and back in comfort, do some trips around town and only need a charge once a week then it is no longer a toy. This is quite possible.

    I will admit that the current crop of electric cars are still a tad expensive.

    That electric Tuk Tuk I mentioned would do fine. Sadly not legally road worthy around here.
  • rod1963 wrote: »
    Otherwise they remain toys for wealthy people who are into social preening.

    Of course they are! If you were to buy a completely refurbished classic E-Type roadster, it would cost upwards of $225,000, plus buckets of money every time it breaks down -- which is often. Parts are no longer made, so everything has to be custom built, rebuilt, or pulled from a junker, and good luck finding those.

    The electric E-type is about the same price, or a little more, but in this stratosphere, cost is not an issue.

    Down on earth, there's always models like the Chevy Bolt -- ~$32K after rebates, 200 mile range. Around where I live, solar carports are becoming quite common... the local Wal-Mart, Kaiser medical building, and many others. Several of these have fast-charge hookups. It's free (or nominal cost) at the nearby credit union.

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    The classic Jaguar E-type of the 60s is world renown as "sex on wheels."

    So's the ElectroVair! At yesterday's Corvair show!

    20170909_111654.jpg




    1280 x 720 - 385K
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    Two good electric car flicks by Chris Paine:

    2006: http://documentaryheaven.com/who-killed-the-electric-car/

    2011:
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    edited 2017-09-11 05:59
    The "sex on wheels" tradition continues. Seen in California:

    20170228_152328%20%282%29.jpg
    3066 x 1918 - 1M
  • Yeah baby! LOL.

  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    I fill some gasoline every two or three weeks. There would be no 'range' issues whatsoever if I went electric. And I wouldn't have to drive somewhere to find a gasoline station - I would charge at home. Lots of people at work have electric cars. They charge at work, while they're working.
    The "range" argument is not real.
    As for pollution - what matters to me is local pollution. Those gasoline and diesel fumes I have to suffer while walking the dog. I cheer every electric car that passes by.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    Way to go.

    As for pollution, Finland is phasing out all it's coal power. A couple of Nuk plant's nearby are coming on line instead!
  • I see that Scotland has just added itself to the list of countries that will ban the sale of internal combustion engines by 2040 (along with France and some others), while India and Germany are aiming for a 2030 cutoff date. I'm sure we will continue to hear announcements like this over the next several years, though I suspect the US will be one of the last countries to take such a stance. Regardless, it seems electric vehicles are in our (or our children's) future.
  • Heater. wrote: »
    Way to go.

    As for pollution, Finland is phasing out all it's coal power. A couple of Nuk plant's nearby are coming on line instead!

    As far as pollution, we are going back to heating our homes with coal. Since we have little snowfall these days, soot covered snow is not a problem. Plus we need to ramp-up the production of diesel powered vehicles, don't think nuclear is good for our future but, at least your not going backwards.

    Nice car, but I don't think I could get used to the noise level, I have to have that internal combustion feedback.
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    What do you need that noise feedback for?

    It's nice to have in a stick shift car. An audible reminder of when to change gears. Or when you have enough R.P.M to generate enough torque to take off up hill.

    Unlike IC engines electric motors produces torque from zero to max R.PM. So there are no gears to change (Not that it would be manual if there were)

    If you want to know how fast you are going, look out the window :)
  • Tor wrote: »
    The "range" argument is not real
    Electric cars have to use a good chunk of their capacity for heating the interior. As one who has suffered winters in VW microbuses, I can attest that heat is necessary to prevent frostbite.

    And this is on top of the fact that battery capacity drops with temperature.

    I refuse to purchase a vehicle that MAY get me 200 miles depending on the weather. 200 miles is a round trip between Tulsa and Oklahoma City on the turnpike. Where there's only one gas station, and no electric stations (that I know of).

    Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of electric cars. But for those of us that live in less-dense areas, they're not practical. I think that hybrid technology is still the way to go.




  • ercoerco Posts: 20,244
    Range is getting better every model. Chevy Bolt>200 miles, 2018 Leaf ~150 (claimed). Not a great only car. Great second car for around town and an occasional moderate round trip, if you're adventurous. Engineers & tech geeks love 'em.

    Depreciation is ridiculous on Leafs, though. I'm really glad I didn't buy a new one a few years back for $38K. But I may pull the trigger on a 2015. They come in when leases end. One SoCal dealer flips them for next to nothing. They just sold two 2015s, like new,16K miles for $9K each! As soon as a silver one comes in... Realistic range is ~70 miles. Battery deteriorates when charged above 80% and falls below 20%. I can work with that.
  • One day earlier this year the UK didn't burn any coal for electrical power generation for the first time in centuries. A few weeks before that, renewables hit 50% contribution to the electrical supply.

    Things are definitely heading in the right direction, and - thankfully - a long way from the Sinclair C5.
  • The 2030 or 2040 dates for phasing out gasoline and diesel engines apply mainly to passenger cars, passenger busses, that sort of thing. Farm equipment, semi tractors, and certain types of fleet vehicles will still need diesel, or at least large horsepower LPG. Of course, by then, they'll be self-driving.

    On finding electrical recharge stations: I just noticed another city building adding solar carports, with several "free" outlets for recharging. This one was at a senior center I visited this morning while helping my wife deliver some donations they were interested in.

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