The Electric Car Has Come of Age
GordonMcComb
Posts: 3,366
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/
http://www.automobilemag.com/news/jaguar-electric-e-type-zero-is-the-most-beautiful-ev-ever-made/
Comments
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.
'Agreed on the sound effects, BTW. Even Priuses are much too stealthy!
-Phil
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.
http://www.vroombox.com/
Jim
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.
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.
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.
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.
So's the ElectroVair! At yesterday's Corvair show!
2006: http://documentaryheaven.com/who-killed-the-electric-car/
2011:
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Things are definitely heading in the right direction, and - thankfully - a long way from the Sinclair C5.
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.