I'm confused: Why electric cars make no sense to me.

[herbz]

Is it just me or does the whole "Electric Car" deal sound like an Oxymoron? Or more like flat out idiocy by people who make them, market them, and buy them?

First of all, yes, an electric car does not create any harmful emissions first hand.

However, electric cars need to be plugged into the wall and "charged". Where does this electric energy come from? That's right, a coal burning powerplant that spews tons and tons of shit in to the atmosphere, just like a regular internal combustion engine does.

Also, is there any way to measure how much energy is spent per "recharge", and how that compares to how much fuel wasted per refill in a normal car?

[Ghunger]

Not all power producing sources create pollution, especially not as much as coal. The other thing is that electric motors are much more efficient at turning energy into motion as compared to internal combustion engines. So, the end hope is that you use a cleaner source to create the energy, and a more efficient means to turn that energy into motion.

[yellowg555]

Its better to have electric engines now and further improve on it and hybrid technology rather than 50 years from now when the oil is close to running out. It probably isn't even 50 years; the world supply of oil will decrease dramatically as China further industrializes and becomes the #1 economic superpower in the coming years.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by herbz

Is it just me or does the whole "Electric Car" deal sound like an Oxymoron? Or more like flat out idiocy by people who make them, market them, and buy them?

First of all, yes, an electric car does not create any harmful emissions first hand.

However, electric cars need to be plugged into the wall and "charged". Where does this electric energy come from? That's right, a coal burning powerplant that spews tons and tons of shit in to the atmosphere, just like a regular internal combustion engine does.

Also, is there any way to measure how much energy is spent per "recharge", and how that compares to how much fuel wasted per refill in a normal car?

At night, grid usage is miminial, so there's lot of wasted energy which could be tapped via electric cars. Once the range and battery technology get up to todays standards, I will be buying an electric car.

[KL2DC]

Well the electric cars' current shortcomings i.e. limited range, invoncenience in recharge etc is enough to discourage unnecessary automotive trips...that alone has positive impact on the environment/resources

Seriously, I agree electric cars' technology could only get better with advancements in cells, packaging and motor efficiency.

[Josh49]

Originally Posted by Ghunger

The other thing is that electric motors are much more efficient at turning energy into motion as compared to internal combustion engines.

Not always true. (I worked on a hybrid electric vehicle team for a year) We found one of the best solutions was a use electric motors in the lower rpm band to efficiently generate low end torque. Towards the the higher rpm the algorithm transitioned to using the gasoline engine (at highway speeds) where the gasoline engine is efficient.

For getting around cities, electric motors are great. For stuff like taxi cabs, buses, etc, it's a great idea.

The tesla is pretty damn hot too..

PS. I agree with you about the energy. More and more implementations of developing clean energy are being constructed everyday. There are a ton of wind turbines out there now, and being built as we speak. There are proposals for many other forms of clean energy, harnassing power of wind, water, sun, etc..

And to be honest, even the dirtier forms of electricity generation are getting cleaner and cleaner through regenerative processes. It's getting there..

[yellowg555]

We could also all buy 760h's right?

Germany also has a hydrogen powered submarine too, and yet even with the inherent danger from using hydrogen, I believe it'd be a good alternative automotive energy source. Zero harmful emissions, and the only byproduct is water. However, I imagine the energy required in breaking apart water to get the hydrogen gas requires energy from our current sources.

We just need fusion powered cars!!

[KL2DC]

Originally Posted by yellowg555

We just need fusion powered cars!!

Just like the DeLorean Time machine from BTTF ....

I can just dump my thrash in there every morning and have a full tank, good to go....

[Josh49]

I always thought it would be cool if I could hook up a generator to an excercise bike at home. That way I could come home from work, get a good cardio workout as well as create some electricity which could potentially get dumped into an electric car.

Now I just need to wait for a 300 hp + electric sports car to come out..

[KL2DC]

Originally Posted by Josh49

I always thought it would be cool if I could hook up a generator to an excercise bike at home. That way I could come home from work, get a good cardio workout as well as create some electricity which could potentially get dumped into an electric car.

THAT would never work for me ....

[Josh49]

I wonder how much electricity I could generate for a typical cardio workout. Maybe I'll do some calculations. Eletricity is getting so damn expensive these days.. It'd be sweet to get a cardio workout and reduce your electric bills in one shot..

Opens up for some funny conversations though..
Pedal faster you a$$hole, the tv is getting dim and we're 2 minutes away from knowing who wins the show!! j/k

[KL2DC]

Originally Posted by Josh49

I wonder how much electricity I could generate for a typical cardio workout. Maybe I'll do some calculations. Eletricity is getting so damn expensive these days.. It'd be sweet to get a cardio workout and reduce your electric bills in one shot..

I don't think its a cost effective manner of electricty generation...I mean how many kilowatts of energy can you derive from a $60 steak dinner

You might get more through the capture of flatulent gases, recycling the methane to power some sort of generator think: mexican food for dinner

[Josh49]

Sweet, I'll put a wind turbine in the crapper and go eat some Mexican food!!

I can also capture the methane on the other side of the turbine and burn that for more energy as well!!

This is a great!! I won't need to pedal the bike at all! Just change over to a strict bean diet..

[yellowg555]

Or we can hook up half the world's population like in the Matrix and use them for power.

[Driv3r]

Originally Posted by yellowg555

Or we can hook up half the world's population like in the Matrix and use them for power.

YES!

[DLJJ3399]

I’m going to be creating a combustion sound program that matches the electric vehicle's revs and rpm’s and pumps the sound through your internal and external speakers. Yeah, I think some cars will have external speakers.

Cause I think people are gonna miss that combustion engine revs and sounds! Not to mention the sound of the exhaust!

Kinda like when you were a kid and you put playing cards in your bicycle spokes.

Like that but much cooler! OK, who’s with me?

[Josh49]

Originally Posted by DLJJ3399

I’m going to be creating a combustion sound program that matches the electric vehicle's revs and rpm’s and pumps the sound through your internal and external speakers. Yeah, I think some cars will have external speakers.

Cause I think people are gonna miss that combustion engine revs and sounds! Not to mention the sound of the exhaust!

Kinda like when you were a kid and you put playing cards in your bicycle spokes.

Like that but much cooler! OK, who’s with me?

Why not just strap a 600 hp Ferrari engine under the hood instead of playing the sound through speakers???

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by yellowg555

We could also all buy 760h's right?

Germany also has a hydrogen powered submarine too, and yet even with the inherent danger from using hydrogen, I believe it'd be a good alternative automotive energy source. Zero harmful emissions, and the only byproduct is water. However, I imagine the energy required in breaking apart water to get the hydrogen gas requires energy from our current sources.

We just need fusion powered cars!!

From my understanding there are two roads to hydrogen, one clean and one dirty. The dirty way is to derive hydrogen from fossil fuels, clean way is from solar. Right now hyrdrogen can't be created in sufficient quantities using solar energy.

[yellowg555]

Originally Posted by Socom

From my understanding there are two roads to hydrogen, one clean and one dirty. The dirty way is to derive hydrogen from fossil fuels, clean way is from solar. Right now hyrdrogen can't be created in sufficient quantities using solar energy.

Even if it is dirty, just like the electricity for electric cars, it still removes another polluting car from the streets. I would imagine if we removed all gasoline based cars from the world that it would reduce the amount of pollution by a crapload.

[herbz]

Originally Posted by Josh49

Now I just need to wait for a 300 hp + electric sports car to come out..

http://www.teslamotors.com

[Josh49]

Originally Posted by Josh49

For getting around cities, electric motors are great. For stuff like taxi cabs, buses, etc, it's a great idea.

The tesla is pretty damn hot too..

..

Guess you didn't read my whole post up there..

That thing is pretty sweet btw.. But for 92K, I won't mention exactly where it can go..

[TommyBahama]

Originally Posted by herbz

http://www.teslamotors.com

250 miles on one charge then 3 hours to recharge

my car does over 400 and takes 5 minutes to refuel.


electric cars are a long way from becoming a realistic alternative.

the richest person of my generation will be the guy who finds a new cheap source of energy, just like rockerfeller did with oil. i just hope i can get in early on the stock.