Electric Cars, Good or Bad?
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That was funny William!
I wonder if the ELIO will pan out?
I'd be keen on a electric (battery) lawn tractor.
I know...I could hot rod it with some of my aircraft NiCads!
I wonder if the ELIO will pan out?
I'd be keen on a electric (battery) lawn tractor.
I know...I could hot rod it with some of my aircraft NiCads!
It's a can am / motorcycle with a canopy and not any more or less safe than they are. A niche product that has its place. Plus as was pointed out it can save you money on final expenses since it doubles as a coffin!
I went diesel with our last car purchase because of the fuel mileage / range / fuel availability / durability. But like it was mentioned earlier the engine / emissions / transmission maintenance really cut into about all the fuel saving that is realized and I am not looking forward to working on the vehicles like I used to.
The range and recharge time is what keeps me from buying electric. If I had an electric car I would also have solar panels on the roof since the ROI would be shortened into a realistic number.
I went diesel with our last car purchase because of the fuel mileage / range / fuel availability / durability. But like it was mentioned earlier the engine / emissions / transmission maintenance really cut into about all the fuel saving that is realized and I am not looking forward to working on the vehicles like I used to.
The range and recharge time is what keeps me from buying electric. If I had an electric car I would also have solar panels on the roof since the ROI would be shortened into a realistic number.
- davidmcbeth3
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It used to be that you could see your engine ... I still do all the mechanical work .. but its a pain.titleist1 wrote:It's a can am / motorcycle with a canopy and not any more or less safe than they are. A niche product that has its place. Plus as was pointed out it can save you money on final expenses since it doubles as a coffin!
I went diesel with our last car purchase because of the fuel mileage / range / fuel availability / durability. But like it was mentioned earlier the engine / emissions / transmission maintenance really cut into about all the fuel saving that is realized and I am not looking forward to working on the vehicles like I used to.
The range and recharge time is what keeps me from buying electric. If I had an electric car I would also have solar panels on the roof since the ROI would be shortened into a realistic number.
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WOW 5 pages of posts, I guess this electric car thing is catching on. Smitties concerns over complex servicing intimidates me. I can't afford $80,000 for Tesla. I needed something that when I run out of power I still get home and that I can service myself. So I made the BIG purchase (for a poor horse farmer), I'm excited to give it a spin. I even gotta dealer number for service. I need to keep up with these new fangled things.
- confedsailor
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Aint no thang man, that puppy is just buckin for a radio flyer trailer.titleist1 wrote:CN....I see a problem....
That basket in the back is way too small to carry home a baseburner!
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Thx to the brilliant addition of a RF flyer, I can have a supplemental battery. Now I can install a heating system.
Now my range with the heat on is more than a Nissan Leaf with it's heater working.
With my iphone 3gs plugged into the 12v, I have a hands free phone, Pandora, maps and a GPS. My 3gs just hangs there and gets bounced around a bit.Therefore, it needs an iphone that is compact and has a metal back for robustness (snark snark). Or, I could add a second RF flyer trailer and carry an iphone 6S in the back one (I think there is room but I can't be sure snark snark again). This would double as a picnic table for country stops and I could while away the time trying to get iOS 8.1 to work. (Apple has not approved this message)
Many mods are possible, I'm just getting started here.
Now my range with the heat on is more than a Nissan Leaf with it's heater working.
With my iphone 3gs plugged into the 12v, I have a hands free phone, Pandora, maps and a GPS. My 3gs just hangs there and gets bounced around a bit.Therefore, it needs an iphone that is compact and has a metal back for robustness (snark snark). Or, I could add a second RF flyer trailer and carry an iphone 6S in the back one (I think there is room but I can't be sure snark snark again). This would double as a picnic table for country stops and I could while away the time trying to get iOS 8.1 to work. (Apple has not approved this message)
Many mods are possible, I'm just getting started here.
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Except then you would need to figure the ROI of the solar panels, too.titleist1 wrote:The range and recharge time is what keeps me from buying electric. If I had an electric car I would also have solar panels on the roof since the ROI would be shortened into a realistic number.
If you’re towing lead-acid batteries in your wagon, they weigh so much they can barely transport themselves. Some years ago I looked into kits and plans for converting a standard car or truck to electric. The only batteries I could afford were LA, and you quickly realize that doubling your batteries does NOT double your range because the additional batteries add so much more weight to haul. And reading between the lines of people who did conversions, those LA battery packs don’t last as long as you would hope. Incidentally the recommended vehicles for conversion were small pickup trucks, because in or under the bed there was plenty of room for batteries, and the truck frame could carry the battery weight without being beefed up. Of course nobody even sells a small pickup in this country any longer, so where is the conversion vehicle to come from?coalnewbie wrote:Thx to the brilliant addition of a RF flyer, I can have a supplemental battery.
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The 250 mile range would be great, but the 70 mile range of a Nissan Leaf would take care of a lot of my running around.scalabro wrote:I would buy one, IF...
It had a charge range of 250 miles
I really don’t understand EV prices, however. Compare a Leaf to a Prius: Nissan doesn’t have to provide a gasoline engine, a starter, a gas tank and its plumbing, exhaust system, ignition system, cooling system, emission controls, evaporative controls, and – what have I missed? Offsetting all these missing parts is simply a larger battery and larger electric motor. Why in the world does the little Leaf cost more than a Prius?
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So the energy density of batteries are abysmal. Perhaps a hybrid idea might work. How about you use a battery to start something bigger like an internal combustion engine working with a super high energy fuel like octane. In fact you could litter the nation with filling stations where you can load ever more octane into the tank. Do you think the idea has merit?
The solar panel ROI is what I was hoping would be shortened to a realistic number because of my increased electric consumption charging the car.....maybe I have it backwards though!!rberq wrote: titleist1 wrote:The range and recharge time is what keeps me from buying electric. If I had an electric car I would also have solar panels on the roof since the ROI would be shortened into a realistic number.
Except then you would need to figure the ROI of the solar panels, too.
I don't think he is worried about extra range with the extra batteries, didn't you see the PEDALS on his rig??!! I think he was hoping the additional weight would give him more coasting distance when heading downhill!!rberq wrote:doubling your batteries does NOT double your range because the additional batteries add so much more weight to haul.