Electric car owners?

[PAUL161]

Propane tractors were quite popular years ago in certain parts of the country and were very efficient tractors, but diesel became more popular as the modern diesel engines were more powerful and the handling and storing of diesel was easier and cheaper. A couple of popular propane tractors. I forgot, that in later years some government bodies required the farmer to get a license to store propane on his property, another out of pocket cost! PJView attachment 62231View attachment 62232View attachment 62233

 

[glemon]

I spend some time on general car forums too, mostly Jalopnik. Like most things these days opinions are pretty polarized, but lots of good discussion.

I had a discussion with a guy who seemed to think everybody should drive an electric car because some figure he was quoting about 90% of trips being 10 miles or less, or most days people dont drive over 30 miles, or something along those lines. So most everybody should drive an electric car. When I asked the obvious question, what about long trips? Well of course Tesla has supercharging stations.

I think there will be an electric future, there are many advantages, the kicker being cheaper running costs. However, many issues. Some people seem to take a very simplistic view, electric cars are great, they use less energy, and you just plug them in, lower energy costs, lower emmissions, but if they do get adopted in huge numbers there will be big infrastructure issues that will need to be overcome, and some others as well.

1. Charging overnight, great if you have a garage, better still if you can afford to upgrade wiring to said garage. Would a two car electric family require an upgrade to many homes electrical service (bigger amps at the main box), I don't know just speculating.

3. At the other end of the power line generating and distributing more power. Remember brown outs in the sixties when widespread use of residential and commercial air conditioning started?

4. Fuel stations get bigger, even if the get a recharge down to 15 minutes, that is longer than it takes to gas up a car, also range is shorter, so you maybe have the need for 4x as many charging stations as pumps on the big interstate truck stops that currently have a dozen or more pumps.

I would strongly consider a lightly used car as cheaper comend electric as a commuter car (also have been trying first generation Honda Insights). But we have the luxury of having another car for trips, an old sports car for fun, and an old truck for hauling things.

 

[NutmegCT]

GLemon - bravo. Excellent concise statement of the issues.

I wonder if there's a reference somewhere that computes the cost to recharge the EV's battery. Here in Connecticut, with power at around 20 cents per kWh, I'd imagine it pretty expensive, especially with the range of 100-200 miles per charge.

And Rick's video of electrics waiting in line to recharge (Lake Tahoe), points out another big issue: Do you sit in your car for 30-60 minutes waiting for the battery to charge? Big difference from a 10 minute fill-up at the gas pump.

Tom M.

 

[Boink]

 

[JPSmit]

I haven't wanted to weigh in, but, appreciate GLemons comments. With electric we are seeing the beginning of a technology, a technology without a fully developed infrastructure. (yes I know there was electric before but you know what I mean) The analogy here is genuinely the beginning of horseless carriages - when people said it couldn't last and that it was a fad. When we think of the first gasoline cars, it wasn't just gas stations they needed but paved roads.

We do know a couple of things. 1. that North America is constructed largely with the assumption of of personal transport as opposed to public transit. 2. While the notion of peak oil has largely diminished, and while it is a good thing that we rely less and less on middle eastern oil, still fracking and the like are going to continue to become more controversial (likewise the oilsands in Canada). 3. We are going to have to deal with climate change and carbon emissions.

I agree that there are issues with electric and potentially promise in things like hydrogen but we won't know unless we try and I very much appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit behind it - which is more than we have seen in many transportation sectors for a very long time. In the midst of this I also recall an article by Jay Leno where he talks about alternate energy vehicles. His point is that in the same ways that removing the reliance on horses paved the way for people to enjoy riding as a hobby, so reducing reliance on fossil fuels for regular transportation could ensure their ongoing use for hobbiests. I like to think that could happen at least.

my 2 cents

 

[NutmegCT]

JP - true that. One difference however is that when "horseless carriages" were first getting popular (when I was only a teen ...), gasoline was already available in hardware and farm supply stores.

Sure seems the actual *replacement* of an EV's battery (est. 15 minutes) would be simpler and faster than lengthy times of recharging the battery. Imagine service stations where the discharged battery is removed, and a fully charged battery is put in its place. You could have a pair of batteries for your car: one in the car, the other always fully charged. "Easy In - Easy Out".

Oh well ...

 

[Gliderman8]

Here's another entry (not a good one) in the electric car market...
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/28/cars/citroen-ami-cheap-electric-car/index.html

 

[John Turney]

Here's another entry (not a good one) in the electric car market...
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/28/cars/citroen-ami-cheap-electric-car/index.html

I'm sure it serves a purpose in slow traffic, although I would prefer a 2CV, which isn't saying much since I'm into British cars.

 

[Gliderman8]

I'm sure it serves a purpose in slow traffic, although I would prefer a 2CV, which isn't saying much since I'm into British cars.

Couldn’t agree more with you John. The 2CV would be more desirable.

 

[PAUL161]

View attachment 62244

Charging station for electric boats!

 

[NutmegCT]

This, gentlemen, is a charging station for electric boats ...

We do it here - and we do it good!



Tom M. (a/k/a Connecticut Yankee)