Posted on 05/28/2015 10:36:17 AM PDT by Cincinatus
Bishop Hill points us to this video of the Tesla Supercharging station at the Harris Ranch exit of Interstate 5 in California. He writes: “How can one resist posting a video of Tesla electric cars being recharged (so it is claimed) using a diesel generator? These people love the environment you see.”
The video shows a portable diesel generator next to the charging station and some Tesla automobiles. Watch this short video:
(Excerpt) Read more at wattsupwiththat.com ...
When you get an electric engine that will pull 20,000 pounds of hay, or tractors, or cattle and not the size of a locomotive; pull enough torque to cross a muddy creek, and sound as sweet as my power stroke for less money then we’ll talk. Until then they are hipster wagons much like the Subaru is the lesbian wagon.
—and then there are all those corn farmers using diesel equipment to plant, cultivate and harvest corn to make ethanol to be added to gasoline to lower the energy content per gallon to reduce overall gas mileage—
What if science and technology could capture “global warming” and put it into batteries, for vehicles?
But they “care” and they “mean well” so they’re never slammed for their “good intentions.”
Meanwhile, they’re thinking up every trick in the book to get us to hand over our money, by law.
You'd have a car with a warm battery that still wouldn't go farther than 200 miles.
Ok I know we all hate HOA’s I live in one and am on the board a resident a renter to boot has an electric car that was popping a breaker once a week the hoa supplies power to the garages I was pissed off big time we figured he was costing us about 50 bucks a month I said we need to get that money from him or I want my 50 bucks for a tank of gas its only fair right well he moved out
Notice Harris Ranch does not simply re-sell grid power to charge the Teslas.
PGE now charges confiscatory electric rates.
So they must generate their own.
How did Cal EPA grant them a permit for a generating station? Or did they need or get a permit?
Classic how do you want your fossil fuel pumped into your car, in a location where it must be asked.
Maybe the generator is only there until they get the battery swap up and running.
They powered the Tesla charging station with a diesel generator for about 18 hrs when the local power company could not supply Tesla with any power.
Some people are freaking idiots.
Electric cars are not “zero emission vehicles,” instead, they’re emission displacers that move their emissions from where they are used to where the (mostly fossil) power plants that actually power them are located.
Joking around aside, I believe the vehicles with combination technologies are the most practicle. Plug in Hybrid/gasoline (or diesel with Audi Q7)
—Toyota/Prius Plug-in Hybrids
—BMW i3 Plug-in Hybrids
—Ford Plug in Hybrid
—Volvo XC90 T8 Plug in Hybrid. Luxury SUV with 400 hp, AWD, etc. And they are making a point of the fact it will be priced well below the Tesla.
Audi even has a big luxury SUV which combines Plug-in electric capability, with turbo diesel power.
These and several others. They run short distances on electric only, can switch over to gas/electric hybrid function.
Some of them have a great deal of raw power for acceleration. Some stuff on high performance, high technology fuel efficient vehicles, from Volvo, BMW, Audi, etc.
There is nothing wrong with electric motors. Trains are essentially electric with diesel providing the juice. If, as many people seem to think, we get batteries that are both cheaper and higher capacity, we just may see good practical electric cars. Internal combustion engines are just one way of turning energy into motion. And not terribly efficient, so there may be a better mouse trap built so to speak. The amount of energy per volume is unmatched in petroleum products. But simply changing how much energy can be stored in batteries will make electric vehicles much cheaper to operate. Look no further than natural gas being used as a fuel source for vehicles. Gasoline or Diesel is expensive per mile.
The supercharging station is across the street.
Tesla Harris Ranch Supercharger
24505 W Dorris Ave, Coalinga, CA 93210
http://goo.gl/maps/ruDLu
The is no electric now or in the near/distant future that does what my 3/4 truck can do and not be the size of a train and therefore unusable, un-maneuverable, and impracticable. I also will never ride in a shoebox just to make people feel better about me. I am free.
“Being “conservative” does not mean “hey, let’s trash the environment ... “
I’m with you on that. I spent 20 years in my first career field of hydrocarbon energy (oil field production, refinery/pipeline engineering & construction, etc.)
I also lived for awhile in Europe, where higher fuel prices have yielded vehicles which use less fuel.
If I could design my ideal vehicle today, it would be a lot like some of the latest offerings from Volvo & Audi. Volvo is introducing their largest SUV (XC90 T8) with plug-in electric, gasoline power hybrid technology. Audi is introducing an updated Q7 SUV with plug in electric, turbo diesel technology.
In Europe diesels have earned over 50% of their passenger vehicle sales figures, for years. The better economy per gallon offset their high fuel prices.
The only way any of these options makes economic sense is if you drive many miles per year, and/or keep the vehicle for a long time.
Those brands are all in for technology. It is in their DNA so to speak. Volvo is taking 550 lbs. out of the SUV for example.
Too bad my remaining days and dollars equation means I will likely not get one, but we can dream. Meanwhile I will nurse my gorgeous Audi A6 Quattro along.
As for your Leaf. The range limit precludes me from interest in such technologies. However I recognize plug in electric only does work for commercial, whereby the distance per day is known, and overnight charging places little to no incremental electric source capacity.
Does anyone really care about this non-story? I know I don’t.
“You’d have a car with a warm battery that still wouldn’t go farther than 200 miles.”
I am an old guy, a car lover, and one who appreciates technology.
I would not buy a range limited electric only vehicle. Too much old fashioned independence, etc.
But a majority of car trips in America are of such short distance, they fall within range limited vehicle limits.
And those limits are increasing.
The ideal vehicle in many ways, is one driven by electric batteries which can be plugged in overnight to recharge, and recharged while on the road by a small displacement gas or diesel motor. There are several models on the road, and more coming.
As with technology and prices, over time and as sales volumes increase, new technology goes down in price.
Thanks for dropping by to let us all know that you don’t care about this non-story.
they should make a Hybrid Supercharger Station powered by Wind Turbines, Solar Panels and a Cow Manure Incinerator.
They can also Power it using Methane Gas produced by the Cow Manure Pile. Bandini Mountain...
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