Your electrical dream will work well (in your opinion) under ideal climate conditions, but take it into the Northern States, Canada or Alaska and it will be quite worthless.
Then there is also the “Out of thin air” issue over where the power these vehicles use will come from. It will require massive increases of power to charge them and the ratio of power needed to feed them, in relation to the amount of energy that will be yielded, does not even come close to what gas/oil powered vehicles produce.
There is only an illusion that these are “green” and “non impact”. In fact, on the contrary. They will increase massive power plant output and emissions in the process, which of course is not even considered by the ignorant environMENTAL crowd.
Then, one also must consider what destructive increases in electricity prices this will cause all of us.
I never said there was anything wrong with gas powered vehicles, did I? But what’s wrong with trying something different? Why not expand the use of propane or natural gas? Those have proven to be working pretty well.
But back on the Tesla. Here’s a FAQ from their site (my comments in parenthases)...
1) What is the price of the Model S?
a. Model S will start at $49,900 after a $7,500 federal tax credit.
(So, obviously, you’d need to take advantage of the tax credit to get the 49k price. And that is a starting price. Read on ...)
2) What is the range on one charge?
a. The range per charge will depend on which battery you have installed. The base model will have an estimated range of 160 miles per charge. There will also be batteries available that can travel approximately 230 miles and 300 miles per charge.
(2 different battery levels. Looks like there will be a higher end model and of course a higher price for that one)
3) How quickly does it charge?
a. Model S can charge to 80% of capacity in as little as 45 minutes. Standard charging times will vary depending on battery capacity, ranging from approximately 3 to 5 hours.
4) How many people and how much cargo can it hold?
a. Model S can seat up to 7 people, with room for 5 adults, plus 2 child seats in the rear. There is more storage capacity than most stations wagons, and the large rear opening allows for the flexibility to carry large objects that cannot fit in the trunk opening of a traditional sedan.
5) How fast is it?
a. 0-60 mph is achieved in 5.6 seconds, but more importantly the electric powertrain provides instant torque at any speed resulting in immediate acceleration whenever it is needed. As a real world performer the Model S will have no equals.
6) What options are going to be available?
a. Final options are still being determined but following are some of the planned highlights:
i. Panoramic roof with sliding moon roof.
ii. Automatic open and close liftgate.
iii. 300-mile and 230-mile batteries
iv. Remote vehicle management, including; charging, personalization and customization, and data collection.
7) How long will the battery last?
a. Battery life is dependent on many factors, including; mileage, age, temperature extremes, and charge cycles. In general you should expect a Model S battery to have a useful life between 5 and 7 years, but proper care can result in a 10-year life.
(I wonder how much of a hit your pocketbook would take at the price of new batteries. Another hurdle for electric cars)
8) Will you offer financing and/or lease options?
a. Yes. It is our intention to offer conventional financing options on Model S.
Tesla Motors Model S Faces Challenges
Summary
Tesla surprised the world with its innovative Roadster. It is a very different senerio, however, to build a car from scratch. The roadster started with a fully sorted Lotus platform. The S is a "clean sheet" of paper vehicle.
Analysis
Tesla's announcement at the NA Auto Show that it would build a four place, 300 mile range vehicle for 50k in two years is a significant statement. In summary, they need to find/equip a factory, finalize design, choose suppliers, have parts built to their spec and go into production.
This appears to be very ambitious. They have come a long way and learned a lot from the roadster, but these are very big steps. If one goes back in history, several great car guys tried to start car companies; Delorean, Bricklin and all.
Agreed that they have a great team and major dollars, but they are pioneering into new territory, not building a kit car. Also, what about crash testing and other mandated government safety standards?
I wish them well and look forward to driving the Model S.
Yeah, an electric car is gonna face some trials. But, IMO, let's do just that .... get some out there and test them in the real world with the latest technology available. What's it gonna hurt?
They fund Muslim Terrorist and Despots. And other Despots like Hugo Chavez and Vladimir Putin.
Your electrical dream will work well (in your opinion) under ideal climate conditions, but take it into the Northern States, Canada or Alaska and it will be quite worthless.
EREVs will work quite well in Northern Climates.Funding both sides of the War on Muslim Terrorist forever is just plain stupid.
Then there is also the “Out of thin air” issue over where the power these vehicles use will come from. It will require massive increases of power to charge them and the ratio of power needed to feed them, in relation to the amount of energy that will be yielded, does not even come close to what gas/oil powered vehicles produce.
There is only an illusion that these are “green” and “non impact”. In fact, on the contrary. They will increase massive power plant output and emissions in the process, which of course is not even considered by the ignorant environMENTAL crowd. Then, one also must consider what destructive increases in electricity prices this will cause all of us.
I nor anyone here IMO is part of the envirmoMENTAL crowd. If we were we would not be at Free Republic.
I am an anti-Oil Hawk. I am for Energy Independence. I am against funding both sides of the War on Muslim Terrorist.
There is plenty of excess capacity in our electricity grid to charge upto 50M electric cars overnight. The US will not get to 50M electric vehicles overnight.
As we get there we will need new electric power plants. But that is far into the future. And we can't drill our way to Energy Independence. 305M Americans and growing simply use more gas and oil products than our domestic resources can provide. Even if we drilled all of Alaska and all offshore resources off the coast of the entire USA.