Posted on 02/04/2013 2:10:43 PM PST by PJ-Comix
Hybrid car pioneer and father of the Prius Takeshi Uchiyamada says the billions poured into developing battery electric vehicles have ultimately been in vain. "Because of its shortcomings--driving range, cost and recharging time--the electric vehicle is not a viable replacement for most conventional cars," said Uchiyamada. "We need something entirely new."
Uchiyamadas comments come as the U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that the government is backing off President Barack Obamas promise to put one million electric cars on American roads by 2015. As Breitbart News reported last September, there are just 30,000 electric cars on American roads.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
They do make for a nice, toasty (albeit expensive) fire.
Yeah, but the Prius isn’t an electric; it’s a hybrid. As is the Lohner that smoothsailing posted.
Cool engine.
Seems to have more than a few potential stress points that may fail.
I think the near future, using existing technology, is Nat GAS. It works. If Auto Makers get behind a “Passenger car” version, you’ll be able to swap out a tank (just like your gas grill).
Demand vs. Supply, the chicken and egg paradox of building the vehicle before having the proper filling stations.
That is something a Narcissist will never do.
This should have been very clear from the beginning. Battery technology is not even near what it needs to be to be cost effective. The best technology I’ve read about involved carbon fiber fly wheels to store energy but the federal government snapped that up and it is now used almost exclusively in satellites. There is still some fly wheel usage being considered by car manufacturers but primarily as a kinetic energy recovery mechanism. The beauty of flywheels is that they can “charge” spin up in a fraction of the time that a battery can charge and they can also store as much as 10 times the energy of a typical chemical battery using a fraction of the space. The only other near term option is fuel cell tech which appears to have floundered. Most green technology involving cars sadly at this point is more of a scam than anything of real import. There are very few situations where a gasline powered vehicle can not be more economically and ecologically friendly than an equivalent “green” vehicle.
http://powerpulse.net/story.php?storyID=15286
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20068342-48.html
What happened to the turbin car? That was supposed to be the next big thing...several decades ago.
Too bad batteries don’t have their own Gordon E. Moore to make the rulz about them.
Formula One cars use some type of “kinetic energy” recovery system.
I’d be curious about your thoughts and if you can tell us how they work and for what purpose.
The tank on most gas grills holds 4 gallons of L P Gas.
,,, youll be able to swap out a tank (just like your gas grill).
...........The tank on most gas grills holds 4 gallons of L P Gas...........
Back to “full service” filling stations.
It didn't go well when I told them that the electric car stuff they were working on for the gov't just wasn't ready for prime time except for a few special situations.
Political Laws are no match for the Laws of Physics.
There were a number of propane cars running around in Canada ~20-30 years ago.
“Political Laws are no match for the Laws of Physics. “
But the laws of Federal Subsidies often defies what the Laws of Physics dictates.....at least for a while.
“Ya gotta respect a man who admits defeat!”
He means the electric battery only car is not viable.
His own invention is the gas-electric battery hybrid. And I judge that to be highly successful.
Hardly a defeat. Toyota dominates hybrid sales to a high degree. The technology is well proven.
Next year KERS will offer a 160 hp boost but still only for 6-7 seconds. Real different engineering goals than a street vehicle.
Ah, the hybrid car!
Dubai firm envisions horse-powered hybrid
That’s funny !!!
Now if they could just get the horse to eat its own exhaust.
Thanks,
I am curious if that HP boost needs to be used immediately or is it stored energy?
the Chevy Volt is a great car,
except it costs too much for what it is
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