Posted on 02/10/2013 7:40:17 AM PST by BobL
Washington — Having established a fast-charging foothold in California for its electric cars, Tesla Motors has brought its formula east, opening two ultrafast charging stations in December that would, in theory, allow a speedy electric-car road trip between here and Boston.
But as I discovered on a recent test drive of the company’s high-performance Model S sedan, theory can be trumped by reality, especially when Northeast temperatures plunge
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Volt was conceived as fundamentally being an electric car with an onboard gas generator to extend range. The production reality is not quite the same as the original conception.
The Prius was conceivec as fundamentally being an i ternal combustion engine powered car with electric boost and energy recapture. That it is, and love it or hate it, the car works as conceived. They’re sort of bland appliances and do not appeal to me personally. But, there is abso,utely nothing questionable or unreliable about their drivetrain. They’re the gold standard of hybrid gas/electric passenger cars.
And the gas tank doesn't lose 1% of its capacity on each fill-up. This reviewer noticed that each next charge results in fewer miles to empty, and only a very long (80 minutes) charge bumped that number higher. Still, on day one he got 242 miles to empty, and a day or two later, after a long charge, it was 216 miles. If this trend continues, after a couple of weeks the car won't have enough range to drive away from a charger :-) I don't want to have this sword of Damocles over my head, especially when the battery pack costs more than two new gasoline cars.
I'd gladly buy an EV, but only after it becomes technically sound - such as reasonably priced, and with battery that is capable of a reliable range and that can be quickly recharged and that doesn't lose capacity from age or from extreme temperatures. Otherwise people will die in these cars as they drive in hot or cold places.
I agree with everything you’ve said.
I don’t have a dog in this fight. You know, sometimes science and fate work out to the very simple proposition that the first discovery, the easiest discovery and application (an use) may actually be the best.
In the perspective of things, I think petroleum based resources are here for their use. I also think that this “green cred” idea you mention can be borne, not of higher efficiency - better use - better application, but of pure politics and plain power-grabbing and ultimate control.
Mother nature has a way of backfiring on proponents like this. In some cases, batteries, despite all the graft greed and kickbacks, just can take the ultimate use comparison in actual application. They burn up - their charging stations in the ‘green homes’ burn up.
Likewise for the plastics reduction nuts. Plastic grocery bags - oooga boooga - are a big fricking no-no! Yet, now we see indications where all the good little “green-cred” wannabe ‘consumer ecologists’ don’t wash their cloth reusable grocery bags and disease and illness follows.
I’m out of all this. I’ll stick with gas as long as it’s available and you won’t see a hybrid, nor a charging station in my garage. Let the “green creds” have them. Our fire department first responders need the work it seems.
Not really. The marketing of the car is based on ignoring theory. Or, rather, using the theory under ideal conditions at all times.
I guess that Romney was right (and the press was wrong) about his criticisms of Tesla after all. Who would have guessed?
The Prius is doing fine. From what I can tell, it is able to win over customers, while still playing by the rules (i.e., no Obama money). I agree with you - it’s night and day compared to the electric and mostly electric cars.
Oh that won’t be a problem for long. The feral government will just build a lot more charging lanes and remove the gas pumps.
You’re right about the range varying. When you through that much power into a battery, you have to be conservative if you don’t want to light up the town. So yes, the batteries will take a hit, both in life, and how much charge they can hold, if you keep charging at 85 kW (which still blows my mind).
“I guess that Romney was right (and the press was wrong) about his criticisms of Tesla after all. Who would have guessed?”
He was right on a lot of stuff...except thinking that you could be nice and respectful to Obama and still win.
But that was still better than McCain, who simply wanted to lose.
One cannot control the n-number of ways metal bends in a crash. Woe the unsuspecting good Samaritan as he “grounds” the EV trying to provide help. How many volt-amps are they trying put in these cars?
“How many volt-amps are they trying put in these cars?”
It appears to be on the order of 85,000 - based on their claimed one hour charge. That’s still too low. A gas pump pushing unleaded can do the equivalent of 1,000,000 - which is why you can fill up in 5 minutes.
I think you give him too much credit. I think Obama is totally ignorant of matters scientific. Remember: this is a guy who has never really practiced law, so he has no practical knowledge of anything tangible, except politics.
I agree, the president has no clue regarding what’s feasible.
But he has some VERY SMART people, starting with Steven Chu, who understand this stuff fully...he knows enough to use these guys to get what he ultimately wants.
I meant connect about a hundred of them together.
An efficient solar panel produces about 10 watts, so the power produced by 25 square feet of solar panels in one hour would propel your Tesla about one mile down the road.
Volt amps is a measurement of power, not energy.
You don't store volt-amps, you store watt-hours.
Just because the guys knows something about physics, doesn’t mean he knows anything about this particular problem. Remember, it was not professor Langley was first flew, but two mechanics in a bike-shop in Ohio who figured out the principles of flight using gliders.The they cobbled together the first plane by attached an internal combustion motor to the frame and a propellor to push the thing. Orville was the brother who really figure out how to make the contraption work. But I must say that the Wright brothers did more to master aerodynamics than any of the scientists who worked on the problem. These guys were much more than tinkerers. They deserved a Nobel prize for physics.
Just because the guys knows something about physics, doesn’t mean he knows anything about this particular problem. Remember, it was not professor Langley was first flew, but two mechanics in a bike-shop in Ohio who figured out the principles of flight using gliders.The they cobbled together the first plane by attached an internal combustion motor to the frame and a propellor to push the thing. Orville was the brother who really figure out how to make the contraption work. But I must say that the Wright brothers did more to master aerodynamics than any of the scientists who worked on the problem. These guys were much more than tinkerers. They deserved a Nobel prize for physics.
The cost/benefit ratio stunk, that’s why.
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