Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pull Plug On High Gas Prices
cbs ^ | 7/18/06

Posted on 07/18/2006 12:05:31 PM PDT by LouAvul

If you're fed up with paying high gas prices, Hybrid Technologies says it has a solution for you.

The company is out with an "electric smart car" that runs on a lithium battery.

The company's co-founder, Richard Griffiths, pointed out to The Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler Tuesday that that's the same type of battery you'll find in cell phones, PDAs, computers, "pretty much anything we use now that's a portable electronic device."

Griffiths showed Syler how you simply plug the car in, literally, to a conventional 110 volt outlet.

"If you completely drain the battery," Griffiths said to Syler, "it's like your cell phone, if you drain the battery, a full charge is five to six hours. Normally, people won't drain the entire battery, so maybe one to two hours at night. Basically, it's like, 'Honey, did you take out the garbage and plug in the car?' It's kind of a new way of thinking. It's a plug-in hybrid. It uses absolutely no gas.

"On a single charge, you can go up to 120 miles and, depending how you drive, 150 miles."

"It's very, very small, though," Syler observed. "I am thinking safety. How does it crash test?"

"It has a three-star crash test rating," Griffiths responded, "and it has air bag systems, five air bags, three in the front. It's like a walnut. It's actually a very safe car. This is a city commuter car, so it's not a car that you'll necessarily be driving on the highway every day. So we're not looking at high speeds, necessarily."

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: energy; gasoline; gasprices; hybridtechnologies
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 161-180181-200201-220221-240 last
To: LouAvul
this was a lithium battery too:

Pretty neat, huh?

221 posted on 07/18/2006 6:23:55 PM PDT by Doohickey (I am not unappeasable. YOU are just too easily appeased.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mikey_1962
HORSE HOCKIES, e-85 is the same price around here as regular gas. Secondly if you run the stuff figure on loosing at least 4-6 miles per gal.. Already tried it in my vehicle that was supposed to be able to use it, two tanks and I went back to regular. No power and it lacks mileage.
222 posted on 07/18/2006 6:24:13 PM PDT by snowman1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: capt. norm

It is kind of shocking. I would not have guessed the electrical bills would have shot up that much. I would have guessed $100 bucks, which would have been a huge savings over gas probably per month.

But needless to say, in your neighbor's experience, gas was cheaper.


223 posted on 07/18/2006 9:15:34 PM PDT by rwfromkansas (http://xanga.com/rwfromkansas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 214 | View Replies]

To: rwfromkansas
He never mentioned how many miles he was putting on it per charge. That could make a big difference, or maybe he's doing something wrong, but I've seen where he plugs it in (one of those three-conductor 220-volt plugs) and he showed me his power bill.

By the way, there is no air-conditioning in it but there is a fan.

It would make a neat "stealth" vehicle as unless it's really quiet outside, you'll never hear it coming until it's within maybe 10 - 15 feet.

224 posted on 07/18/2006 9:32:57 PM PDT by capt. norm (W.C. Fields: "The time has come to take the bull by the tail and face the situation".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 223 | View Replies]

To: stuartcr

"They could incorporate solar cells into the roof and horizontal surfaces."

Ok, well now I want one. How many solar panels do you think it would take to get me to work 5 miles away, and to the gym every other day?


225 posted on 07/19/2006 5:44:13 AM PDT by esquirette (Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Straight Vermonter

LOL

yep :)


226 posted on 07/19/2006 6:01:22 AM PDT by soccer_maniac (Fine employers $100,000 for every illegal employee they hire-> millions of illegals will self-deport)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 207 | View Replies]

To: esquirette

It would be a supplement, not the main charging system, just something to keep the battery topped off during the time it is parked outdoors.


227 posted on 07/19/2006 6:16:53 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 225 | View Replies]

To: LouAvul

But will it go from Minot to Williston ND on a charge, when the weather is -35 F and blowing snow, with the heater going?

Y'all keep these things where the weather stays nice, but don't foist them on us up here where they will kill us, and we'll keep drilling for American oil.


228 posted on 07/19/2006 6:19:43 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gleeaikin

"Wouldn't there be some way to install generating devices in a portion of a stream or river that would not block the entire river.
"

Sure. There are still folks using waterwheels to generate power, either mechanical or electrical. They're not very efficient at taking energy out of moving water, but that energy is free for the taking.

Even a small stream can generate plenty of power for a home, using a simple waterwheel. It's pretty easy, and can be homebuilt. Mother Earth News published numerous small stream generating plans over the years.


229 posted on 07/19/2006 6:39:04 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 204 | View Replies]

To: rwfromkansas

"Also, older cars cost less to insure.
"

Also, in many states, annual registration fees are based on the vehicle's value. Another plus for older cars.


230 posted on 07/19/2006 6:40:24 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 212 | View Replies]

To: Smokin' Joe

"But will it go from Minot to Williston ND on a charge, when the weather is -35 F and blowing snow, with the heater going? "

Oh, my! I mean, I'm a Minnesotan, and still cannot understand why anyone would care to drive from Minot to Williston under any circumstances, much less on a -35 day. I just say no to all that, thanks.


231 posted on 07/19/2006 6:43:07 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 228 | View Replies]

To: Joe Miner
If he invested in that scheme it's probably not wise instructing him to climb tall buildings.

Maybe the system could be tweaked to extract the energy from his fall when he jumps. Then he could climb again and repeat the process indefinitely.

232 posted on 07/19/2006 6:46:59 AM PDT by steve-b ("Creation Science" is to the religous right what "Global Warming" is to the socialist left.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 210 | View Replies]

To: MineralMan

Have a relative in the Cardiac care unit in Minot, live in or near Williston is reason enough. It is only 130 miles, but I wouldn't rely on one of these rigs to get me there.

Most of the oil rig crews out here would not make it from home to the oil rig and back on one charge, either.

But as a Minnesotan, (assuming you are from the Northern part of the state) would you trust one of these cars to keep you warm and get you where you were going in the winter?


233 posted on 07/19/2006 6:51:21 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 231 | View Replies]

To: Smokin' Joe

"Have a relative in the Cardiac care unit in Minot, live in or near Williston is reason enough. It is only 130 miles, but I wouldn't rely on one of these rigs to get me there.

Most of the oil rig crews out here would not make it from home to the oil rig and back on one charge, either.

But as a Minnesotan, (assuming you are from the Northern part of the state) would you trust one of these cars to keep you warm and get you where you were going in the winter?"




Sorry...I was just making a North Dakota joke, there. Obviously these little cars don't make much sense either in Minnesota or North Dakota. They do make some sense in other places, though.

I always try not to limit my thinking to my own needs and wants on things like this.


234 posted on 07/19/2006 6:54:23 AM PDT by MineralMan (non-evangelical atheist)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 233 | View Replies]

To: MineralMan
Sorry...I was just making a North Dakota joke, there.

It's Okay, we know where the low pressure system is that works with the high over Montana that makes it so darned windy here, too...(8^D)

All joking aside, It would be dangerous to rely on something like this when the weather outside could kill you. I imagine that would go for areas where temps get murderously hot as well as winters here.

I wonder what plugging one of these in at every house on every block all over would do to peak load power consumption, too. (tune in for the 6 PM ET rolling brownout...)

235 posted on 07/19/2006 7:00:53 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 234 | View Replies]

To: rwfromkansas

I'm still waiting to find out what kind of vehicle his neighbor has/had.

There were only 4 production plug-in vehicles available to my knowledge. The GM EV1, Toyota Rav4EV, Ford Ranger EV, and Ford Th!nk City. The EV1s and Th!nks were all removed from service and destroyed or shipped overseas. There are about 200-300 Rav4EVs and Ranger EVs left combined. Both had about 30 kWh battery packs good for 65-80 miles.

Lets assume you have a Rav4EVand you give it a full charge every day. The battery has a 27 kWh capacity, but required about 30 kWh to charge. I pay about $.10 per kWh (plus a flat customer fee) for electricity. That's $3 per day. Assume for the sake of argument you pay $.15, more like the nationwide average. Thats $4.50 per day, or $137 per month (average month length). Also assume a 40 mile drive per day, only half of the full range of a Rav4EV. That's $.1125 per mile.

Of course, the standard Rav4 got 26 mpg EPA combined. For the same 40 miles per day, you need 1.54 gallons of gas. At $3 per gallon, that's $4.62 per day, or $.1155 per mile. Even assuming extremely poor range, the Rav4EV was a virtual tie on cost per day as the standard Rav4. It also wouldn't have cost anywhere near $400 per month to charge.

Where the comparison really falls apart, though, is on battery cost. Hybrids charge/discharge batteries carefully to maximize life (typically never fully charging or fully discharging). These EVs didn't do that, so battery life was MUCH, MUCH, MUCH shorter. And they no longer make the batteries, so you have to buy one used at auction. They can run $25k, over 10 times the list price of a hybrid battery (Toyota claims 0 hybrid battery replacements to date).

The battery price is where an EV would have cost a fortune - not the recharging.


236 posted on 07/19/2006 7:16:14 AM PDT by eraser2005
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 223 | View Replies]

To: soccer_maniac

But a car that runs on pasta....


Now THAT would be cool. :)


237 posted on 07/19/2006 7:17:10 AM PDT by eraser2005
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 226 | View Replies]

To: snowman1; Mikey_1962

My van is supposed to be able to run on E85. The owner's manual says I should expect a 30% drop in mileage. E85 costs about 5% or 6% less in my area. So looks like I won't be running E85 in my car.


238 posted on 07/19/2006 7:59:18 AM PDT by RonF
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 222 | View Replies]

To: stuartcr

so......we still need to generate the juice to run the car.


239 posted on 07/19/2006 2:08:48 PM PDT by esquirette (Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 227 | View Replies]

To: esquirette

It's got to run on something.


240 posted on 07/19/2006 6:12:53 PM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 239 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 161-180181-200201-220221-240 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson