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Superstorm Sandy highlights Achilles' heel of electric cars(E-Car no worky)
Fox News ^ | November 05, 2012 | John Brandon

Posted on 11/05/2012 6:20:53 PM PST by AmonAmarth

The debate about the value of electric cars just got another jolt.

In the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, unprepared electic vehicle owners in the Northeast were out of luck. With power grids and public charging stations down there was, and in some places still is no way to get energy into their cars.

According to automotive analyst Thilo Koslowski, the storm has revealed the one major vulnerability with electric cars: that a backup infrastructure is almost non-existent.

“If the outages continue, this will negatively impact consumer interest,” he told FoxNews.com. “We will need to address the issue of electricity shortages if we want to have a growing share of EVs.”

Technology analyst Rob Enderle agrees that the infrastructure problem with EVs is being called into question in the wake of the storm. Early funding for the EV infrastructure has focused on building charging stations at malls and offices, not on disaster-proofing them. If the grid goes dark, he says, there’s no back-up battery storage to keep your EV running.

ChargePoint, which runs one of the largest public charge station networks in the area affected by Sandy did not respond to requests from FoxNews.com to discuss it's contingency plans.

“EVs need infrastructure and low cost batteries to survive -- and they have neither,” he says. “We need some strong advancements in energy storage or generation to truly make electric competitive.”

The automakers themselves are looking for answers, as well.

“As more pure EVs hit the market, consumers will demand solutions to these types of dilemmas and the industry will have to respond,” says Jana Hartline, an environmental manager at Toyota.

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


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Comment #21 Removed by Moderator

To: AmonAmarth
Heck, all you need is one of these.... and lots of time.


22 posted on 11/05/2012 6:39:08 PM PST by UCANSEE2 ( If you think I'm crazy, just wait until you talk to my invisible friend.)
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To: Army Air Corps

Nope. No power no fuel.


23 posted on 11/05/2012 6:40:34 PM PST by Gabrial (The nightmare will continue as long as the nightmare is in the Whitehouse.)
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To: ping jockey

24 posted on 11/05/2012 6:40:44 PM PST by UCANSEE2 ( If you think I'm crazy, just wait until you talk to my invisible friend.)
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To: nascarnation

This disaster has caused me to consider a diesel engine for my next car. No lines at the diesel pump.


25 posted on 11/05/2012 6:41:21 PM PST by CaptainK (...please make it stop. Shake a can of pennies at it.)
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To: Dr.Zoidberg

Prius don’t need electricity. They use the brake to charge the battery. You can also drive them under 20 miles per hour and not use any gasoline.

They are good cars to have when gasoline supplies are low.


26 posted on 11/05/2012 6:42:10 PM PST by luckystarmom
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To: dgcoronado

Exactly.....Gas pumps need electricity as done EV’s. I just leased an EV because it was basically free to me if gas stayed around 3.50/gallon. I’m sure the EV’s enjoyed driving past the gas stations and their 4 hour lines, etc. Sure, they need to charge up, but I think I’d rather try and find a socket than a gallon of gas in NY right now....this is just trying to dump on the EV’s. I’m sure I’m the only conservative driving a Nissan Leaf in the country...But it is, what it is....


27 posted on 11/05/2012 6:42:35 PM PST by BallparkBoys (RESIST WE MUCH! ....We must, and we will much, about that, be committed!)
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To: ping jockey

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/gas-station-generators_n_2079611.html


28 posted on 11/05/2012 6:42:47 PM PST by nascarnation (Defeat Baraq 2012. Deport Baraq 2013)
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To: AmonAmarth
"Electric cars are still years away from being practical."

A steam car that burns trash, wood or coal sure would be. ;-)

29 posted on 11/05/2012 6:42:47 PM PST by Average Al
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To: Gabrial

All is not lost tho, hook up a hose and pump down to the main tank,fill your manual gas pump, and start selling gas again.


30 posted on 11/05/2012 6:44:37 PM PST by AmonAmarth (If Tim Tebow has a thought, is it a Christian Ponder?)
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To: Average Al

Indeed.


31 posted on 11/05/2012 6:46:11 PM PST by AmonAmarth (If Tim Tebow has a thought, is it a Christian Ponder?)
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To: Army Air Corps
Works every time!


32 posted on 11/05/2012 6:48:15 PM PST by jaz.357 ( *Luke 6:43-45* Twas Ever Thus!)
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To: BallparkBoys

No issues about EV in general... In fact, I’ve read that the Leaf is probably the best one you can get right now. If it works for you, go for it. Gasoline doesn’t make someone a conservative... coal, nuclear, electric companies, etc., are darn good American industries also.


33 posted on 11/05/2012 6:49:22 PM PST by dgcoronado
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To: AmonAmarth

I guess you can’t carry electricity in a five gallon can.


34 posted on 11/05/2012 6:49:56 PM PST by steve86 (Acerbic by Nature, not Nurture tm)
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To: BallparkBoys

Do you have a Romney bumper sticker on that thing? That would raise some eyebrows..lol


35 posted on 11/05/2012 6:50:18 PM PST by AmonAmarth (If Tim Tebow has a thought, is it a Christian Ponder?)
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To: luckystarmom

Partly right, but You might want to do a little more research on that.


36 posted on 11/05/2012 6:50:56 PM PST by MarkeyD (Obama is a victim of Affirmative Action)
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To: AmonAmarth

Shucks. And I was hoping that they were going to come out with a pink Energizer Bunny Special Edition. LOL!


37 posted on 11/05/2012 6:52:15 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Stop the freeloader REVENGE against America! Vote on November 6th!)
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To: steve86

Not enough of it anyway....


38 posted on 11/05/2012 6:52:15 PM PST by AmonAmarth (If Tim Tebow has a thought, is it a Christian Ponder?)
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To: AmonAmarth

They could jump start the car.


39 posted on 11/05/2012 6:53:38 PM PST by HereInTheHeartland (Encourage all of your Democrat friends to get out and vote on November 7th, the stakes are high.)
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To: dgcoronado
I live in Florida, and know a few people who live in what we call "golf cart community's". I know of a resident who had a solar roof installed on his cart for around $600. He drives it all around the park, to the pool, community center, and the shopping center next to the community. He has yet to charge his golf cart conventionally (plug in) for 8 months.. It is working for him. I should also include that this is a large development, and at his age, walking to these various destinations would not be good! This gets him out and is good for his well being. Solar is great, for some uses, and depends where you are located. I would like to see the technology advance, with private investment!
40 posted on 11/05/2012 6:55:01 PM PST by goodtomato (I'm really, really blessed!)
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