What is with the American auto mfg ? They screw around with cars that will go 20 or 30 miles on a charge and the Tesla will go almost 250. You don't suppose big oil has a hand in preventing more long range electric cars being built? http://www.teslamotors.com/roadster/specs Bob H.
I would seriously doubt that "big oil" cares a whit about electric cars. Selling oil is not even a tiny problem for them. The real issue is how long will the supply last? With trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes all using Diesel fuel (Yes, Jet A is pretty much the same thing as Kerosene - which in turn is closely related to Diesel fuel). China and India are emerging - as we know, Buick sells more cars in China then in the USA. I think we all can safely put any conspiracy by the major oil companies to crush electric technology out of our minds.
I still don't understand why they don't get right to the heart of this. A CSX railroad commercial claims they move 500 tons of freight "XX" miles on one gallon of fuel. This is because they run diesel-electric trains which use an engine to turn a generator head. The Chevy Volt comes close with a gas-electric drivetrain but they still don't hit the mark. Why not a one or two cylinder diesel tuned run at 800 or so RPM running a generator to power the electric motors? No more "range anxiety", no more need for "infrastructure" in the form of charging stations. Every time you convert energy from one form to another, you lose a little bit so making electricity then storing it in a battery, then using it to power a motor is a huge waste. Just generate the electricity and use it immediately.
So what you are saying is, if electric cars replaced fossil fuel cars in the next 20 years the oil companies wouldn't feel the pain? Not your words but what I got out of your response. If the electric cars became successful it wouldn't just be here it would be all over the world. Bob H.
Or it's because rails are smooth and rarely exceed 2% grades, and there are economies gained in scale, aka bigger is more efficient. The main advantage of a diesel electric combo is the diesel can run at a fixed rpm/peak power continuously and electric motors can apply all that HP at any rpm, rather it's 1 or 5,000. No diesel engine can generate 4,500HP at 1rpm, but you can make an electric motor (and steam for that matter) do it. Rather a conspiracy theorist or not, the fact remains we do not produce enough electricity in this country to replace gas and diesel as our primary source of transportation fuel. If we got over our lame nuclear hang ups then there is a chance we could, but until then it's not going to happen, simply too many kilo, mega, giga, and tera watts worth of energy are expended in fuel burning engines that we are not currently capable of producing into electricity.
The Tesla is one sweet car isn't it? One model even surpassed all expectations of NHTSA crash testing. It would be my lottery winnings car should that ever happen. But does an electric car that has the range of a Tesla have to cost $100,000? I find it hard to believe and almost laughable that any of the large auto companies be they American or foreign can't build an electric car for the average Joe that costs less than $25,000 new without government subsidies, and has a range that will get you farther than a trip across town.
Pretty much. With more then two billion potential customers in emerging countries, no matter how hard we try to replace oil, demand will still increase. If I were Rex Tillerson, I wouldn't be losing any sleep over electric cars. ---------- Post added at 03:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 PM ---------- Just to add a bit: The least expensive Tesla is about the same price as the cost of a standard Corvette. The technology to make batteries that can be deep-cycled repeatedly and that have a huge capacity exists. The problem is that it costs big money. For $60,000 you can do it. For the price of a Toyota Camry, you can't. It's that simple.
All I know is for 60 to 100 grand, that car should be the epitome of speed, comfort, or both. I should be able to drive it coast to coast with little more than fuel stops, either in less than 30 hours Cannonball style or in a few more hours well rested, refreshed, with little worry of where to refuel. I also would prefer not to worry about 50% depreciation or being stranded in need of service. Needless to say I will leave that up to the early adopters who already own Betamaxes, stock in Facebook, and a condo timeshare. Patrick
Electric is the start there will be alternative energy systems soon, like anything early stage costs are prohibitive but they will drop. fuel cell tech is moving very very rapidly, some that will not only hurt the oil industry but could also put the big electricity generators out of business (I'm talking decades from now, but absolutely viable outcome)
Now, let's assume for a moment that a feasible and affordable electric car exists. A couple of questions: - Where is the electricity going to come from? As of now, it is still mostly fossil fuels and nuclear - How is our distribution network going to handle such a massive increase in demand? It can barely handle current demand...
Someone, sometime, will develop a battery that will blow away any other power source both in longevity and time to recharge. When they do, THEY will be the only thing going and the OEM's will take notice. It sounds like Science Fiction but I suspect this will happen in the next 10 years. Perhaps my '67 GS400 will have to have an alternative power source! If so, I will bag and tag the original engine and tranny and continue to drive it until I can't. Then, someone else can enjoy it. Dave
I absolutely agree with you Dave, but the laws of physics will not be repealed. The energy will have to come from somewhere. It doesn't matter whether the battery can be recharged in 30 seconds or 10 hours, the electrons that charge it must have a source. That source will have a price, and a cost.
Also depends on what they are hauling. Some loads take a a long time to get across country. Others are more perishable. Shipping fast takes more fuel.
I've saw a Tesla once. I was in the Roadmaster. As I blew past the Tesla, the driver gave me a thumbs up.
Agreed, but I guess I'm just an optimist. LOL! The energy needs to come from somewhere. Perhaps they will discover an alternate power source. It will depend if the car manufactures will allow it. Dave
Seen several Model S Teslas around...beautiful car but too rich for my blood. In recent interview, Elon Musk said he wants to expand free "Supercharger" stations across US...wonder if other electrics could use for a fee...
A good post, but do not confuse torque with horsepower. Horsepower is work accomplished over time - usually based on one minute. Torque is twisting force, usually measured in Foot/pounds, or if you like base 10, Newton/Meters. It is true that an electric motor develops it's maximum torque at zero RPM, but certainly not maximum horsepower. I suppose that it is theoretically possible for an electric motor to develop 4,500 hp at 1 rpm, but it would be one hell of a huge electric motor! :grin: As to steam (I am a steam locomotive fanatic), Steam engines have been made that developed well over 6,000 horsepower, and have speed and pulling power to rival the best of the modern Diesels, but steam engines do not develop their torque at very low piston speeds. The Diesel-electrics will start a train that a steam locomotive of the same horsepower rating could not. Aside from fuel economy, the greatest advantage of a Diesel-electric is the torque characteristics of electric motors.
