electric cars

starfighter · 20 Oct 2008 at 18:31

Firstly, do not panic. I have no plans to buy a GWiz. :eek:

I love the sound and smell of a petrol engine and would never get a Diesel.

But for some reason electric cars intreage me. While they might not be as good as the fossil fueled alternative at the moment they have the potential to be even better.

Possibly not the best example, but it depends on the price I guess.

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=18829

I am not sure of the cost but the specs arn't bad.

"The MINI E gets its juice through a socket where the filler cap should be, and a full charge takes 8 hours from a regular mains outlet, although US customers will be offered a fast charging station that reduces this to less than 2 hours.

Top speed has been limited to 95mph, but BMW claims a 0-62mph time of 8.5secs and a range of around 150 miles, extended by re-capturing energy expended under braking."

The main issue is the 2 hour charge and that batterys take up the rear seat but give it a few years and this wont be a problem I imagine.

With electric cars there is less to wrong, they can even fit the motors in the wheels or next to the wheel reducing the need for mechanical parts, easy 4wd, low centre of mavity.

And the main advantage low tax and leccy is cheaper than petrol.

So my question is, how good would they have to be for you to swap.

For me as soon as they are as good as a petrol car and the same price I will consider swapping. Because it will likely be faster for the cost of fueling an equally powered petrol car and probably maintain.

How much of a premium are you willing to pay for that lovely noise?

Or am I talking tosh and will electric cars be rubbish/expensive for a long time yet?

phil675 · 20 Oct 2008 at 18:43

Electric motors would be great for cities I suppose. But for anyone living anywhere else, the versatility of a fossil fueled car is too valuble. Maybe if solar/wind power was actually any good, and electric cars could easily make long journeys, the idea would be more attractive. Imagine if you forgot to charge your car one night and you have to get to work in the morning, worrying about your battery running out. You can't just fill it up, you have to find a 'power station' and wait around for an hour or so.

Personally I'm holding out hope for hydrogen fuel.

starfighter · 20 Oct 2008 at 19:13

I agree, luckily I only do 50 miles or so a day when working.

I don't want to force people into saying they would get one by giving this imaginary car unrealistic specs, but given the advancments being made in battery tech I don't think it is unreasonable that either the fuel density will greatly increase or recharge times will decrease in the not so distant future.

I just hope it doesn't happen before I can get a better car, or I might be forced to get one and never own something so loud.

Entai · 20 Oct 2008 at 19:48

If I had the money I would put it on a Tesla Roadster.
248bhp, 200 lb ft torque, 0-60 in under 4seconds, 130 top speed, 14,000rpm redline, range of approx 250 miles between charges. Chassis & handling developed by Lotus.
$100,000 to you sir, delivery early next year.

More info here

greengiant · 20 Oct 2008 at 22:31

Electric cars aren't "green" when electric comes from coal / oil / nuclear powerstations.

More electric cars would mean more of a strain on the national grid, so more powerstations needing built, hence electricity would become more expensive per unit?

Jonnycoupe · 21 Oct 2008 at 08:40

Entai said:
If I had the money I would put it on a Tesla Roadster.
248bhp, 200 lb ft torque, 0-60 in under 4seconds, 130 top speed, 14,000rpm redline, range of approx 250 miles between charges. Chassis & handling developed by Lotus.
$100,000 to you sir, delivery early next year.

More info here

Have you seen how heavy just the batterys are though. They in a bit of $$ trouble now aswell

Sone · 21 Oct 2008 at 08:45

greengiant said:
More electric cars would mean more of a strain on the national grid, so more powerstations needing built, hence electricity would become more expensive per unit?

Would it not become cheaper, economies of scale and all that

MattandJet · 21 Oct 2008 at 08:45

greengiant said:
Electric cars aren't "green" when electric comes from coal / oil / nuclear powerstations.

More electric cars would mean more of a strain on the national grid, so more powerstations needing built, hence electricity would become more expensive per unit?

Yes this is why electric cars, in my opinion, will never take off (lol <--- ).

Its hardly a green a concept when you have to use elecricity, that will most likely come from fossil fuels for the time being.

Hydrogen would be a good alternative but you havethe problems of storing and transporting it, and again you need massive amounts of energy to extract the hydrogen

Jonnycoupe · 21 Oct 2008 at 09:38

MattandJet said:
Yes this is why electric cars, in my opinion, will never take off (lol <--- ).

Its hardly a green a concept when you have to use elecricity, that will most likely come from fossil fuels for the time being.

Hydrogen would be a good alternative but you havethe problems of storing and transporting it, and again you need massive amounts of energy to extract the hydrogen

Electric cars already has the transport sorted. If turning your heating down 1C is green then getting power from a far more efficient power station rather than a 4 pot lump of pig iron is green.