The Real Costs of Electric Car Ownership
Estimating the cost of driving electric is more complicated than calculating the cost of driving a conventional car.
www.cnet.com
Yup. Mass use of electric cars is a pipe dream on the current energy system. We'd need actual scifi technology to make it work for everyone.Younger folks should wait until fusion power comes online. Then EVs might make more sense if electric rates drop to a penny per kWh or even free. Or, better yet, use that power to usher in a hydrogen transportation system where fillups return to gas stations and EV batteries become obsolete. Got a lot of easily obtainable hydrogen in the oceans if it costs little or nothing to disassociate it.
That may be true for full charge but acceleration declines as the charge level goes down. Not to mention due to I2R=P, losses from heat become greater (higher heat = higher resistance) so acceleration & range suffers even more.I like the thought of electric cars, now that they are just as fast, if not faster on the 0-60
Batteries have "internal resistance", which causes energy lose (which essentially leads to warming the battery). Power loss through a resistor is proportional to current squared, whereas the power output of the battery is proportional to the current. In other words, double the power out of the battery, and you quadruple the energy losses within. Now that's only for half the time, but you are now back down to double the total energy lost due to internal resistance.
I always thought that something like the Chevy Volt, not that necessarily, but the concept that a gas engine is run as efficiently as it can be only to provide electricity for charging and for electric motors to provide motive force.I have thought, for years, that Hybrids are the way to go, Gas for long trips, electric for around town, battery replacement cost would be less than for an all EV, That being said...I'll stick with my gas guzzling F-150 4x4........
Diesel-electric motive power? That'll never work.I always thought that something like the Chevy Volt, not that necessarily, but the concept that a gas engine is run as efficiently as it can be only to provide electricity for charging and for electric motors to provide motive force.
People get wound up about "battery only" range, but if that was ignored and the battery was relatively small, you would essentially have the optimum mileage of an efficient IC engine without the weight and cost of a large battery.
Since electric motors can make boatloads of torque and power, imagine a super-efficient smallish turbo diesel providing the charge and 450hp, torque on par with exceeding the currently large turbo diesels and over 20 mpg towing heavy loads where the large diesels see half that today. In a half-ton application, you could have 400hp, plenty of torque and an unloaded 30+ mpg in mixed driving.
...and never plug in.
It's not like we have 90+ years of experience with it or anything.Diesel-electric motive power? That'll never work.
The Real Costs of Electric Car Ownership
Estimating the cost of driving electric is more complicated than calculating the cost of driving a conventional car.www.cnet.com
"Tesla has been so successful at selling EVs that its cars long ago ceased to qualify for a $7,500 federal tax credit."They seem to have omitted the cost that would apply to buyers of ev if not subsidized by taxpayers
"Tesla has been so successful at selling EVs..."
I agree. I always thought the Volt was the best of both worlds. Electric drivetrain, onboard generator, ability to plug in.I always thought that something like the Chevy Volt, not that necessarily, but the concept that a gas engine is run as efficiently as it can be only to provide electricity for charging and for electric motors to provide motive force.
People get wound up about "battery only" range, but if that was ignored and the battery was relatively small, you would essentially have the optimum mileage of an efficient IC engine without the weight and (replacement) cost of a large battery.
Since electric motors can make boatloads of torque and power, imagine a super-efficient smallish turbo diesel providing the charge and 450hp, torque on par with exceeding the currently large turbo diesels and over 20 mpg towing heavy loads where the large diesels see half that today. In a half-ton application, you could have 400hp, plenty of torque and an unloaded 30+ mpg in mixed driving.
...and never plug in.