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They would need to make some kind of power port in the trunk that an emergency battery pack could plug into and power the car. Maybe make it to where all non essentials like audio and ac are disabled and limit the speed, sort of like a limp mode.
The limp mode angle is a good idea.
It would be interesting to know how Teslas have dealt with collisions. No doubt an EV mid-sized Toyota wouldn't have the absurdly expensive door handles and other geegaws, but I'd like to know how the components that make an EV an EV handle being injured and repaired.
Hopefully the battery pack can have small sections taken out and replaced without a lot of fuss.
Any insurance industry report on a Tesla (or even a Focus or Leaf) would be appreciated.
Anyhow, as far as the OP is concerned (saving the ICE vehicle), I think they'll find their place in the ecosystem until the power density of 'lectric gets close. At this point, it's probably 30:1 against. Gotta love the potential simplicity of the rest of the drivetrain though. To me, the real breakthrough will be when you see common usage of electric in commercial vehicles, taxis/trucks. It's not just a hobby to those guys.
Hybrids are a big MEH, electrics have a lot of promise if and when some serious issues get resolved.
ICE-vehicles, yes, the technology is so well known and can be vastly improved in MPG and environmental-friendliness. Smaller vehicles would be best, but most do not want that.
One problem I see with EVs is if you run out of power on the highway somewhere you might as well call a tow truck because there’s no way to recharge it on the side of the highway. At least with gas if you run out you can call someone to bring you a few gallons in a can.
AAA Unveils North America’s First Roadside Assistance Truck Capable of Charging Electric Vehicles
Most households have 2 or more cars now. One could easily be an EV or at least a PHEV: Mom has the kid hauler ICE vehicle that could be used for trips to gramdma's house, and dad has the EV commuter, used for errand running.
W is right. the oil companies get tax breaks not subsidies. the subsidy bull crap was thrown up by some idiot lawmaker that wanted to eliminate the oil companies completely a long time ago, and the stupidity stuck because most people dont think about things they are told, they just accept them.
And the $7500 tax credit for EV ownership is the same, a tax credit not a ****ing subsidy. I'm not paid $7500 to drive an EV. And it doesn't come out of YOUR taxes.
Prius battery is not $9,000. I can get a replacement for my Insight's battery for around $1500, and the electrical systems reduce strain and wear on other components in the car, so even leaving fuel consumption out it's basically a wash when it comes to maintenance.
And batteries need replacemetn much less often than engines or transmissions in regular cars.
Last I checked, the Volt battery is $5k and same with the Leaf battery. Prius's batteries were expensive to start with because they were nickel metal hydride, not lithium ion, and they were messier to make, as well.
Right now, most of the material for lithium ion batteries comes from Chile, not China (I know for some of you the names are too close to remember) and there's been a huge deposit of it found here in the US (in Nevada). The "mining" of it is mostly evaporative brine ponds which are not nearly as environmentally destructive as digging for oil. The ONLY issue is the cobalt, which currently primarily comes from the Congo, though we are trying to get away from that source, or even needing cobalt at all.
Batteries can be recycled and now that there are more of them, there are more companies doing the recycling.
And the $7500 tax credit for EV ownership is the same, a tax credit not a ****ing subsidy. I'm not paid $7500 to drive an EV. And it doesn't come out of YOUR taxes.
I can't see the difference between a 'tax credit' and a 'subsidy', but whatever.
I can see the point of it just to jumpstart the industry. There's a huge initial investment at all levels of the supply chain and without a push, it wouldn't be as far along as it is.
I do think they should probably turn off the tax credit subsidy at this point if it hasn't been already.
One problem I see with EVs is if you run out of power on the highway somewhere you might as well call a tow truck because there’s no way to recharge it on the side of the highway. At least with gas if you run out you can call someone to bring you a few gallons in a can.
If you're stupid enough to not plan your trip and run out of juice, you deserve whatever grief you get. But it's a completely different mindset when you can start each day with a "full tank." People would be surprised at how little distance they actually cover every day under normal daily use. Modern EVs are going 200-300 miles on a charge now, and that's a trip from Baltimore to Hartford CT. How often do you commute THAT far?
The average mileage for gas cars now is 10-13k miles per year. That equates to 28-33 miles a day. Even my Volt can do that on electricity only. A Bolt or Tesla only has to charge once a WEEK to do the average mileage. Doing 100 miles a day is 36k miles a year! And a Bolt or Tesla can do that with ease. If you're running out of juice on the side of the road, you're dumb. Plain and simple.
I can't see the difference between a 'tax credit' and a 'subsidy', but whatever.
A subsidy is when you get directly paid to do something. Like farmers getting paid to NOT grow crops. A tax credit is when you get to pay less on your taxes, like the home office credit, or the home mortgage interest deduction. But you guys don't have a problem with those, do you? I have a home office. I get to pay less on my taxes due to that. It doen't change YOUR tax burden any more than an EV credit does.
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