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The big problem with these electric cars that the greenies aren't addressing is the life of the battery. The charge/discharge cycles are going to create wear on the battery, and those batteries aren't going to be cheap to replace. I read somewhere that the Chevy volt's battery alone cost $14,000. Then, you also have to factor in the weather, since cold weather makes batteries perform less efficiently.
It's a nice idea, but yeah, the progressives that are pushing this as an end-all solution to the combustion engine haven't factored in the need to drive long distances.
And that's not the only problem with batteries. For example, at -40 degrees F in the interior of Alaska, a 100-mile distance on the same batteries would probably turn to 10 miles. My Subaru Forester does an average of 20 MPG highway mileage during the winter, and around 31 MPG during the summer. Just running on batteries that have around 25% capacity during the winter months, and the huge drag the cold bearing and half-shafts grease will put on the same battery
There is no demand. Unless the cars are the same price or lower than equivalent models.
You don't get to make up 'facts' AKA lying both in red and blue states.
The waiting list for toyota hybrids in NY was at minimum 18mos, but other models were as high as 3yrs. That's one state. One. Electric cars were never available in the county I was born and raised in.
Unfortunately we are 50 years away from weaning ourself off our dependency of oil. The technology just does not exist for us to move to alternative energy sources now. Sure you can put up a yard full of photovoltaic panels, a windmill or dam a stream for hydropower, fill your cellar or a shed with highly toxic and potentially explosive lead-acid batteries and convert all of your appliances to run on DC inverters but it isn't a practical solution. Some people do it, some people also have farm animals in their livingrooms too. When the technology is developed so it is practical to heat a home or air condition it from the back yard fuel cell-operated generator, cars recharge in 10 minutes and go 300 miles per charge, mass transit can convert to mag-lev electric trains, oil use will begin to decline dramatically. Those days are way down the road. I seldom agree with Obama on anything though he is right on this subject. We need to invest in these technologies for the future. Big Oil stands in the way as they lobby for more drilling and buy up potentially break through technologies. We need a new approach where inventors will feel safe and know their ideas will be taken seriously. We need Universities to step up to the plate to develop the capacitor and battery technologies this new era will depend on. We need to make an effort to help companies develop these technologies through tax relief and hiring incentives so the budding engineers turned out by these colleges have a strong viable field to enter when they graduate. We also need to stop calling everything "green" as the term is overused and is beginning to be associated with far left activists who do not have the patience or foresight to see how to develop this new frontier nor the practical timeline involved. It cannot and will not happen overnight and all the foot stomping, demonstrating, or loud threats in the world will not move things along any faster and tends to deter average people from getting involved in what they see as a controversial field.
The size of the engine in your basic hybrid, so - not that big.
Can I get to my dental appointment that takes 125 miles in about 2 hours? I can with my 30 mpg internal combustion auto. I think that the speed is kind of important to those of us who need to travel great distances.
The same city I go to is the one I had to go to when I had my heart attack and ensuing emergency by pass surgery. They didn't drive the ambulance near the 70 mph I will drive there but they did drive it about 60 mph all the way. I wonder if we will be able to go that fast in the electric age.
You don't get to make up 'facts' AKA lying both in red and blue states.
The waiting list for toyota hybrids in NY was at minimum 18mos, but other models were as high as 3yrs. That's one state. One. Electric cars were never available in the county I was born and raised in.
Where do you get YOUR information? MSNBC?
There are no waiting lists for Hybrids or electric cars. I am very close to the car business. Hybrids are sitting gathering dust.
How far away is eventually? 5 years, 25 years, 50 years?
Long term planning accepts the possibility that a solution will not manifest itself for years. There are problems that exist in this world that will not be solved in our lifetimes. That does not mean we stop working on it.
Unfortunately we are 50 years away from weaning ourself off our dependency of oil. The technology just does not exist for us to move to alternative energy sources now. Sure you can put up a yard full of photovoltaic panels, a windmill or dam a stream for hydropower, fill your cellar or a shed with highly toxic and potentially explosive lead-acid batteries and convert all of your appliances to run on DC inverters but it isn't a practical solution. Some people do it, some people also have farm animals in their livingrooms too. When the technology is developed so it is practical to heat a home or air condition it from the back yard fuel cell-operated generator, cars recharge in 10 minutes and go 300 miles per charge, mass transit can convert to mag-lev electric trains, oil use will begin to decline dramatically. Those days are way down the road. I seldom agree with Obama on anything though he is right on this subject. We need to invest in these technologies for the future. Big Oil stands in the way as they lobby for more drilling and buy up potentially break through technologies. We need a new approach where inventors will feel safe and know their ideas will be taken seriously. We need Universities to step up to the plate to develop the capacitor and battery technologies this new era will depend on. We need to make an effort to help companies develop these technologies through tax relief and hiring incentives so the budding engineers turned out by these colleges have a strong viable field to enter when they graduate. We also need to stop calling everything "green" as the term is overused and is beginning to be associated with far left activists who do not have the patience or foresight to see how to develop this new frontier nor the practical timeline involved. It cannot and will not happen overnight and all the foot stomping, demonstrating, or loud threats in the world will not move things along any faster and tends to deter average people from getting involved in what they see as a controversial field.
Truth is we don't have to wean ourselves off oil completely. All we need to start with is 10-20 percent. I can never figure out why people like you use the all or nothing argument. If we can't get off oil completely there is no sense in doing anything. How Dumb.
Last night I saw the coming whizbang car. It will be a necessary item just as soon as the lefties can get Cap and Trade passed. The drawback is that it only goes about 100 miles per charge. Now the people who think this is really something must live in the center of large cities.
Conservative's slogan: Be afraid!!!!!
Conservatives love to use fear to persuade people
They'll tell you that an electric car will look like this and won't drive more than 20 miles
Here's what a real electric car looks like Tesla Model S
Starts at $50,000
Seats 7 people
160, 230 or 300 Mile range
0-60mph in 5.6 seconds Tesla Motors - Tesla Showroom
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