Quote:
Originally Posted by SuSuSushi
An electric car would be nearly useless for me, other than perhaps just to and from work. I drive to see friends and family. I drive for vacation, I drive for business trips. Can't do that with a vehicle that needs a long recharging session every 40 miles.
If they can improve the range AND make it a quick charge time, I'd consider one. They'd have to get up into the 300+ mile range and have a less than 15 minute recharge time for me to even consider one though.
Until then...more fuel efficiency or a motorcycle for me.
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Like people have been saying on here. Not everyone needs to get one right away. When the first cars came out, not everyone got one because they were too expensive. Over time things change, they become more affordable and viable for the common person.
As for driving to see friends and vacation. I do the same thing, but that doesn't mean that electric isn't viable for me to commute 10 miles to work and 10 miles home. Someone else said they can't afford multiple cars, well that comes into the same process. I have 3 vehicles each with a specific purpose. I have a '01 Jeep Cherokee for the Colorado winters, skiing, camping, and times when I have to carry a lot of stuff. I also have an '82 Honda motorcycle that I use to get to and from work as long as it's over 30 degrees and no snow or rain forecast. Then I have a 1970 VW Bug which was my primary vehicle before the Jeep. It's old, so it's going under a restore, but I'm not putting the gasoline engine back into it. Instead I'm stripping it down, making it weigh less, and making it electric for getting to and from work and errands around town.
As for affordability... the Jeep is by far the most expensive ranking in at $10k that I still owe the bank. :-/ The motorcycle cost me $850 a year and a half ago (it's actually worth double that now that everyone is freaked by gas prices). The VW was $1500 back in 1997 and it's going to cost me about $6000 to make it electric. $6000 will actually take me almost 8 years to recoupe before it's financially beneficial to have made it electric instead of gasoline.
But if those that have the opportunity to push the limits and attempt things then society will not figure out how to make it a viable option for the general public. I know there's going to be issues with an all electric vehicle.... How do I safely find the limit of how far I can travel? What happens if I leave the headlights on in the parking lot of the grocery store? How will passengers effect my mileage? Do I need a backup battery seperate from the motor to run the lights/radio/etc? What happens if there's a short in the system? Who knows what other issues will show themselves once people start using them on a daily basis.... maybe I need to carry a 200ft extension cord with me everywhere I go instead of jumper cables like a gas vehicle does.
Would I spend $30k on a current technology electric vehicle? NO WAY! Am I willing to personally spend $6 and a lot of physical labor to help figure out what's fesable and what's not? YES!
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Except it isn't really new technology. This was done in the 70's with the same small market and it died from the same flaws. Tell me something new that will actually meet people's needs. A new remade old technology toy for the wealthy is not what will make changes in the world. Practical technology will. Don't give me that old tired excuse of you just gotta accept the fatal flaws so it will be better in the future. That is not what makes progress becuase it isn't a viable solution.
