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If every home had an Electric Car or two in the garage, How many more electric genterating plants would have to be built ?
Well in the case of the GM EV1 vehicle it used between 19 and 26 kilowatts (depending on model) to run the vehicle.
The Aptera vehicle linked above uses about 10-12 kilowatts of energy to operate.
The average 100 horsepower car uses approximately 80 kilowatts of energy to operate.
Most electric vehicles are designed to be as aerodynamic and low in weight as possible so even if we doubled the kilowatt usage it would still be half of a standard auto with an internal combustion engine.
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Originally Posted by texanborn
If every home had an Electric Car or two in the garage, How many more electric genterating plants would have to be built ?
I'd guess most charging would take place during off-peak hours so electric cars might not be all that taxing of powerplant capacities. Individually owned soalr/wind powered charging stations are also possibilities in climates that support those technologies, especially when experience leads to more efficient solar panels and generating equipment.
Well in the case of the GM EV1 vehicle it used between 19 and 26 kilowatts (depending on model) to run the vehicle.
The Aptera vehicle linked above uses about 10-12 kilowatts of energy to operate.
The average 100 horsepower car uses approximately 80 kilowatts of energy to operate.
Most electric vehicles are designed to be as aerodynamic and low in weight as possible so even if we doubled the kilowatt usage it would still be half of a standard auto with an internal combustion engine.
I'll accept the figures given for the two electric vehicles at face value...they sound about right to me.
The 100 Hp figure though you need to provide some support for. Your conversion of Hp to Watts is correct of course (1 hp = 746 W). It takes approx. 20 hp to push a typical american automobile down the road at highway speeds. It's a function of rolling resistance (bearings,tyres etc) and areodynamics; it doesn't matter what the source of the force is. Do a quicky google search and you can prove it to yourself. The tests have been done many times. Simply because a car has an engine capable of producing 100 Hp dosen't mean that's what it takes to go down the road. Thus your comparison and conclusions are completly bogus.
If not I'll give it to you here...at 65 MPH it uses 11.8 Hp which is 8.8 kW ! That's an order of magnitude less than the 80 kW figure you provided.
Here's another example (and I happen to own one) a 1929 Model A Ford with a engine that produces a peak BHp rating of 24.8 will go down the PA turnpike at 55 MPH all day long.(yes i've done it) And as we all know a model A Ford isn't exactly an areodynamic shape; but it'll do it happily just the same. Imagine, 55 MPH with a big vertical windsheild with only 25 Hp !!
Well in the case of the GM EV1 vehicle it used between 19 and 26 kilowatts (depending on model) to run the vehicle.
The Aptera vehicle linked above uses about 10-12 kilowatts of energy to operate.
The average 100 horsepower car uses approximately 80 kilowatts of energy to operate.
Most electric vehicles are designed to be as aerodynamic and low in weight as possible so even if we doubled the kilowatt usage it would still be half of a standard auto with an internal combustion engine.
Why can't they make a car that will recharge its self when it is running down the road ?
Do you believe the media/company hype that the Chevy Volt will be able to attain 150 mpg? It seems that people say that the 150 mpg is an overestimate because it is based on the electric running full time whereas in real life, the electric motor and combustion motor would be on after 30-40 miles of usage. Some people also have said that the 40 miles on electricity only is also difficult to and I tend to think that is true. The reason I say this is because the upcoming 2009 Prius will have not even half that range before it uses gas. It will be interesting when the Chevy Volt be released in 2010 but again, there are those who thinks it own't be release until a couple years after that.
When I was reading up on this, I don't recall if it was the link provided by NTC or someone else, (it may have been in this movie) but the average American's daily work commute is only like 19 or 23 miles. Even still, I live out in the boonies and I mean the b o o n i e s, and yet I could easily get by with a vehicle that has a range of 120 miles on a single charge for 95% of my commuting needs.
But I don't think most people buy cars for the 95% of the driving they do. They buy cars for the 1% or less. They want a car that can go for 300-400 miles or more and only takes 10 minutes to charge so they can visit their relatives or go on vacation and they want the infrastructure already in place so there's zero risk of being without energy.
But I don't think most people buy cars for the 95% of the driving they do. They buy cars for the 1% or less. They want a car that can go for 300-400 miles or more and only takes 10 minutes to charge so they can visit their relatives or go on vacation and they want the infrastructure already in place so there's zero risk of being without energy.
I don't think even high fuel efficiency gasoline cars can go 300-400 miles. My honda civic goes 200 now (300 miles when it was brand new). If someone is running low on gas, they can still drive it with the gasoline engine (albeit they lose the increased efficiency of the electric engine) and refuel when low. As far as I know the gasoline engine is still operable when the electricity is out and you can still fill up the gasoline tank when you are low on gas. To me hybrids aren't really restricted in distance compared to gasoline powered cars...
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,329 posts, read 54,389,283 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by texanborn
Why can't they make a car that will recharge its self when it is running down the road ?
Because of some nasty old laws of physics that defy being broken, the conservation of energy among them. You can't create energy from nothing, you can either create it from matter(nuclear energy) or convert one form to another. An electric car converts electrical energy to mechanical energy, in the real world these conversions are never 100% efficient, there are losses to heat energy and other factors that must be considered.
Because of some nasty old laws of physics that defy being broken, the conservation of energy among them. You can't create energy from nothing, you can either create it from matter(nuclear energy) or convert one form to another. An electric car converts electrical energy to mechanical energy, in the real world these conversions are never 100% efficient, there are losses to heat energy and other factors that must be considered.
Like I said before...
"The second big trick that hybrids can do is recharge their own batteries. The recharging occurs when you lift off the throttle, when you hit the brakes, or when cruising if the computer determines that the battery needs charging. When you get off the gas in a hybrid, the primary source of deceleration is the electric motor, not the gas engine as in a conventional car. Moreover, the hybrid uses a special electric motor that can also operate as a generator. Send this electric motor electricity, and it will produce power; rotate it using external forces, and it will produce electricity. Using the car’s momentum to spin this motor, therefore, creates electricity, which is sent back to the battery pack. That’s called regenerative braking. Hitting the brakes lightly will cause the electric motor to resist motion further, and in doing so, even more electricity is produced to send to the batteries."
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