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I don't know what's the future when it comes to personal vehicles and fuel/power, but I've enjoyed using a hybrid and continue to do so. EV technology is interesting, but doesn't meet my range/distance needs, ubiquity of charging station availability, speed to charge to at least 80% in the same time to refuel an ICE vehicle, or cost of product acquisition.
When the world transitioned from horseback to gas-powered automobiles, there was very a clear, plain, and massive functionality increase. So much so that everyone instantly saw the future and we dedicated decades and billions of dollars to creating an infrastructure to support them. People flocked to the new technology and demanded automobiles on the free market in massive numbers. In the USA, this led to the most successful and meaningful century in world history.
Fast forward 100 or so years, and there was a supposed new revolution into the next generation of vehicles that we would migrate to: electrics. But after 20 years, we've seen almost zero growth in the segment and still more than 98% of vehicles on the road are gas-powered.
Here's the problem: Does anyone in the year 2022, 20 years into the "electric" generation, look at a Tesla or a Prius, then look at say a Corvette and an F150, and say "wow, there's a clear, massive functionality increase? I doubt it, in fact I'd bet most people would say it's a functionality decrease, and a hassle increase.
So this "new generation" is not fueled by functionality buy rather by philosophy. We are supposed to dedicate billions of dollars and probably decades again, to switch over to electrics not because they work better, but because we are going to stave off supposed environmental doom.
The problem is that millions upon millions of people in this country think this is BS. When you are basing your product on environmental dogma, rather than actual functionality, it's a clear and present loser (as we are seeing). People are certainly not seeing this clear future like they did during the horse to automobile transition.
Many proponents of EV's are calling for punitive taxes on the "old technology" (even though electricity has been harnessed by man way before the gas engine was invented) in order to get more traction, but if you have to punish your customer to buy it, isn't that a sign that your product is a dud?
We have hundreds of years worth of fossil fuels with witch to make gasoline. Electrics will always have the problem of batteries and re-charging. I think that the next iteration of vehicles will still be the same "instant" replenishment of power like gasoline, not some technology based on charging depleted cells, despite the massive media gas lighting and brain washing that so many have fallen for.
What say you?
I was in the first bank meetings when the ATM card was going to be introduced. We had to learn how to set up pins and so forth. They started with a small area to see how it would work. The news went out and anger came back. People wanted live persons, cash at the teller window, and other complaints and then they started to reduced the teller positions. The instructor said, we move forward with this product, some will like it, some will not, but those people all have a shelf life. In 10 to 20 yrs, you will not hear from them. The new generation will welcome it with open arms. And so it is folks. Try to remember what you transitioned in during your lifetime. Things will change, no matter what.
I don't know what's the future when it comes to personal vehicles and fuel/power, but I've enjoyed using a hybrid and continue to do so. EV technology is interesting, but doesn't meet my range/distance needs, ubiquity of charging station availability, speed to charge to at least 80% in the same time to refuel an ICE vehicle, or cost of product acquisition.
For the majority of the USA that lives in single family housing or otherwise has access to home or work charging, the transition to EV is pretty easy except there is a bit of a hassle when having to charge on a long trip.
To more fully transition to EV we need:
- a slight increase (relatively speaking) in the grid capacity
- cheaper EV alternatives
- Better charging access for people in multi-family housing arrangements
For people, like wife and I, that have 2 cars anyway, an EV is a great option to supplement with an ICE or hybrid,,,We have an EV and hybrid for long trips.
I've had my Tesla for almost 3 years now and the last 18 months, the only place I've charged it up was in my garage which takes far less time than taking an ICE vehicle to a gas station and charging up plus it's much cheaper and you're not breathing poison fumes.
Have you ever put more than one battery in ... anything? And I am not assuming the same total charging of a single charger, I am said multiple chargers. So the total charging current available is sum total of more than one. Batteries can be series and parallel connected to increase voltage and capacity.
An example of EV batteries in series. EV batteries are not one big battery. You don't have to take them apart. They are already several batteries connected together.
Batteries are made from cells. Cells can be separated using relays including solid state relays. By separating and connecting to separate chargers, you can increase the total current and decrease the total charge time. Where 100 amps of current flow may be too much for one charger or battery, if it broken down into two 50 amp flows or four 25 amp flows, then you get the equivalent 100 amp charge in one quarter of the time. Once the charge is complete, the cells (multiple batteries) are reconnected via solid state relays and you have one big, fully charged battery.
Lets make it simple ....
Two tanks of water connected by a pipe with a valve. You put a water hose in one tank, it will take some time to fill up both tanks. Now, separate the tanks by closing the valve. Get two water hoses and put one in each tank. Now the tanks are full in half the time. Remove the hoses. Open the valve. Now you have one big tank that filled in half the time. Its not hard.
Relays, solid state relays and water tanks? Oh my...
I suggest you contact Elon Musk and tell him you've invented a way to charge Teslas faster than his own chargers. He will be very interested and make you a rich man!
I don't know what's the future when it comes to personal vehicles and fuel/power, but I've enjoyed using a hybrid and continue to do so. EV technology is interesting, but doesn't meet my range/distance needs, ubiquity of charging station availability, speed to charge to at least 80% in the same time to refuel an ICE vehicle, or cost of product acquisition.
The new Toyota Prius AWD looks impressive. 50+ mpg on some models with much improved reported performance. It is a much nicer looking car too compared to older models. They also have a plug-in hybrid version which is a good bridge for those who have short commutes and would like to utilize the benefits of an EV but still take weekend trips where charging options may be concern.
I can see a case for a second vehicle that is an EV that can be used for longer daily commutes and running local errands providing that home charging is an option. However, for many people, who are single and mobile and/or live in areas where home charging is not an option, an EV is not the best option.
The new Toyota Prius AWD looks impressive. 50+ mpg on some models with much improved reported performance. It looks a much nicer looking car too compared to older models. They have a plug-in hybrid version which is a good bridge for those who have short commutes but still take weekend trips.
A plug-in hybrid makes sense to me. My hybrid is not a plug-in. Yeah, the 4th generation Prii were horrible looking, IMO, reminded me of something like a Grand Am. I have a Gen 3 and prefer that over Gen 4. Now that Gen 5 is out, the changes look better. I'm not buying a new car until I have to, hopefully >5 years.
Although... I walked by a Mazda CX5 parked at a store I was entering, and it was the most beautiful red I've ever seen in my life (and I'm not particularly a fan of red cars). I practically drooled looking at that car.
Apartment buildings with charging stations are an anomaly, period.
I have read many articles about municipalities changing their building codes to require charging stations in every parking spot.
Quote:
... The time to charge on a "supercharger" is what, 20x as long as it takes to stop for gas?
Is that really a problem?
Unplug and drive to work, when you park at work you plug it in. After work you unplug and drive home, where you plug it back in.
My car requires five hours to fully charge here at home.
Here in Maine, it is normal for employers to have electric outlets at every parking spot for employees [those who drive diesel vehicles require to be plugged in and have needed to be plugged in since forever, that is why all diesels have electric plugs hanging out their front grill].
My farm tractor is diesel and all winter long it must be plugged in at least four hours before I attempt to start it.
If the EPA is allowed to hold to 82 grams-per-mile then a car-maker's fleet could be 45% ICE vehicles that weigh 3500 pounds and that have 2.0 turbocharged engines and 55% zero-tailpipe-emissions electric-vehicles of any size and weight.
But battery-powered electric-vehicles have attributable carbon-release, and other air pollution, due to the electricity generating plant that they charge-form. Battery-powered electric-vehicles don't deserve to be unlimited
.
If the EPA is allowed to hold to 82 grams-per-mile then a car-makers fleet could be 45% ICE vehicles that weigh 3500 pounds and that have 2.0 turbocharged engines and 55% zero-tailpipe-emissions electric-vehicles of any size and weight.
But battery-powered electric-vehicles have attributable carbon-release, and other air pollution, due to the electricity generating plant that they charge-form. Battery-powered electric-vehicles don't deserve to be unlimited
.
Good point! Solar panels certainly could generate a lot of air pollution.
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