water 4 gas anyone look in to this.

[crazyal]

RAV-4 might need 60kWh but there are smaller cars that need less than half of it. Honda FIT has 20kWh battery. I don't know what the charging efficiency is but I think 32 panels (of today's technology) that produce about 30 kWh/day in our location will charge it daily. We also don't need to go to the city every day.

The range of the Rav-4 is why I picked it out. I think it's one of the few that can go a distance far enough for someone in the country off the grid to be able to go into town and have enough room for supplies without having to charge it before returning home. I thought I had read that the Honda had an official range of about 80 miles. To me that would limit me from going no more than 30 miles (60 miles round trip and maybe 10 driving to different places in town) from where I could charge it.

I'm sure that if you are flexible enough to only use the vehicle every other day or if you charged batteries during the day and then used that power to charge the vehicle then solar panels and an EV would be much more viable. I'm guessing that the 10kW is for rapid charging, slower charging would require less. I think some day an all electric vehicle will be an option but battery technology is still lacking. Until the cost reductions that come with mass production actually happen the use of an EV is going to be limited.

My neighbor has been selling Solar World panels for a little over a year now. It's just a matter of time before I install 20 panels (grid tie in). I really like the idea of using free sun power.

 

[turnkey4099]

More people will want lawn tractors because it will be their only opportunity to operate any kind of machinery. We'll all become tractor hipsters because we were into it before it was cool.

And the tractors will be all electric.

Harry K

 

[case245]

tucker did that in the 1940s someone bought him out

 

[turnkey4099]

tucker did that in the 1940s someone bought him out

??? I don't recall that Tucker did anything special. His engine was just a normal IC running on gasoline. It did have some advanced features such as Fuel injection, etc. but nothing not being used elsewhere.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Tucker_Sedan#Innovative_design_features

Harry K

 

[Redneck in training]

The range of the Rav-4 is why I picked it out. I think it's one of the few that can go a distance far enough for someone in the country off the grid to be able to go into town and have enough room for supplies without having to charge it before returning home. I thought I had read that the Honda had an official range of about 80 miles. To me that would limit me from going no more than 30 miles (60 miles round trip and maybe 10 driving to different places in town) from where I could charge it.

I'm sure that if you are flexible enough to only use the vehicle every other day or if you charged batteries during the day and then used that power to charge the vehicle then solar panels and an EV would be much more viable. I'm guessing that the 10kW is for rapid charging, slower charging would require less. I think some day an all electric vehicle will be an option but battery technology is still lacking. Until the cost reductions that come with mass production actually happen the use of an EV is going to be limited.

My neighbor has been selling Solar World panels for a little over a year now. It's just a matter of time before I install 20 panels (grid tie in). I really like the idea of using free sun power.

I was looking at Honda Fit EV with maximum range of 120 miles as an example. So 80-90 miles is a practical range without worrying about being stuck somewhere without a power. It has 20 kWh battery therefore 30 panels would charge it reliably in single day.

 

[muddstopper]

I know how to change water into fuel. I have to add corn to the water to make it work.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Naw, you are changing the corn into fuel and then you need to remove the water at significant expense.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

I know how to change water into fuel. I have to add corn to the water to make it work.

Nope, corn is just the holding device for the nuclear energy absorbed by the plant from sunlight.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Nope, corn is just the holding device for the nuclear energy absorbed by the plant from sunlight.

Noooo! We can't use any Nuclear energy. It will turn us all into mutant ninja turtles. (Insert sarcasm winky here.)

Seriously if we could find a way of cheaply compressing natural gas there's a ton of cheap energy to be had. Methane digesters nearly run themselves.

 

[Redneck in training]

Whole Earth runs on nuclear energy. The reaction takes place on the Sun though. Even the gas, oil and coal is nuclear energy captured by biomass long time ago.