Electric Cars: Chev Bolt seems to be the first practical one.

[Luke'sScreenName]

My dad always said it doesn't matter if you argue with a zealot or idiot; it produces the same result....

 

[houstonscott]

China is going to increase battery production 120 GW. China Is About to Bury Elon Musk in Batteries Tesla has plans to build another 3 battery factories. And that is just a beginning. It is likely that the battery cost per kWh will drop similar way as cost of the PV. The time of distributed energy generation and utility size energy storage is near. I will take a good look at the Leaf. Supposedly there is glut of those coming from lease. If the car is for less than 10K I think it is no brainer to buy it as grocery getter. Closest grocery or Walmart is about 14 miles, Menards or HD about 27 miles from our house. That is easy withing the range of Leaf even at the worst circumstances.

What does that tell you about interest in Leaf.

 

[vvanders]

What does that tell you about interest in Leaf.

That the tech is advancing so fast that older models are depreciating quickly. Also they forgot to put thermal management in the pack so they degrade in warm weather much faster than a Bolt or Tesla.

 

[Redneck in training]

What does that tell you about interest in Leaf.

Gas is cheap. Try to sell your small gas car. You will have the same problem as selling Leaf. You want to sell your F150 or bigger that is another story altogether. There is a demand for those. If you live in the city you don't put enough miles on elctric car to realize substantial saving. But if you have to travel far enough the mathematics change for better. If I can get one for 6K I can't be wrong. At that price it is not even worth to buy full insurance coverage. That is another saving.

 

[MossRoad]

Just remember that your beloved electric grid, all the wires, poles, right-of-way, etc... was made 99% possible by eminent domain, comrade. So I've about had it with folks complaining about subsidized this-and-that.... for solar, wind, etc... the power companies have had a monopoly at private land owners' expense for over a hundred years. It's someone else's turn.

 

[buickanddeere]

Yes well aware of it.
If you want to talk "low cost" just remember to get all the costs incurred. Like all of them; not just the plant operating costs.

Did you know energy can be stored in scenarios that do not include batteries?

Did you know there have been recent additions to the Periodic Table?

Do you realize it would be possible to arrange grid loading so it can run at a constant load? Yeh, it would require some new systems and community/industrial involvement for power usage.

Do you know that thinking outside the box may be a corporate Buzzword but don't get found using it within the corporation.

There is no efficient cost effective system to store the kind of power to keep New York City operating for a night, a day and another night with no useable sunlight or wind. In fact there is no efficient cost effective method to store enough power to operate NY City for just one night.

 

[California]

there is no efficient cost effective method to store enough power to operate NY City for just one night.

Did you think someone was advocating ending base-load plants?

 

[Egon]

Just remember that your beloved electric grid, all the wires, poles, right-of-way, etc... was made 99% possible by eminent domain, comrade. So I've about had it with folks complaining about subsidized this-and-that.... for solar, wind, etc... the power companies have had a monopoly at private land owners' expense for over a hundred years. It's someone else's turn.

There is no efficient cost effective system to store the kind of power to keep New York City operating for a night, a day and another night with no useable sunlight or wind. In fact there is no efficient cost effective method to store enough power to operate NY City for just one night.

Perhaps you did not notice the comment on maintaining off peak loading. Reading comprehension can be a challenge. Following a line of discussion can also be a challenge.

 

[houstonscott]

That the tech is advancing so fast that older models are depreciating quickly. Also they forgot to put thermal management in the pack so they degrade in warm weather much faster than a Bolt or Tesla.

It means they can't sell them, did you know nearly 80% of electric and hybrids owners don't buy a second one. It means they were dumped for a gas car. I seems to me like owning an electric car would be gigantic pain in the @ss, looks like those who've owned one agrees.

 

[houstonscott]

Just remember that your beloved electric grid, all the wires, poles, right-of-way, etc... was made 99% possible by eminent domain, comrade. So I've about had it with folks complaining about subsidized this-and-that.... for solar, wind, etc... the power companies have had a monopoly at private land owners' expense for over a hundred years. It's someone else's turn.

You want the electric system in the USA changed so a handful of electric car hobbies can play with electric cars. I don't think so...