Battery based electric vehicles of today and tomorrow.

Gale Hawkins · Feb 17, 2021

Why The Conversation On Electric Vehicle Affordability Is All Wrong - YouTube

Here's 3 women half my age or less who have never plowed tobacco using a mule that are EV owners. I too agree EV's must get down into the $20K - $30K price range to wide spread usage in the USA.

Even if our 2016 Leaf wasn't setting in our shop waiting for better weather to start rebuilding it we would only be using our 2010 Subaru Forester in this snow and ice since Subaru makes the only full-time AWD gas vehicle sold in my region of the USA. If I owned an AWD Tesla I wouldn't use it this mess.

About 4 years I looked at a new Outback with the driving assistance features and liked what I saw but not the cost. After lunch I left Clarksville TN to look at our 2010 Forrester south of Nashville after getting an agreed price by phone before making the trip.

It had 105K miles with the 105K PM just done plus new head gaskets. At $6000 I saw it a low risk option to learn about the new to me brand. We may pickup a 2022 off lease model in a few years to keep any EV out of the salt and ice.

Good deals on used EV's are hard to find but used cars really appeal to me. I did buy a new 1973 Datsun for $2150 but the payments were $60 a month for 36 months.

18 months ago the used 2016 Nissan Leaf SL was $13,428 out the door with a dying traction battery. I was promised a new in the near future. In less than 4 months Nissan installed a new larger battery which they claimed it cost $12,500 plus $500 labor. The new range is 150 miles.

Tesla's upcoming $25K car should attract more new EV owners.

PILOON · Feb 17, 2021

I always wonder at the overall net advantages of electric vehicles.

-When there is a WILDFIRE and the power company pulls the plug how do you EVACUATE with a dead electric vehicle?
-When that big push to electric is successful who will UPGRADE the electric grids to meet the demands?
-Is electric vehicle not simply MOVING the pollution from one location to another?
-Add the recycling, or lack of, considerations of all those batteries.

-It takes energy of some sort to generate electricity, water, wind, fuel, nuclear but always one or the other.
-Copper to transmit that power or batteries to store it.
-Is it really all that efficient if you take it all into consideration?
-Will EV's really deter global warming?
(there must be a formula that relates BTU's to KW's)

herm0016 · Feb 17, 2021

PILOON said:
I always wonder at the overall net advantages of electric vehicles.

-When there is a WILDFIRE and the power company pulls the plug how do you EVACUATE with a dead electric vehicle?
-When that big push to electric is successful who will UPGRADE the electric grids to meet the demands?
-Is electric vehicle not simply MOVING the pollution from one location to another?
-Add the recycling, or lack of, considerations of all those batteries.

-It takes energy of some sort to generate electricity, water, wind, fuel, nuclear but always one or the other.
-Copper to transmit that power or batteries to store it.
-Is it really all that efficient if you take it all into consideration?
-Will EV's really deter global warming?
(there must be a formula that relates BTU's to KW's)

1 kwh = 3412.14 btu or 1 kw = 3412.14 btu/hr they are both simply units of energy.

yes, it's efficient when you take all that into consideration. are you forgetting about getting the oil out of the ground, refining and transporting as well?

you can escape because you charged the car when you got there and the power was on. the battery in our volt will hold the same charge for a month or more.
the grid is very under utilized at the times most people are charging their cars.

goeduck · Feb 19, 2021

Grumpycat said:
Can not let those things spin with ice on the blades as they will eventually throw the ice off at high speeds. For instance the 1.5MW GE wind turbine has a rotor diameter of 70m (230') with a top tip speed of 82m/s, or 180 MPH. Now think about one turbine throwing ice at another?

?? They can back the blade pitch off to spin slower. Similar to what they do in extreme wind conditions where they want to limit the speed.

Grumpycat · Feb 19, 2021

Gale Hawkins said:
[Even if our 2016 Leaf wasn't setting in our shop waiting for better weather to start rebuilding it we would only be using our 2010 Subaru Forester in this snow and ice since Subaru makes the only full-time AWD gas vehicle sold in my region of the USA. If I owned an AWD Tesla I wouldn't use it this mess.

Tesla suffers from hiring metrosexual Californians as designers. They do not understand what is wrong with 45 and 35 series tires.

About 4 years I looked at a new Outback with the driving assistance features and liked what I saw but not the cost. After lunch I left Clarksville TN to look at our 2010 Forrester south of Nashville after getting an agreed price by phone before making the trip.

It had 105K miles with the 105K PM just done plus new head gaskets. At $6000 I saw it a low risk option to learn about the new to me brand. We may pickup a 2022 off lease model in a few years to keep any EV out of the salt and ice.

So, you bought a 2016 Outback with Eyesight?

Tesla's upcoming $25K car should attract more new EV owners.

Tesla says my 2013 Model S 85 is worth less than $25k on trade.

Grumpycat · Feb 19, 2021

herm0016 said:
1 kwh = 3412.14 btu or 1 kw = 3412.14 btu/hr they are both simply units of energy.

yes, it's efficient when you take all that into consideration. are you forgetting about getting the oil out of the ground, refining and transporting as well?

Forget trying to be a bean counter. Everything is neatly packaged in purchase price. Is wrong-headed to base decisions on energy use, but right to base on total cost. The Almighty Dollar and Free Markets will optimize resource use. Will favor use of plentiful resources, and compensate for ease or difficulty to use.

you can escape because you charged the car when you got there and the power was on. the battery in our volt will hold the same charge for a month or more.

Model S uses about 1500 Wh/day parked. More when hot as it will cool the battery, more when cold because it will act to prevent the battery from freezing.

the grid is very under utilized at the times most people are charging their cars.

Yes. Utility companies contrived a plan to "give" electric power away at night for street lights in exchange for tax write off. Large users can get power for as little as 1.5¢/kWh at night on condition they shut off within 15 minutes when commanded. One plant I know was subject to a $20,000 fine for missing the 15 minute window, just once.