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Old 03-01-2011, 04:34 PM   #486 (permalink)
vpoppv
The $500 Electric Car
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by byte312 View Post
First let us look at electric cars that do work. The Tesla Roadster (200 miles and more), the Leaf (100 miles), and some concept cars built by Japan and British researchers. Almost 300 miles on a single charge is possible. But no, that is not what you will get when you try to convert your rust bucket. You will get 50 miles when the batteries are new. 15 miles when the batteries are old. You will spend as much money as a new car cost.
You might fall into the same rut that we all did at the start. The assumtion that the more batteries the better. The bigger motor will be better. Heck, let's fill it up with 18, 70lbs lead batteries at 6 volts each and drive accross America.
Well, it won't work. You can't add that much weight to a car and expect good performance or range. I don't have to tell you how to do it the right way because it has been done and the cars are available for purchase.
Or if you really feel the need to build it yourself, do it like they did it.
I like to build my own stuff but, I really don't want the car that goes 50 miles at a time at a price of $32,000. Yes, I have seen a car that fits this description and I even rode as a passenger in it.
I was not impressed. I have a seen a whole list of cars that serve as expamples of how NOT to do it.
I'm thinking MetroMPG is right, you haven't read the thread!
Tesla. Yep, good idea. Should my oldest daughter or youngest daughter ride on the hood?
Leaf. Great idea. They have my down payment. Still waiting..... What are they on, number 11?
And I must admit, I haven't shopped for a new car in a while. Are they really going for $500 now?
But as far as distance goes, you're right. My car probably couldn't go further than 15 miles I really need a car that can go 300 miles with some of those off the shelf, cheap borohydride batteries. Then I can charge once a year.

I am angry my car acted weird with that smell. I love that car. It meets my needs 100% for what I built it for. But maybe it's for the best, because the motor's big brother has been sitting on the floor of my computer room for way too long. If I can pull out a year and a half from mighty tiny, then I will probably have a decade's worth of reliability from big brother. Naysayers never end with the reasons why they shouldn't drive an electric car. I'd rather just DRIVE one than make excuses.
If your buddy Mike Stritzki did this with $500 and off the shelf parts, I'm all ears. If not, keep your vaporware and unobtanium to yourself. I want to get to work TODAY, with my kids, for cheap. Not when the technology arrives, not when an OEM decides to finally make one, not with technology that requires fancy charging methods, that I have to order from China, that I have to sell a kidney to afford.
You know, I will be honest here. It doesn't take a genius to build an electric car that goes far and/or fast. It just takes a lot of money.

And MetroMPG, it was just an ordinary drive home. Nothing fancy. Maybe I need to get some more batteries stolen to get karma shifted back in my favor.....
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