CarBEN EV5 Full Sized Prototype Construction - 5 Seat Electric Car From Scratch

[astra74]

Originally Posted by 2007 ion2

the only problem I see with that idea is, once everyone (or even a lot of people) adopt plug in hybrids or plug in EVs, the grid is going to be so overwhelmed, we are going to need more power plants, and this will increase emissions made by power plants and increase cost and upkeep on the infrastructure. and don't respond with a BS response like: well, people can just charge their cars at night, when the grid is unladen. this won't ever happen. most people will get home and plug in, because nobody wants to have to remember to go out to their car at ten at night to plug it in.

That is not an issue. You can plug in when you arrive home, and yet the charging can begin only at a predetermined time.

[IamIan]

Originally Posted by 2007 ion2

the only problem I see with that idea is, once everyone (or even a lot of people) adopt plug in hybrids or plug in EVs, the grid is going to be so overwhelmed, we are going to need more power plants, and this will increase emissions made by power plants and increase cost and upkeep on the infrastructure. and don't respond with a BS response like: well, people can just charge their cars at night, when the grid is unladen. this won't ever happen. most people will get home and plug in, because nobody wants to have to remember to go out to their car at ten at night to plug it in.

#1> They don't have to remember ... or go back out at 10pm ... Outlet Timers are cheap ... like $10 ... and many chargers are programmable ... they can do this for you... just like a thermostat turns the heat on and off for you in the middle of the night.

#2> Actually it will decrease power plant costs , and upkeep ... not increase them... because it increases the utilization factor of the facilities.

#3> This same argument for 'limits' of electricity ... is not only about BEVs ... if it were true ... it would equally apply to building any new houses , street, lights , shopping malls , stores , factories ... letting people buy bigger TVs ... or any more electronics for their homes.

#4> It isn't an overnight thing ... there isn't day 1 no BEVs ... Day 2 there are 10 million of them plugging in ... it doesn't ramp up like that.... they aren't being bought or made fast enough to outpace the utilities ability to ramp up itself.

#5> It's a business ... utility electricity isn't free ... they want you to use more ... so they can make more money ... that's why the heavy industrial electric users always get preferred customer lower rates ... if the increased usage caused increased costs and wear on infrastructure ... the exact opposite would happen ... they would charge the heavy industrial user even more than the small scale residential user ... but that is not how it works... because the more you use the more profitable it is for them to sell it to you.

#6> If any additional power plants and or utility lines are needed ... then the utility company puts them up ... and they pass the cost along to the customer in the way of increased rates... thus the solution for the problem that doesn't exist.

[Flakbadger]

Originally Posted by 2007 ion2

the only problem I see with that idea is, once everyone (or even a lot of people) adopt plug in hybrids or plug in EVs, the grid is going to be so overwhelmed, we are going to need more power plants, and this will increase emissions made by power plants and increase cost and upkeep on the infrastructure. and don't respond with a BS response like: well, people can just charge their cars at night, when the grid is unladen. this won't ever happen. most people will get home and plug in, because nobody wants to have to remember to go out to their car at ten at night to plug it in.

Sure, but remember also that it's much easier to control emissions from one large source than millions of small ones (IE a power plant vs millions of individual autos), and also don't forget the economy of scale. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be tremendously costly to fix our infrastructure to handle it, but if power plants burned the same gasoline that our cars do, I would think they would have to burn a lot less to power those cars, as those cars get 100+MPGe.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by 2007 ion2

..........and don't respond with a BS response like: well, people can just charge their cars at night, when the grid is unladen. this won't ever happen. most people will get home and plug in, because nobody wants to have to remember to go out to their car at ten at night to plug it in.

At the electric car meeting I went to a couple of years ago some interesting ideas came up. Several Volt owners spoke of how their cars talk to them via their smart phones to update their status.

This lead to a discussion on how the power companies may be able to regulate the power grid by charging and then draining your electric car of energy on demand. In effect, electric car owners could be paid for their energy.

It seems to me that if you plug your car in after work a simple vacation style timer could allow charging at off-peak times. I'm no rocket scientists, just looking at the simplest solution possible.

Below another obvious solution to straining a fossil fuel fed electric power grid.

Solar panels gives electric cars another path
Solar panels gives electric cars another path - Chicago Tribune

Other manufacturers help owners set up their garages for home charging. Owners of the plug-in Focus Electric or gas-electric Energi can add a home-charging system from solar panel maker SunPower.

Neil, I would have never have guessed that a Smart Car windshield would prove to be such a stumbling block. I guess you just have to keep the faith and keep on going. Good luck, wish you well.

[NeilBlanchard]

Here's good news - I will be going to the Mercedes/Smart dealer in Boston very soon to order the windshield, and the wiper system, and the vent bezel piece at the base of the windshield, as well. I may need to repair the tarp shelter, and get some real lighting inside.

One of the first things I did when we moved into this house was to dig a trench to the garage, and install two conduits (1" and 3/4" for power and phone/Internet respectively), but I never got to pulling wires through. If I can get those installed, that would be a good thing.

[2007 ion2]

I've used these timers, from the cheap ones you buy at walmart for your fish tank light, to the commercial ones you use to turn on/off whole parking lots worth of lights. most aren't very accurate at all, and I know they can be used, but once again, most people (once they become more popular, for right now I know most people are going to apply at least some thought to this) aren't going to necessarily go to this trouble to install, then maintain timing accuracy (a bi-weekly necessity on the good ones, every week on lesser models, unless there are some "hidden jewels" I'm unaware of) of a timer. I sure hope the power companies don't obtain rights to drain our cars without permission, this could be a disaster if you go to get in your car, it's only half charged, and you have to drive farther than your charge can take you, and I hope you will be able to actively be able to control when you can strictly charge it if you need it to charge. not to mention this will ACTIVELY kill batteries. I'm not completely ignorant, just stating how I know the majority of americans act, they are mostly intentionally ignorant. look at how many of us on this forum (and in europe, where it's largely illegal) idle our cars when we go into a store, before we leave the house, and other times. not very many, I'm sure. then look at the rest of america, so lazy, they had to invent a device (which I think should be illegal, or be made to have a timer on it's effective duration until you HAVE to just get in and start the car) that makes it easier to ignorantly idle your car, remote start.

I live where it gets cold, and instead of running the car to "warm it up", I just installed airflow management to limit cooling in the winter to improve how long I have to drive in the cold before I get up to operating temperature. I idle it for a couple minutes to get the engine above freezing (measured by an ultragauge), then off I go. but countless people around here idle there cars for a LONG time.

[samwichse]

Originally Posted by 2007 ion2

the only problem I see with that idea is, once everyone (or even a lot of people) adopt plug in hybrids or plug in EVs, the grid is going to be so overwhelmed, we are going to need more power plants, and this will increase emissions made by power plants and increase cost and upkeep on the infrastructure. and don't respond with a BS response like: well, people can just charge their cars at night, when the grid is unladen. this won't ever happen. most people will get home and plug in, because nobody wants to have to remember to go out to their car at ten at night to plug it in.

Except that new EVs like the Volt/Spark, Leaf, Model S already have a built in scheduler where you can just plug it in when you come home and it will start charging whenever you program it to (off peak, obviously). Solved problem.

[Galane]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Here's good news - I will be going to the Mercedes/Smart dealer in Boston very soon to order the windshield, and the wiper system, and the vent bezel piece at the base of the windshield, as well.

I wonder if they could see their way to sponsoring your project by providing the parts in exchange for having ads for the dealer on your site and on the side of the car?

[kach22i]

Neil, I was discussing you situation with a friend last night, he suggested this website.

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

I looked up your part, there are a half dozen available nation wide, most priced around $100.

One of them is in MA.

[Smurf]

Galane's idea of the Mercedes dealership partially sponsoring the project is a good one. Would you trade a 3"x3" space behind each front wheel for a discount on the windshield, bezel, and wipers? And what about the battery manufacturer, or supplier?

It's worth a shot to ask in every major part's purchase, IMO.