Myth? Oh really??? Myth driver!
 

Interesting Forbes article:
The Myth Of The Electric Car - Forbes.com

That article, and moreso some of its responses, are very angering. The problem isn't that it isn't possible, the problem is that the majority of america has been TOLD it isn't possible. I told my father that I wanted to do an electric conversion and he said "if it was possible, the big car companies would have done it already"... that made me really angry. Especially considering they HAVE done it, they just crushed the damn things!

You know, this article didn't push my buttons. I'm also extremely cynical of automaker's claims, like the author.

And from the perspective of the current consumer mindset and component costs, I can't disagree with his thesis:

I know well all the arguments against these points. But the average consumer will compare BEV's to ICE vehicles, and the BEVs will come up short in their eyes.

Haha. Yup. I didn't even bother reading past the first couple - always the same FUD. Ignorance is bliss!

I'm sure you know all too well the arguments, but here's my point:
Range - I drive more than 100 miles less than 20x/yr I drive 50km 5 times/wk. I would like my primary car to use no gas 5x52 days/yr and I'd like my second vehicle to have an ICE. How many homes in your neighborhood have only 1 car? How many multi-vehicle homes have ALL vehicles travelling greater than 100 miles in the same day more than one time per year?
Cost - What cost? A new motor, exhaust, gas tank and cooling system in a car would cost a LOT more than an electric drive system that fits my needs.
Recharging time - see point#1... i just don't need to go >100miles in a day and a second vehicle would be just fine for those rare days.

This one got me laughing, actually... The author said that the cost of setting up a charging infrastructure would be massively inhibitive! Really? So running electricity all over the country would be a difficult thing to do?... so... where do you plug in the computer you used to type that article, jackass?

Yes, that infrastructure point raised my eyebrows. But it's so obviously wrong, I was generous and gave him a pass on it: I assumed he was talking about stations that could deliver that supposed holy grail of a full pack recharge in a couple of minutes, comparable to a gas fill-up.

"And the range is tied to the number of batteries. E-car believers think a 40-mile range is enough, but who would pay $30,000 for a car with a 40-mile range?"

(from the retard article)

Friggen retard. A better question is: Who would want to pay $1500 for a 40 mile range freeway capable EV? Retard. Come over to my house and get one, dork. I just finished the first motor controller test at low voltage and it works just fine for $300. dork. Matt and us are going to make an AC version too, and a cheap charger is on its way. I don't like old stupid people. Regular old people are fine, as long as they don't smell too much like moth balls.

I was making the same ICE arguments in RC land for a long time, that power, weight, cost, range were all in favor of the ICE.

But going around smelling like nitromethane (inconvenience) and trying to get your motor to start was enough to really swing lots of people to go electric, and the costs have been coming down ever since.

I don't know what the automotive analogy is exactly, but it may offer a glimmer of hope anyway.

Automakers will never be willing to make BEVs because they realized a long time ago that they're not as profitable over the lifespan of the vehicle. Primarily because there are so few parts that will need replacing or servicing by technicians.

But what about that motor post that spins?? (the only moving part) That might get worn out some day! hahaha! And motor posts are real costly these days, especially if they are made out of metal. :D

Don't be silly. The dealer will just require the $89.95 motor post inspection every 3 months/5000 miles "for warranty purposes" :) With optional battery degaussing, and electron alignment.

C'mon people! Think creatively! Nothing an entrepreneur couldn't solve.

---

dcb: how does the "range" of a gas RC thing compare to the electric? Oh - I bet it's moot since you have hot swappable packs. The other holy grail of "automotive EV service stations".

Speaking of electron alignment, someone should make an electron gun, and shoot it at that old stupid raisin face guy that wrote the stupid article. Then I'll put his head in my oatmeal, since I like raisins in oatmeal.

"1966"... that guy must have been living under a rock since then.

Ive only been on Ecomodder a short time, and ive already heard of the following:

Citicar
Tesla (roadster and now sedan)
GM EV1
Toyota RAV4-E
Citroën Berlingo Electrique

Not to mention numerous conversions by normal (no offence) people, such as the forkenswift, electrometro, hundreds on EValbum etc.

No of course electric cars are too expensive, too complicated and never good enough.[/sarcasm]

May i mention the obvious solution of limited range - bio-diesel genset trailer, solves almost all problems?

(Sorry for that little rant.. articles like that really annoy me)

In Santa Cruz the GEM, Lido, Zenn, Alias, Xebra PU & sedan, 1 Tesla, my 1993 City-el and electric bikes/trikes are about the only EVs I see.

Someone in the next town has done conversions for years, and Zero company makes EV motorcycles in yet another nearby town.

A converted Metro was on Craigslist last week, as was an EV "kit car" and an EV Bradley GT, and an EV Taylor Dunn bus.

Strange that people open their eyes, yet so few *see*! :D

Easy, guys. History will reserve a spot for that article author (a.k.a. 'raisin man'), right next to those who said "If God had meant for man to fly, he'd made him with wings."

You are right. I'm sorry, raisin man.

P.S.: He WAS the guy that originally said that quote about airplanes. hehe. Before that, he was telling Moses that everyone should just be happy in Egypt. He's caused problems throughout history!

If the main argument is range and battery cost, why not a series hybrid for the occasional long distance run, flick the genset on at the start of a long trip to buffer the batteries that way you only need a tiny generator, and a lot smaller bateery pack.

That comparative quote cracked me up! Recent news was that about $2 billion is going to electric cars I think I heard, and all the EVs in the Geneva show add a little more world interest.

Teslas, T-Zeros, Wright-speed EVs, et-c. are opening the door a little farther! Along with Better World EV plans.... the sky is the limit!

{wrong} - $2.4 billion:
President Obama Announces $2.4 Billion in Funding for PHEVs

The argument about range is valid. I can't believe I am that rare a breed of human that does drive 96 miles day just to and from work. Living in the penis of the US, I also enjoy going to Disney World once a month to visit with frinds and that is another 300 + miles one way. So those two circumstance demand more out of an electric car.

As far as infrastructure, I recently read here an article from MIT about battery charging and power absorbtion. They claim to have found a way to charge batteries, Lithium, in seconds, by guiding the molecules through the lithium plates.

That is the breakthrough we need in order to fully charge a vehicle in the time it would take to fill up your car.

Recharging argument taken care of. (maybe...)

Range argument simplified. (hopefully...)

Cost argument multiplied... (most likely... :()

Guess which argument is holding me back already.

I'm still thinking long and hard about EV conversions, and at the current time, I can only really think that, while I'd love to do one, there aren't too many places within 50 miles round-trip that I go to, ever.

That said, I'm personally looking into an electric motorcycle, more for kicks than anything, but also to "get around" in when I don't feel like going for a walk, but would just love to Joyride up to Wally World and loiter for awhile.

I may more than likely build an EV trike as my first though, since I can carry two people in it, it's more stable, lighter than a 4-wheeled vehicle, and can still have _some_ cargo area.

Toyota RAV4 EV - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
gotta love conspiracy stuff :) Just a few more years and those patents will expire.

OK, Chevron/Cobasys and raisin man (the super old guy that wrote the special needs article. He's known the world over as raisin man, because he's real old, and raisins are real wrinkly, and often found in bran muffins, he main diet to help him stay regular. Since his old age has caused problems with incontinence) should both be "dealt with". hahahaha!

He's a very cynical guy. And where is he fueling his car? 3 minutes is crazy fast. It takes me 15 minutes to fuel up my Ranger at half of the 17.3 gallon capacity(from experience), it takes even longer if the tank is dry (sorry for the duh factor). And it takes twice that to go inside and pay, not everyone is foolish enough to keep plastic cards that can precharge for your fuel without. I've tried them too. Fickle creatures.

Not saying he's justified but there's no reason to attack him personally. No doubt he's developed these views from experience.

And does he have experience! hahaha!

I am not attacking him, the nickname did stick though. Raison...,,, that gentleman...... sounding like someone yelling "that thing will never fly' at the Wright Bros. is an attitude which I cannot sit by and ignore!

I am my own worst enemy- the Yahoo group Small Efficient Vehicles ranted on about something perfectly normal in CA., and I got booted out of that group for saying banning everyday occurrences was stupid. I just don't know when to shut up!

At least; when ecomodder kicks me out, I will have my myth (a.k.a.-EV)! :D

Say What???
 

Huh? I know we're getting off subject here, but I've never taken more than 5 minutes to fill up the Intrigue. I drive a ton van on occasion, and it has a 35 gallon tank, and I've never taken 15 minutes to fill it up. Does this mean that regulations make for slower fillups in certain states??? :confused:

Anyway... Christopher Jordan, you just keep ranting on. When I get over my second college-hood (and get a job...), I'm joining the ranks of EV drivers, and hopefully multiple times! Definitely a "Small Efficient Vehicle" for town driving, and well... kick me out if you have to... something with a lot of voltage and short range just for the fun of it... just to help prove that electric vehicles don't have to be slow and boring, you know. :D

Hey, I can be a Myth-Buster, too! :cool:

Meh, must just be our gas pumps are slow.

Or it could just be the fumes, time really slows down when the pump starts chugging...