Has this "really" changed everything?

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by masraum

I just don't see electric cars as a useful alternative. They are quiet, but they don't really provide any other benefit, do they? What's the point? Less fuel used and/or fewer emissions? Tell that to the power plant that's generating the electricity.

They are more complex, and I suspect more expensive to repair.

oh boy -

1. it is LOT easier to reduce emission from a single stationary source (power plant) than from thousands of mobile sources (cars).

2. you can site the emissions source away from popn centers and airsheds prone to inversions (LA)

3. you can transition to cleaner energy sources over time (nuclear, nat. gas, and solar)

4. you can (finally) link the grid to mobile/transportation power users - and eventually use the latter (fuel cells) to feed back into the grid during periods of low power demand

5. TORQUE

6. Easy to do torque vectoring & 4WD

7. low Cg

it's a matter of time

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Gogar

...electricity comes from largely coal-fired electricity supply. The net reduction in horrible gases emitted into the atmosphere is negligible...

....

you need to run the numbers before making these sorts of blanket stmts.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by RWebb

you need to run the numbers before making these sorts of blanket stmts.

Well that wouldn't be any fun now, would it?

[BeyGon]

What happens to all the dead batteries after seven years when you have to change them? I think that's the warranty on most. A gas engine, may or may not last 250k miles but it seems the battery has a life of X years no matter how often you change the oil. Lots of dead batteries. How much to change the battery?
If we really wanted to save gas and money we would be driving Kia Rio's, cheap enough that when it dies and the warranty is gone you can make beer cans out of it.

[romad]

What will bad accidents look like in these cars?

[Normy]

As to the range issue....Eventually a company will start making small trailers that have a portable generator and fuel tank that keeps the batteries charged for long distance travel.

The battery replacement cost down the road is the big issue with these and hybrids.

N

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by romad

What will bad accidents look like in these cars?

A hazmat scene.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Normy

As to the range issue....Eventually a company will start making small trailers that have a portable generator and fuel tank that keeps the batteries charged for long distance travel.

The battery replacement cost down the road is the big issue with these and hybrids.

N

There is a guy making electric powered trailers which turn a gas guzzler into an electric car. Backwards of what you are talking about, but I think both ideas are valid ones.