Thank God - the beginning of the End for Big OIL!!!

[mymtnhauler]

Mymtnhauler- Again, power plants CAN run on ANYTHING!!! We CAN/DO generate power from clean sources. It comes down to choice and often (all too often) the easy and cheap way is to pollute. If 80% of electric generated is from coal then it is because it is cheap and easy. I'm sure you can think of other things that are cheap and easy and just as unhealthy. But as far as parts in an electric, all it takes is smart engineering, less weight =less inertia =less power to go and stop and collide with so less parts needed to do that. a 4wd really only needs 1 brake perhaps at the tailshaft/tranfercase. watch a monster truck race and count the brakes, only two, and I bet theres a bit of weight there too.

Adding a ( tailshaft or transfercase ) is more parts, and weight! For an electric with one motor to perform like a gas car that motor would have to be large and vary heavy! That is why the ( smart ENGINEERING ) is too put one lite motor at each wheel, there again is more moving parts to maintain, and would still need four or more brake assemblies; despite the ability to dienamicly brake with the motors! Not to mention these components need to be lubricated with something! And NO power plants can not run on ANYTHING, unless they are converted to use something other than there original fuel source and that would take years to convert just one plant! Yes we do have solar and wind, but to get that cost affective and available for all is still one or more decades in th future!

 

[JasonCzerak]

for any sort of advanced braking on anything but dry consistent pavement (when was the last time you seen that?) you need 4 independent brakes with a smart ABS computer.





JFaulkner, heheheh. Well, in theory, a power plant is more efficient making the same amount of energy when our internal combustion motors. Per mount of energy made, there's less pollution. I'm to lazy to find numbers.



However, moving to electric cars just won't work well as our current grid won't take It in many areas I'm certain. Then there's the battery issues, and re-fueling. If you can get 500miles per charge at 80mph or something equilivent of 50mpg with 500 mile range city/highway. then it may fit i with our life styles.

 

[DCreed]

We must all bear in mind that electrics are not for everyone. They are firstly for those who drive short distances in frequent stop/go traffic, secondly those who fancy them as an extra car, and thirdly collectors/tweakers to play with them. Those of us who drive distances or haul weight or simply dont like/understand electrics will still drive whatever they choose. I would simply like to have that choice from the major manufacturers who bought up many of the patents.

 

[mymtnhauler]

We must all bear in mind that electrics are not for everyone. They are firstly for those who drive short distances in frequent stop/go traffic, secondly those who fancy them as an extra car, and thirdly collectors/tweakers to play with them. Those of us who drive distances or haul weight or simply dont like/understand electrics will still drive whatever they choose. I would simply like to have that choice from the major manufacturers who bought up many of the patents.

The problem with electric cars is that if the number of people you suggest started using them for there primary or just sort drives, will create more pollution then what we have now! But there can be a very simple fix to this problem, it's Hydrogen! BMW and several other car manufacturers already have had this technology for more than a decade! It's simple to make, and the infrastructure for the vehicles is already in place! As for the hydrogen! Hydrogen can be made right at the pump through electrolysis! The electricity used to do this will come from a hydrogen fuel cell or solar at the fueling station!

 

[nickleinonen]

if i could get an inexpensive electric car that could travel at 80kph with a range of 300km that could be recharged from a standard 110vac line, i'd be really interested

 

[duckcarvr]

check out the tesla roadster... . o to 60 in less than 4 seconds, top speed 125, range 170 to 280 miles... ..... waiting list 2009... ... $98,000. 00