[DrCaleb]

SigPig SigPig:

Robair Robair:

After spending 50,000 on a 'commuter', who wants to go out and buy a second machine for road trips?

No thanks, my $20,000 Malibu Maxx does it all.

I think you will have to have range if you're going to sell to the average family. I don't think I know anybody who would shell out that kind of money and not have the ability to travel...

The price does need to come down, and the vehicle in this article is a luxury car. Zenn for example, though it lacks some range and speed is more in line with the commuter vehicle. Small, efficient and affordable.

But I have seen people on this board and talked to a number of people personally who say that 150-200km range is not enough because they can't drive anywhere. No mention of price or any other factor which is just ignorant stubborness as far as I am concerned.

Quite true. The Roadster is based on a Lotus Elise chassis. This car reminds me of a Maserati or Aston Maritn DB series. And the toys!!

http://i.gizmodo.com/5185966/first-look ... cd-console

Personally, 100km is more than enough for me to get to work, the grocery store and back home in a day.

[RUEZ]

SigPig SigPig:

Most people own at least two vehicles now anyways. You are making it sound like this is some ridiculous far-fetched inconvenience. "Oh no! I have to get insurance for TWO vehicles?!?!?!"

Well that's great for the people that do. I don't. I know many that don't. NO sale. Electric vehicles don't meet my needs.

[SigPig]

coaster_dot coaster_dot:

Besides, you would feel like you would get screwed if you bought one then a year later the price went down.

You mean like that computer you are using? How long after you bought it did the price go down? 3 months? 6 months? Same thing yet you and everyone else does it including myself. Bad example.

[Robair]

RUEZ RUEZ:

So now instead of having one car that fits all your needs, you've got two cars. That means two insurance packages, two cars to service, and two bills for energy, one gas one electricity. No it makes much more sense to develop a vehicle that will meet the needs of it's customers instead of people settling for something because it's green.

Pretty much what I'm getting at. As soon as they get them to where they can compete with internal combustion, I'll be the first one in line. It's a simple drivetrain, they just have to figure out the battery.

[DrCaleb]

ziggy ziggy:

Robair Robair:

ziggy ziggy:

The electricity has to come from somewhere and thats most likely a coal fired generating plant so there is a trade off.

Not in Canada.

Sheerness and genessee in Alberta,boundary dam in sask.
All coal fired generators.

If someone were concerned, they could build themselves a small wind generator to charge it. You can't build yourself a small gas refinery. But hpefully soon we'll have a decent sized nuke to recharge if from!

[SigPig]

RUEZ RUEZ:

SigPig SigPig:

Most people own at least two vehicles now anyways. You are making it sound like this is some ridiculous far-fetched inconvenience. "Oh no! I have to get insurance for TWO vehicles?!?!?!"

Well that's great for the people that do. I don't. I know many that don't. NO sale. Electric vehicles don't meet my needs.

And thats fine. I even mentioned that for some people, it just doesn't work. But if you look at the average urban family, I don't see how it can't work. I look at the driving habits of most of the people around me and an electric vehicle would fit their needs. Even if both parents commute, thats two electric vehicles, and one gas vehicle for the kids if they need a car in a pinch as well as for long commutes and road trips.

[RUEZ]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

If someone were concerned, they could build themselves a small wind generator to charge it. You can't build yourself a small gas refinery. But hpefully soon we'll have a decent sized nuke to recharge if from!

Easy enough to say, but harder to do. Where I live it's illegal to have a wind turbine on a lot less than 5 acres. You could try solar but that's hit or miss. The times you really want to charge your car is at night and well I don't have to explain to you how solar power works. Not to mention the added costs.

[RUEZ]

SigPig SigPig:

And thats fine. I even mentioned that for some people, it just doesn't work. But if you look at the average urban family, I don't see how it can't work. I look at the driving habits of most of the people around me and an electric vehicle would fit their needs. Even if both parents commute, thats two electric vehicles, and one gas vehicle for the kids if they need a car in a pinch as well as for long commutes and road trips.

So then we're really not getting rid of the internal combustion motor are we? We're just using it as an overlap for what the inferior electric can't do yet. I'm like Robair. When they've been refined and can compete with the gas car I'll be there with money in hand. I for one look forward to the day that I can spit in the eye of gasoline producers and their price fixing. I just don't see that day coming very soon.

[Robair]

One of those small windmills would take a month to charge a Tesla roadster according to Top Gear.

[ziggy]

Robair Robair:

ziggy ziggy:

The electricity has to come from somewhere and thats most likely a coal fired generating plant so there is a trade off.

Not in Canada.

That article really conflicts with info from the green sites on renewable energy.

$1:

1. Where does our electricity come from?
Canadians refer to electrical power as "hydro". Our electrical utilities for the most part have hydro as part of their name, but just because we call it "hydro" doesn't mean it comes from water. Approximately 99% of the power generated is considered to be non-renewable. Increasingly, electrical power is being generated in Canada by burning fossil fuels.

In fact less than 1% of the power generated in Canada today is considered to be renewable or green power. And, since rivers are a finite resource, there is a limit as to how much large hydroelectric power that we can develop.

The Canadian Electricity sector accounts for 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

[SigPig]

RUEZ RUEZ:

So then we're really not getting rid of the internal combustion motor are we? We're just using it as an overlap for what the inferior electric can't do yet. I'm like Robair. When they've been refined and can compete with the gas car I'll be there with money in hand. I for one look forward to the day that I can spit in the eye of gasoline producers and their price fixing. I just don't see that day coming very soon.

No we are not getting rid of the electric vehicle entirely, I did say that earlier. And I will concede that point. But the reason I am suggesting this system of combined vehicle is because I dont see how the electric vehicle could ever fully replace gas power in terms of range barring a significant leap in technology. Nor do I EVER see them being able to fill the role of heavy duty pick-ups, and other large trucks used in construction for example.

But in the mean time why can't we make the switch wherever we can? At least thats a few less vehicles making us ingest carbon dioxide on a daily basis. And then eventually once the technology makes another step forward, which we aren't that far from we can replace most people's gas powered cars. See the technology isn't far and for the most part is there. I mean if yo just took the technology from the vehicle in the article and placed it in a efficient, more affordable frame then you would have a viable vehicle for a lot of families. But without people demanding it, it will never happen.

[RUEZ]

SigPig SigPig:

No we are not getting rid of the electric vehicle entirely, I did say that earlier. And I will concede that point. But the reason I am suggesting this system of combined vehicle is because I dont see how the electric vehicle could ever fully replace gas power in terms of range barring a significant leap in technology. Nor do I EVER see them being able to fill the role of heavy duty pick-ups, and other large trucks used in construction for example.

But in the mean time why can't we make the switch wherever we can? At least thats a few less vehicles making us ingest carbon dioxide on a daily basis. And then eventually once the technology makes another step forward, which we aren't that far from we can replace most people's gas powered cars. See the technology isn't far and for the most part is there. I mean if yo just took the technology from the vehicle in the article and placed it in a efficient, more affordable frame then you would have a viable vehicle for a lot of families. But without people demanding it, it will never happen.

Sure there can be a place for today's crop of electrics. But anyone that's trying to sell them as the answer to our problems is out to lunch. If you're not doing that I apologize.

[bootlegga]

SigPig SigPig:

See I disagree with the idea that for electirc cars to be viable they need to be able to travel on long road trips. Who says that we still cant use a gas powered or at least a hybrid fuel vehicle for these and have the all electric for commuting? To say that you won't buy an electric car because you can't drive to thunder bay is ridiculous.

As the technology is right now i would say that at least 90% of those who work and live in urban areas would be able to commute with an electric vehicle. Most people in urban areas work within a 50 km radius of their home anyways so you drive to work, plus in your vehicle, let it sit there for 8 hours and get back in and drive home. The same goes for trips to the grocery store or the mall, or hockey practice or whatever. That accounts for the majority or driving that people do. There is a need to start thinking outside the box and realize that maybe polluting the air we breath is not necessarily the best idea in the world.

Obviously this wont work for those with very long commutes or those who work in rural areas and need trucks to do their job. Thats fine. But for most of us, this would work fine. Supplement this with a much more efficient mass transit system with electric trains and all this electricity provided by nuclear power and we have a fairly good system in place.

Wow, this kind of got out of control, didn't mean to make it this long. I hereby end my rant.

I see early electric cars replacing families second cars when they wear out, especailly when the price comes down a bit more, which is just a matter of time once production gets ramped up (remember how much DVD players cost 10 years ago). They can keep the Hummer or Expedition or minivan for long trips, but when it comes to driving a few blocks for groceries, or 10km to work five days a week, they can take the electric car instead.

[bootlegga]

tritium tritium:

This is what I want to buy. World's First Drivable Fuel Cell Hybrid-electric Plug-in Vehicle by Ford.

Featured in QUANTUM OF SOLACE, if anyone paid attention to the car over Olga Kurylenko.

The worst Bond movie ever...

[roger-roger]

No, there have been worse Bond movies... For your eyes only comes to mind.