We're gonna rock down to Electric Avenue

OutlawPete

Ireland will install its first electric car charge locations by Easter and there are plans to install 1.500 electric charge locations by the end of 2011.

So, when do you see yourself driving an electric car?

Is it just bollix as our electricity is just being produced from fossil fuels anyway, so to be acting like we've cracked the renewable energy problem is a little premature?

Will you miss the roar of a V8 in twenty years when we're all being mowed down by silent fecking cars?

Ireland is to install its first electric car charge locations by Easter. There are plans to install 1.500 electric charge locations by the end of 2011. The cost of installing the charging points will be $27million.

The three charging points will be located in Dublin City, one will be outside the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) headquarters, the second will be put outside the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the third will be located outside the Irish Development Agency on Wilton Place.

The charge points will be initially installed along major routes and built up urban areas. There will be thirty DC fast charging points installed on Ireland's motorways. The DC points can fully recharge a car in 30 minutes.

The project was spearheaded by the Government, ESB, Nissan and Renault. The directive wants 10% of all vehicles in Ireland to be fully electric by 2020. It is estimated a total of 30,000 chargers will be needed to cater for an estimated 230,000 electric vehicles.

ESB's head of network sustainability, Senan McGrath said, "What is going on in Ireland is at least as advanced as what is going on elsewhere."

Nissan will release a conventional electric model by the end of this year, while Renault will release the Renault Fluence in 2011. The cars will have a top speed of 100km/h and a range of 160km. The cars are specifically aimed at urban commuters.

It is hoped that 4,000 cars will be on the road by the end of 2011.

Source

Morlar

The only question I have about that is how much* & who pays ?


The cost of installing the charging points will be $27million.

Hank_Jones

I don't see myself driving an electric car for a long time, basically as long as I can get away with not driving one.
Maybe if they improve the performance of them and make them more than run arounds that have to be kept close to home, as that is the only place you can charge them, maybe I would slightly reconsider.
The ones they have now are like hairdryers though, and I like my cars to have a bit of acceleration to them.

€27 million baahahahah, that's quite the waste of public money.
How many electric cars have they sold in Ireland again?
Like 15?

Thought this was going to be in this thread:
(figured I'd add it )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA5MtAmT24g

DubMedic

Never can I see myself driving one of those stupid looking things.

They can fcuk off with their stupid electric cars.

Yes, I'm a petrol man.. electric cars are just wrong.

.

alwaysadub

Well the car would wanna run for a fair while if i've to travel across the country to charge the fecking thing..

Ruu_Old

I see an e-voting machine scenario happening to be honest.

Hank_Jones

Ruu wrote: »

I see an e-voting machine scenario happening to be honest.

I would think that we are probably the front runner within the EU on this one.
So it will most likely go all pear shaped.
It's not as if we have the funds to be throwing money away on this sort of thing anyway.

artanevilla

Sure people'll be using them to charge their phones and stuff.

MistyCheese

OutlawPete wrote: »

We're gonna rock down to Electric Avenue

We are? Great! When? Should I wear comfortable shoes?

stovelid

I assume that eddie grants will be available to upgrade your car.

/sorry

Blisterman

Ahh, I remember one drunken night, shortly after I moved to London, getting lost in the worst part of Brixton, fearing for my life, when I turned a corner and looked at a street sign. I was on Electric Avenue!!! All was well, and I got home safely, thanks to Eddy Grant.


So yeah, electric cars. They're cool.

ibarelycare

I'll be dead within 60 years. I'll drive the sh*t out of my petrol cars until then. No need to worry about things that won't effect me. :pac:

epgc3fyqirnbsx

I reckon I'd really hate driving an electric car

There are few greater pleasures than dropping a gear and overtaking some slow bag that you've been stuck behind for 3 miles

Tar.Aldarion

Can't wait til there are good ones about.

oppenheimer1

Maximo Tart Source wrote: »

I reckon I'd really hate driving an electric car

There are few greater pleasures than dropping a gear and overtaking some slow bag that you've been stuck behind for 3 miles

Thats the problem... people reckon they'd really hate it rather than actually try it. Sure Electric cars are not entirely suitable yet for long distance driving but they are perfect for urban. The majority of people do not travel more than 120km in a day. The internal combustion engine has over 120 years of development behind it, but the electric/alternative car is catching it quickly.

Beside where I work there is a G-Wiz plugged in and it makes perfect sense, inexpensive city run around, low tax, and very cheap to run. For most people a car is just a device for getting you from A to B and nothing more. I consider the electric car to be like the "ryanair" version of a car.

Ignorance perpetuated by the likes of Jeremey Clarkson and Co will keep the electric car down though.

Sofiztikated

But do they have to be so frigging ugly?

Never mind if its an a2b yoke, but just look at the gwhizz. You can't tell me when you get up in the morning, go outside to go to work, see your gwhizz, you wouldn't just sigh and your heart deflate a bit.

epgc3fyqirnbsx

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Thats the problem... people reckon they'd really hate it rather than actually try it. Sure Electric cars are not entirely suitable yet for long distance driving but they are perfect for urban. The majority of people do not travel more than 120km in a day. The internal combustion engine has over 120 years of development behind it, but the electric/alternative car is catching it quickly.

Beside where I work there is a G-Wiz plugged in and it makes perfect sense, inexpensive city run around, low tax, and very cheap to run. For most people a car is just a device for getting you from A to B and nothing more. I consider the electric car to be like the "ryanair" version of a car.

Ignorance perpetuated by the likes of Jeremey Clarkson and Co will keep the electric car down though.

Thats all fair enough

But I'm willing to be one of the last to make the change until the technology develops to a decent standard

Fear Uladh

****ing hate that song.

cafecolour

I'm sticking with my bicycle

Thomas828

There'll always be people who are afraid of anything new. Look at Smart cars. The idea that anyone would be driving them would have been shot down twenty years ago. And what did people think of the Mini Metro when it first rolled off the production line in 1981?

Mike 1972

OutlawPete wrote: »

Is it just bollix as electricity is produced by burning oil anyway, so to early to be acting like we've cracking the renewable energy problem?

Its been a long time (early eighties) since Ireland got the majority of its electricity from Oil

Fossil fuels Yes Oil no

OutlawPete

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Fossil fuels Yes Oil no

Meant to say Fossil Fuels, edited post.

What are the percentages now of exactly what we use to generate our own and the importation of fossil fuels.

Mint Sauce

better start stockpiling the AA batteries

ejmaztec

They'll at least have to play a recording of a V8 while they're on the move, just loud enough to drown out the whining noise.

Capt'n Midnight

how much do electric cars cost more than the equilivent diesel ?

how efficient are they from well to wheel, #Ireland generates a lot of our electricity from fossil fuel, conversion from heat to electricity to chemical energy in the battery and back to power the motor probably won't beat direct conversion in a good diesel

lithium batteries are expensive and there are limited supplies c.f Bolivia
other batteries weigh more and so you need to waste power lugging dead weigh around.

The Pontiac

Thomas828 wrote: »

Look at Smart cars. The idea that anyone would be driving

I've only seen a handful of Smart cars on the road.

I can't see myself driving an electric car, ever!! I think my 10 year old Focus would kill any electric car manufactured within the next 15-20 years anyway - performance, comfort etc. And a Focus is just your average car.

donkey balls

the only people who will be able to afford these yokes will be the green TD;s senators&ministers on there nice salaries&pensions:rolleyes:

Mike 1972

I would buy an electric car tomorrow if someone came out with an affordable model capable of motoway speeds and a 300Km range between charges (with lights/radio etc on)

Ive thought about the Prius (not quite fully eletric I know) but its 17 Grand (sterling) too big for my needs and IIRC its CO2 emissions are actually not that much lower than what Im driving right now.

Agricola

Electric cars are a farce. Hydrogen power is where it will be in 50 years time.

ejmaztec

The Tesla one looks ok for an electric car, but it costs a mint. The base price in the US is $50K, but the one on the second link has a price of $125K after options.


http://www.teslamotors.com/models/
Advertising bullsh1t alert!

- 300 mile range
- 45 minute QuickCharge
- 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds
- Seats 7 people
- More cargo space than sedans
- 2X as efficient as hybrids
- 17 inch infotainment touchscreen


http://www.wheels.ca/newsFeatures/article/784576

God knows how much they'd cost here.

Sheeps

Hank_Jones wrote: »

€27 million baahahahah, that's quite the waste of public money.
How many electric cars have they sold in Ireland again?
Like 15?

Ugh..... This quote is so dumb.

Mike 1972

Agricola wrote: »

Electric cars are a farce. Hyrodgen power is where it will be in 50 years time.

It takes electricity to produce hydrogen and the stuff is even more difficult to store (inflammable and very difficult to prevent leakage) than electricity.

Several rival technologies have been proposed as the successor to current petrol/diesel vehicles. Its quite likely that no single technology be the answer. After all we have two (and a half) competing technologies for conventional vehicles right now i.e. Petrol, Diesel (and Gas)

Blisterman

I think the first popular generation of electric cars, will be ones with backup petrol engines.

So that it can run on electricity for the normal daily commute, but if it runs out, you won't be stranded, and you can use the petrol engine for long journeys.

bonerm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAR5uTEXMTM

Captain Darling

Cant imagine driving an electric car on the crappy roads from Galway to Ballina. Be as well off fecking cycling.

Cant beat the two litre diesel.

Capt'n Midnight

Mike 1972 wrote: »

I would buy an electric car tomorrow if someone came out with an affordable model capable of motoway speeds and a 300Km range between charges (with lights/radio etc on)

Ive thought about the Prius (not quite fully eletric I know) but its 17 Grand (sterling) too big for my needs and IIRC its CO2 emissions are actually not that much lower than what Im driving right now.

Petrol-hybrids aren't much more efficient than a good diesel.
If you take into account all the inputs in manufacturing and recycling the the Prius diesel probably wins. Even the extra cost of buying means you could get your house converted to solar heating and get more insulation so if you spend the difference on other energy saving or annual bust ticket prius looses out big time.

diesel hybrids look interesting though


also there is the slight matter of the recall

Elessar

I am convinced electric cars will succeed, but not for another few decades.

I can't see myself driving one until I can drop into a garage and re-charge in less than 5 minutes.

Capt'n Midnight

Agricola wrote: »

Electric cars are a farce. Hydrogen power is where it will be in 50 years time.

Hydrogen is just another battery technology. Lead < Nickel < Lithium that sort of thing.

Mike 1972 wrote: »

It takes electricity to produce hydrogen and the stuff is even more difficult to store (inflammable and very difficult to prevent leakage) than electricity.

Hydrogen is no more flammable than petrol / ethanol / methanol - it burns with a non luminous flame so far less secondary igniton and quickly dissipates since it's the lightest gas known. ethanol/methanol have the advantage that they mix with water which makes fire fighting much easier

BTW find out when the indianpolis 500 switched from petrol to methanol !

Hydrogen is the lightest substance known, it's also the leakiest gas known - so to store it for use in a vehicle you need the biggest container ever / you need to waste 10% of the energy it contains compressing it into a very very solid airtight container the pressure of which is a significant safety hazard even if it doesn't catch fire.

Several rival technologies have been proposed as the successor to current petrol/diesel vehicles. Its quite likely that no single technology be the answer. After all we have two (and a half) competing technologies for conventional vehicles right now i.e. Petrol, Diesel (and Gas)

Diesel + better energy store

the energy store could be battery , compressed air (feed it to the engine rather as a supercharger), flywheel, electrolysis of water to hydogen (low volume just enough to contain braking energy)




hybrids use regenerative braking , because it's easy and you already have all the parts (motors work as generators, electronics for charging batteries etc.) but it's not very efficient as you loose nearly half the power though electronics and chemical to-fro , flywheel might be better

bleg

Hooked an electric charging point to a windmill in work during the week. Pretty cool.

Lot of douches in this thread.

Oh I'll be driving petrol forever I like loud engines I'm cool....No you're not.



I would assume it's more of a gesture of what's to come. In the future (next 50 years) I'm sure most of the electricity for these will come from renewable sources and basically it will have to as we run out of oil.

These things might seem very expensive now, but when oil production peaks and prices start to go mental, this will all be considered a step in the right direction.

brummytom

OutlawPete wrote: »

So, when do you see yourself driving an electric car?

I won't be driving one for a few years yet; but mom is due to get one (touch wood) in a few weeks, we'll have to see what it's like then.

It works out an awful lot cheaper than driving a petrol-fuelled car, so it gets my vote.

ScumLord

I'd like an electric car once they solve the problems and they will solve the problems simply because they have to. Oil will become to valuable to be running cars off of.

I liked James May's idea on top gear when they where making the electric car. He said they should use a diesel generator to power an electric motor. The diesel generator would use a relatively small amount of fuel to generate the power for the electric motor.


It would also allow for the development of the electric car and when hydrogen engines become available they could just swap out the diesel for the hydrogen power source.

Capt'n Midnight

ScumLord wrote: »

I'd like an electric car once they solve the problems and they will solve the problems simply because they have to. Oil will become to valuable to be running cars off of.

I liked James May's idea on top gear when they where making the electric car. He said they should use a diesel generator to power an electric motor. The diesel generator would use a relatively small amount of fuel to generate the power for the electric motor.


It would also allow for the development of the electric car and when hydrogen engines become available they could just swap out the diesel for the hydrogen power source.

The only problems with electric cars is the battery technology. If you can make a car similar to current costs with a battery that has 1/3rd the energy density of petrol you could use 19th century electric motors and still have a machine what would quite driveable

electric motors have a better power to weight ratio than most petrol engines, compare the size of the engines on the DART to the engine in a car as % of overall weight



diesel engines work most efficiently at constant speed , perfect as a generator. what might be interesting is a diesel hybrid with solar panels on the roof (more for california and southern europe)

SV

No..no nonono.. I enjoy driving and I enjoy going fast for cheap. I enjoy being able to fill up again in a few minutes as opposed to a few hours.
Electric cars can piss off.

old_aussie

I think Mitsubishi have released the iMiEV electric car in Australia

Price around $30k Au....that's a good price and they're only going to get better and cheaper


See this link....

http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleId=60453

paddyland

What happens when you drive down to your friendly local charging point, only to find some fecker in a BMW has parked in front of it???

Mike 1972

SV wrote: »

No..no nonono.. I enjoy driving and I enjoy going fast for cheap.

For how much longer ?

El Weirdo

Thomas828 wrote: »

And what did people think of the Mini Metro when it first rolled off the production line in 1981?

I'm not driving a Mini Metro. I'm not driving a Mini Metro. I'm not driving a Mini Metro.

/Partridge

SV

Mike 1972 wrote: »

For how much longer ?

with the tesla car the only one that comes close to mine in terms of performance..ehm...forever?
well, CHEAPER, that is

Mike 1972

El Weirdo wrote: »

I'm not driving a Mini Metro.

I did drive one for a (thankfully) short while

Biggest piece of crap ever.

Manic Moran

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Thats the problem... people reckon they'd really hate it rather than actually try it. Sure Electric cars are not entirely suitable yet for long distance driving but they are perfect for urban. The majority of people do not travel more than 120km in a day. The internal combustion engine has over 120 years of development behind it, but the electric/alternative car is catching it quickly.

The problem is that though most people do not routinely drive over 120km in a day, they will occasionally drive over 120km in one day. Face it, who's never taken their car on a cross-country trip such as from Dublin to Donegal? There are only two possible alternatives: Buy/rent a 'normal' car for those occasions depending on how frequent they are (But you have paid money for the car sitting in your garage!), or get a car without the range limitation. Range Anxiety is the single biggest hurdle for a pure-electric vehicle to overcome.

There are several alternatives, for example, one option involves an exchange of ionised battery fluid at a filling station. However, the most sensible is that taken by the Chevrolet Volt (AKA Opel Ampera in Europe). It's a dual-mode vehicle which is pure-electric for the first 60km, then runs on petrol for the remainder. You get petrol/emission free motoring for your daily commute, and have a 'normal' car for those long-range jaunts.

The directive wants 10% of all vehicles in Ireland to be fully electric by 2020.

So the Volt/Ampera doesn't count, even though you can drive it for your commute all year and not burn a drop of petrol?

Ignorance perpetuated by the likes of Jeremey Clarkson and Co will keep the electric car down though.

They slate them because the vast majority of 'green' vehicles have been horrendous cars to own. They vary from being ridiculous to look at through being completely dull to operate. Seriously, the only reason the Prius sells so well is that it is so distinctive to see that you get to announce to the world "Look at me, I'm saving the environment!". Whereas you'd get better fuel mileage, and frankly, a much nicer ownership experience out of a VW Jetta TDi. (Plus there are plenty of other hybrids that are better if you must have one, the Camry and Accord come to mind).

Clarkson & Co do not object to green vehicles. They had great things to say about the Hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity and the electric Tesla Roadster (at least until the batteries died in the latter), for example. They object to vehicles that are completely dull and do nothing for people who actually enjoy driving for the sake of it no matter what makes them go. Most Lexuses, for example.

Now, that said, I can not imagine ever not owning a V8. It may eventually be relegated to a 'weekend car' as I commute in the famly Volt, but for people who enjoy driving (which, face it, is the demographic that Clarkson/Top Gear is geared towards), there's little quite like it.

And what did people think of the Mini Metro when it first rolled off the production line in 1981?

I remember thinking that my mom's Fiesta seemed much better. That must be saying something, since I was only six at the time.

NTM