Overheal wrote: » given its a Domestically Manufactured vehicle (in the US, via Fledging Detroit, MI): I am completely hyped about it.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Volt
sdonn wrote: » They're useless in their current form. With a range of 100km yes, they'll cater for most urban journeys. The problem is that most people either make regular journeys that push that distance, whether it be every week, every months etc and it won't suit them to have to charge up enroute, or simply don't want the hassle of having to charge even though their journeys allow for it. Then there's the issue of charging on motorways etc - all very well, but on a long journey you'd need to charge at least twice between say Dublin and Cork. At present the government has decided to scrap the majority of the planned motorway service areas, so where will these charging points go? Do they expect motorists to pull off the motorway, drive a mile to a garage, sit in the car while it charges for god knows how long, then drive the mile back to the motorway? Twice? Get real. As for every 60km, that's a joke. With a 100km range you've only to miss one stop to end up on the hard shoulder. What will there be, AA vans with massive battery chargers in the back littering our motorways? These cars are only practical for those who NEVER make journeys over 100/200km or who are willing to put up with massive breaks in such trips, or for those lucky enough to be able to afford and accommodate two cars per person, let alone per family. That excludes me, my entire extended family and just about every other motorist I know. It in effect defeats the purpose of having a car. Minister Ryan said on Prime Time in his eternal wisdom that we should be leading the way with this technology, rather than installing these points years after it takes off. But there's little point leading the way by installing the power points if you're not going to build proper infrastructure to go with it. What we need is a proper Hybrid car which uses technology similar to diesel electric trains - a fuel engine charging an electric battery. The batter can be topped up while the car is parked and used for day to day running, but if you need to, you can kick in the diesel and motor along as per the 20th century status quo. In an ideal world of course we'd be trying to seperate Hydrogen molecules and tap that resource - if we could seperate water (H2O being two Hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, chemically bonded), we'd have the solution to mankind's fuel and flooding problems in less than a week. Don't get me wrong - I think installing these points and offering the incentive is a good idea in theory. It will work brilliantly for the few who choose to buy these cars. But a minority, and a small one at that is all it'll ever be for the forseeable future.
sdonn wrote: » They're useless in their current form. With a range of 100km yes, they'll cater for most urban journeys. The problem is that most people either make regular journeys that push that distance, whether it be every week, every months etc and it won't suit them to have to charge up enroute, or simply don't want the hassle of having to charge even though their journeys allow for it.
Then there's the issue of charging on motorways etc - all very well, but on a long journey you'd need to charge at least twice between say Dublin and Cork. At present the government has decided to scrap the majority of the planned motorway service areas, so where will these charging points go? Do they expect motorists to pull off the motorway, drive a mile to a garage, sit in the car while it charges for god knows how long, then drive the mile back to the motorway? Twice? Get real.
As for every 60km, that's a joke. With a 100km range you've only to miss one stop to end up on the hard shoulder. What will there be, AA vans with massive battery chargers in the back littering our motorways?
What we need is a proper Hybrid car which uses technology similar to diesel electric trains - a fuel engine charging an electric battery. The batter can be topped up while the car is parked and used for day to day running, but if you need to, you can kick in the diesel and motor along as per the 20th century status quo.
In an ideal world of course we'd be trying to seperate Hydrogen molecules and tap that resource - if we could seperate water (H2O being two Hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, chemically bonded), we'd have the solution to mankind's fuel and flooding problems in less than a week.
Sharpshooter wrote: sdonn explains what I wanted to say better than I did earlier
Overheal wrote: » Im sorry
starbelgrade wrote: » Overheal - you are talking US speak.
sdonn wrote: » In fact the leccy used to charge most of these cars will come from solid fuel burining plants which are only 40-60% efficient compared to a diesel at 30% efficiency.
sdonn wrote: » Not to take away from my long post above (thanks Sharpshooter) - it took me ages and was frankly a work of art in AH terms - if what Overheal says about a gas generator with range boosting ability of ~250-300km is true then a lot of it is hot air. In fact the leccy used to charge most of these cars will come from solid fuel burining plants which are only 40-60% efficient compared to a diesel at 30% efficiency. However, what's the point in a gas generator? That's not a renewable source either and will also eventually run out! Anyway think what shell to sea will do to car dealerships when they find out that more gas needs to be brought ashore faster :P
starbelgrade wrote: » Overheal - you are talking US speak. This is Ireland. Here we will get electric cars & there will be nowhere to plug the f*ckers in. It'll be like being away for a weekend with a Sagem mobile phone & looking for a charger for it when everyone else has Nokia phones.
Overheal wrote: » Im sorry A Visual may be beneficial:
m@cc@ wrote: » You are aware that you can't mine raw diesel, yes?
Overheal wrote: » /sigh Im getting a beer.
sdonn wrote: » Clearly. Which makes it less efficient again. I'm purely pointing out that electricity generation burns fossil fuels in a lot of cases too, and that just because it's c;ean at source of consumption doesn't nessecarily make it environmentally friendly.
So effectively these are glorified hyrbids! They don't solve the fuel issue at all for long journeys
Here we will get electric cars & there will be nowhere to plug the f*ckers in.
Overheal wrote: » one thing at a time please First off - desiel, petrol, angel tears, SEMANTICS. Use whatever you want! I dont care! Some will be flex fuel too: So bring on the Ethanol. :mad::pac::( Not yet they dont. I confess. They do not solve the driving habits of 25% of all americans. They only satisfy 75% of 300 million people. Its still a huge leap. Its large enough to Market. And in 10 years, that capacity will have doubled if not considerably more, until you have Electric ranges in excess of a hundred miles or more. No, the Home hookup system is not much bigger than an air compressor (if that). It uses the existing Power Grid in your home, that already powers your Showers your Lights and your Range. And since you guys already run 240volts, that means charging your car at home in under 3 hours. It also means that a station charger (when or if they become available) which could run at a much higher voltage than that, could charge the car in minutes. But to settle the spiffy, and lets assume you have the only Charger in Ireland to charge this vehicle, in your car port - what if I drive to visit my nan in cork for the night - yeah, drive back on the generator till you get home. But 40 weeks out of 50 you're just commuting to and fro, from the office. You're still talking about only having to refuel with petrol/diesel/baby blood, far, far less often than you already fuel up your Yaris. 9 days out of 10, you will drive home, plug the car into the wall, go to bed, wake up, go to work, etc. And never have to fuel up or engage the generator.
sdonn wrote: » This makes sense - the sad thing is that in theory at least, we had the technology to do this nearly a century ago. Again look at the diesel electric locomotive if you don't believe that.
Overheal wrote: » IFascinating Documentary, which fortunately, is quickly becoming a historical - not a political, documentary.
Overheal wrote: » To think - if John McCain, (even though I like the guy personally, even though he ran a shyte campaign) had gotten into office on the back of "Drill Baby Drill" it never would have happened. Even under the exact same economic circumstances.
starbelgrade wrote: » B*llox. American presidents are just puppets. Everyone knows that.
starbelgrade wrote: » There's also no grid set up to charge the things.
FunnyStuff wrote: » What about people who dont live in the city!?!?!?! Do we even matter?!?!?! Or will we have to drive into yr infested hive just to charge up our cars???
old_aussie wrote: » And when petrol cars first started out there were petrol stations everywhere? I'm sure electricity is available in Ireland. Wont take long for recharge stations to be inplace in petrol stations.
medicman2009 wrote: » Next they'll be promoting environmentally friendly glass hammers and buckets of steam.
