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BAR[_2_]

wrote:
On Fri, 01 May 2009 11:41:34 -0400, HK wrote:

thunder wrote:
On Fri, 01 May 2009 08:26:44 -0400, Keith Nuttle wrote:

If you had a gasoline electric a 30 year old truck would be in the junk
by now because of the cost of replacing the battery. From what I have
heard they have to be replaced every 6 to 8 years depending on use. With
that rate of depreciation they become disposable. Every one know the
cost of replacing batteries in your old laptop.
Geez, if everyone was as negative about new technologies as you are, we
would still be driving horse and buggies, and forget computers. Still,
they are now getting 100,000 miles out of present battery technology, and
with standardization, and future innovations, battery life will improve
and cost will come down. Remember the cost of those older laptops?

What's really sad to me is that in the late 1970's, GM or Ford or
Chrysler could have decided to allocate enough funds to develop the sort
of batteries we need now to make "electric" cars affordable and
practical. Twenty five years of solid, advancing development would have
made a real difference for us by now.

Battery technology has moved about as fast as the "battery" industry
can move, not for cars but for portable electronics. Cars can
bootstrap off of that. The real problem is electric cars only move
that load from the gas pump to the electrical grid where we burn coal.
Cars are cleaner than coal.
People think electric cars are "free" but your typical little electric
econobox will take somewhere between 20kwh and 40kwh depending on
typical battery packs (14 or 28 6v batteries @ 240ah each). My
electric bill would be $5 for the 28 battery "100 mile" car. Since the
same Honda Civic (a popular electric conversion) would get about 30MPG
on gas, it is pretty much a wash ... I didn't pay the road tax yet.
Some states are already trying to find a way to road tax electrics.
Better batteries might extend range by storing more energy but you
still have to pay for the energy.
Current lead batteries, a very mature technology, are only expected
to have 600-800 charge cycles and they are $100 each. That adds $3.50
to your $5 charge or 8 1/2 cents a mile for the 100 mile car.
The Li/on batteries in the Tesla are so expensive they don't even like
to talk about it.

Energy is energy whether it comes from oil or coal it still has to be
burned to make the wheels turn. Cars, trucks and trains its all the same.

The problem in the automotive electric industry is the heat produced
when the batteries are being discharged when the vehicle is being operated.

I know these are off the cuff numbers but I have been looking into
converting my old Prelude (a Civic in a sport jacket) to electric and
I have been looking at what is out there. Even if I am off by a factor
of two it is still hard to get the numbers to come out.

Bite your tongue. My Prelude was not a Civic in a sport jacket. When I
put V rated tires on the Prelude it became a real fun ride. Cloverleaf
exits at 80 mph.

When you read the web sites that cater to electric car enthusiasts
they all tell you, "don't plan on this being a cheap hobby".

Carrying a fire extinguisher isn't going to stop the electrical fire
either.