[128shot]

The cool thing about living in Minnesota is I can buy and have an electric car shipped to me based on quite a few designs and they get decent miles per charge...I'm so thinking about it (if the rate ever gets above 300 miles to the charge, I'd do it in a heart beat, and I think this isn't off the road too far. Considering the advancements in not only home distrobution of electrical power but also in on road and battery tech)


What we really need though, is diesel powered carbon fiber bodied cars/trucks/whatever you name it...

[Frank]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('128shot', '.')..(if the rate ever gets above 300 miles to the charge, I'd do it in a heart beat...

[LadyRuby]

You guys really need to see www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com

[128shot]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Frank', '
')Out of curiosity, why do you feel you need 300 miles/charge? I can see a future transportation scenario where most people own a smaller EV with 50 mile range (doable today at reasonable cost) with easily obtainable (for lease) hybrids or conventional vehicles for longer trips. That would work for an awful lot of people in North America.

[Frank]

Thanks - I was just curious. We live in the boonies also but there's a grocery store 15 miles from here. I'm starting to plan a conversion that would allow 50 mile range, about the farthest we would need. 50 mile range is at 50% discharge so there's always a safety factor built in (at least that's what I'm telling my wife)...

If you ever find a link on that Chinese car, please post it. Someone in France is commercializing a design but I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as this sounds.

[captain_planet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('LadyRuby', 'Y')ou guys really need to see www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com

[foo]

Amusing to read all you Americans rabbiting on about how you plan to continue your 50mile 70mph commute in 1 ton tanks.

Smallpoxgirl, you rock, I have so stolen your HelloKitty+AK74

Bring back the Trabant

I rode to work in cold rain on my bicycle today, mostly on the footpath, because tame cornucopeans were barrelling blindly down slick slopes in their tin tanks. Rain aint so bad, but I need new boots.

ps foo identity is from bugmenot, since peakoil's site registration is broken (looks immensely mpressive but)

[128shot]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Frank', 'T')hanks - I was just curious. We live in the boonies also but there's a grocery store 15 miles from here. I'm starting to plan a conversion that would allow 50 mile range, about the farthest we would need. 50 mile range is at 50% discharge so there's always a safety factor built in (at least that's what I'm telling my wife)...

If you ever find a link on that Chinese car, please post it. Someone in France is commercializing a design but I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as this sounds.

[Frank]

http://www.theaircar.com/

Well, here's a link to the one I know about. I'm an EV fan but we have to be open to all alternatives for personal transport.

[Wanderer]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Frank', 'h')ttp://www.theaircar.com/

Well, here's a link to the one I know about. I'm an EV fan but we have to be open to all alternatives for personal transport.

[dagod1]

Does anyone have any ideas as to when toyota and or honda will bring one to the market. Since I know that ford and GM won't. They are only on the path to gas guzzling, these companies are bad investment. Ford stock is a laughable 6 bucks.

[rwwff]

I don't know about a sustained 100mpg; but PHEV ... I'm guessing with personal intent to buy in 2011... Five years.

[clv101]

What will power the plug in hybrid? I thought the US electrical grid was already at capacity and as natural gas declines over the coming decade there will be less electricity available not more... I don't see how plug in hybrids help.

[rwwff]

They help because they can do either, or, or both. That provides a leveling function to the energy puzzle. Besides, grids are only near max for brief periods of time, one could easily set a charge controller to feed the car only at night and early morning when the grid is no where near max.

[clv101]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rwwff', 'T')hey help because they can do either, or, or both. That provides a leveling function to the energy puzzle. Besides, grids are only near max for brief periods of time, one could easily set a charge controller to feed the car only at night and early morning when the grid is no where near max.

[Fergus]

But when is detroit anyone gunna make 50-100 mpg vehicles that an average person can buy. When you see these project cars that get 1000 miles a gallon and such, there all $100,000+. Thats not practical either. Granted these are concepts and not a regular production model, but by the time they get to regular production, what will the manufacturing costs be?

Till theres a $10,000, 100 mpg gar available, looks like we are headed for a date with mass inconvenience and hardships. More of the same old,same old.

Seems as the price of oil goes up, any chance of building a decent car with decent gas milage for cheap is becoming a pipe dream. A 100 mpg car that cost $400,000 due to materials and inflation and transportation costs and such (all solely due to high oil prices) isn't gunna make a great dent in anything if only 2% of the pop can afford to drive it.

I am thinking we need these things like NOW, not in 5 years when the price of oil is $150.00 or more p/b. Too little too late maybe on this front?

[paoniapbud]

Some utilities will give you a break for non-peak useage. Most of them are smaller munincipality owned utilities. They replace the old-school analog power meter with a wireless demand meter.

This would be great for load leveling for utilities and allow most of us to plug in our cars.

Of course, on a practical level I must agree with you clv101 - the only way to expand electricity production in this country in the medium term is by burning more coal. Nuclear, is way on the horizon; solar and wind don't have the energy density to power all of our cars.

As a doomer I would have to say that we need not worry about plug in cars anyway. There won't be the energy or liquidity to redo our transportation to run on electric hybrids. Thus making my entire post moot!!

[clv101]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Fergus', 'B')ut when is detroit anyone gunna make 50-100 mpg vehicles that an average person can buy. When you see these project cars that get 1000 miles a gallon and such, there all $100,000+. Thats not practical either. Granted these are concepts and not a regular production model, but by the time they get to regular production, what will the manufacturing costs be?

Till theres a $10,000, 100 mpg gar available, looks like we are headed for a date with mass inconvenience and hardships. More of the same old,same old.

Seems as the price of oil goes up, any chance of building a decent car with decent gas milage for cheap is becoming a pipe dream. A 100 mpg car that cost $400,000 due to materials and inflation and transportation costs and such (all solely due to high oil prices) isn't gunna make a great dent in anything if only 2% of the pop can afford to drive it.

I am thinking we need these things like NOW, not in 5 years when the price of oil is $150.00 or more p/b. Too little too late maybe on this front?

[rwwff]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('clv101', 's')o we're left with coal. Is it really a smart idea to burn coal through the night in a 35% efficient power plant 100 miles away to charge a car? The answer has to be no.

[rwwff]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Fergus', 'T')ill theres a $10,000, 100 mpg gar available, looks like we are headed for a date with mass inconvenience and hardships. More of the same old,same old.

Seems as the price of oil goes up, any chance of building a decent car with decent gas milage for cheap is becoming a pipe dream. A 100 mpg car that cost $400,000 due to materials and inflation and transportation costs and such (all solely due to high oil prices) isn't gunna make a great dent in anything if only 2% of the pop can afford to drive it.