If you had the option of an Electric powered Boxster...

[Brucelee]

Even using the kart experience, give me gas any time.

[Brucelee]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,691457,00.html

Interesting.

[Lil bastard]

Electric vehicles are currently all the rage, but if you look closely, it's not the panacea many in government or the media are making it out to be.

First, it's really gonna tax an already, and increasingly, overworked and underbuilt grid. A grid which is currently more than 85% coal powered. Coal is the highest carbon emitter of all hydrocarbon fossil fuels. While centrally producing power from coal pollutes less, it's still (at it's current 85% level) going to keep us above pre-1990 carbon emmission levels. And this ratio cannot be changed for nearly 45 years given the time to build and bring a new electric plant online - remember we're not talking one or two, we're talking thousands of them. And that's just to replace the current capacity which is already insufficient.

No one wants Nukes (particularly the unknowledgeable and the scare-mongering Press). France produces 50% of it's power from nukes and Japan 85%, they're laughing at us over here and our 'No-Nukers'.

And there isn't a reliable, or efficient means of storing wind and solar generated power (for when the Sun's not shining or the Wind's not blowing). Add to this that the only efficient ways to use Wind or Solar is by commercial scale Wind or Solar Farms. These by necessity are located far out in rural and desert areas. People are all for these farms, but then oppose the transmission lines going through their own areas to gain access back to the Grid - NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard), significantly slowing (by an average of 6 years in each contested case) the conversion to these methods.

Finally, the supply/demand pressure on electricity is gonna skyrocket once it also assumes the burden of transportation energy, and the price per killowatt Hr. right along with it. Suppose you're now paying $200/mo. on fuel and $200/mo. on electricity. If only 35% of the cars on today's roads convert to all-electric, your combined fuel/electricity bill is gonna exceed $700/mo. And that burden is going to be subsidized equally by all electric users, including your employer (who may furlough you to maintain the same margins) and those who do not operate a car.

Electric cars play well to the Press, Politicians and the Simpletons amongst us. But, if you run the numbers it becomes crystal clear that this is the wrong way to go. The current Technology, Public Sentiment and Time Lag prevent overcoming the obstacles an all-electric transportation system will pose.

Cheers!

[sd_boxster]

Anyone who buys a car to save the planet is a tool. Buy a bike if you want to make a difference.

I think a properly done electric Boxster would be a kick. If they offer one someday, perhaps I'll choose the panda-cub upholstery option to ensure nobody mistakes me for an ecomentalist.

[landrovered]

I would get the electric for no other reason than to tell the Pious (Prius) owners to eat my shorts. Well, come to think of it I can do that anyway because I don't like them. Thanks for helping me clear that up.

[Perfectlap]

I think people will be singing a different tune about an electric (or at least hybrid) line of Porsches once gas over $6 in the not too distant future. I tend to think that top drawer sports car engineering demands cars that contain more composites and draw as little fuel as possible. Obviously the costs will be high but we need to get on with it already, all I see is cars that aren't much different from what they were 12 years ago with no big changes for another 5-10 years.

[Boxtaboy]

Yes, please don't changeover to electric. Gas is already over $8/gallon in other parts of the world, and hopefully, not everyone is jumping over to Hybrids there either.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/01/news/international/usgas_price/?postversion=2008050109

Besides, http://www.hybridautoreview.net/buying-a-hybrid-will-not-save-you-money.html

[Brucelee]

I think if energy costs rise (as opposed to taxes added only to gas) to cause $6 a gallon prices, then similarly, overall energy prices will also rise, ie the cost of electricity and other energy types of energy sources.

Am I missing something on how this all might work?

[Oaktown 986]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

I think people will be singing a different tune about an electric (or at least hybrid) line of Porsches once gas over $6 in the not too distant future. I tend to think that top drawer sports car engineering demands cars that contain more composites and draw as little fuel as possible. Obviously the costs will be high but we need to get on with it already, all I see is cars that aren't much different from what they were 12 years ago with no big changes for another 5-10 years.

I live in California where development of CLEAN POWER is constantly blocked by environmentalists. Nuclear? Too scary, unless you're France. Hydropower? We worry about our exotic smelt.

Electricity here is too expensive to make it worth it.