An All-Electric Porsche?

[tomonomics]

Moving to electric cars shifts the energy requirements away from oil and towards other resources, as well as where those resources are consumed. Oil is only burned for 1% of our electric...however coal/natural gas generate almost 70%. Do we really want to triple our coal consumption so that we can have 'cleaner' cars?

Also, getting all that power to the local level is not easy, and our current grid could not support even a modest increase in plug-in vehicles. Your average US house might only draw 2 to 3 kilowatts at peak usage. The new Tesla fast charger draws up to 20kw. Put two or three electric vehicles in one neighborhood, and you will need some new power lines in your backyards. That's a lot of expensive infrastructure cost that will be included in all of our utility bills. And while solar power is the big thing right now, you'll never have enough solar power to recharge a car each night. Unless you live in AZ, have a few acres of solar panels, and only drive 20 miles a day. That technology is just too far off in regards to the huge power demands of an EV.

I am a big proponent of clean/hybrid vehicles - a diesel/electric hybrid would be my ideal daily driver. But a large, short-term increase in plug-in cars just doesn't make sense right now on many levels. Unless you start raising the gas taxes, and put that money to good use in renewable energy R/D and mass transit...

[Nine8Six]

^ Oopsy!

We have a 18GW dam here that is (unofficially) near half of its capacity already. Must be all the 'Smart' Phones and Palm Pilots around charging every nights Pray god that this battery powered transport thing never hits China, I'd really love to see my favorite Chinese fish on my menu at least for a few more years LOL

In a meantime, here's Dorothy working on my next FLAT-ONE Porsche engine. Runs for 99 years without refueling. Cheap, compact, 485HP minimum


(source: Lockheed Martin announces it's working on a compact fusion reactor)

batteries... nano or whatever, geez feels like hearing the 1960's space travel dreams all over again LOL

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six;

batteries... nano or whatever, geez feels like hearing the 1960's space travel dreams all over again LOL

That 1960's space travel thing worked out pretty well for us Americans.

You're so scared that it's making you angry!

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by particlewave

That 1960's space travel thing worked out pretty well for us Americans.

You're so scared that it's making you angry!

That's because you've been using the Canadian Arm thingy to screw your bolts everywhere in space

And yes I'm scared. Not shy to admit it. Had an e-l-e-c-t-r-i-c car passing right in front me at a red light the other day. A freakin Tesla... couldn't believe it (in China).

IT SOUNDED LIKE A F'N WHEELCHAIR

Scared?! I was terrified, petrified. Not sure I am ready for this dramatic change of car 'culture' - you know what I mean by that. Was the first time for me (sorry guys, isolated here). Think you can convert me please?

no offence, I do realize the environment benefits and I am all up for that. Just not ready, need to b itch, blame policy makers... who else, you?

YOU, that's right.... you are the guy developing this technology stuff, you certainly participate anyway. Forgot about that

[tomonomics]

I hope that's not a cheap Harbor Freight multi-meter!!!!! lol you might only get 350HP when they are done. (385HP for the Cayman version)



(Sorry, I couldn't help cross-referencing three different threads).

[Nine8Six]

LOL. Anything yellow in the 'measuring' tool are stopped at US Customs at the request of Fluke Corp (in the news lately). So it has to be the real deal

More worried about Dodo's ballistic eyewear. Hope those are genuine 3M and nuclear blast-proof lol

[particlewave]

Naw, I threw my hat in the ring, bro.

I'm retired now. Moving to Colorado to become a hippie
Population #'s worry me more than anything to do with electrons and hydrocarbons.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by tomonomics

Oil is only burned for 1% of our electric...however coal/natural gas generate almost 70%. Do we really want to triple our coal consumption so that we can have 'cleaner' cars?

We are headed there regardless of whether we consume crude or not to run our vehicles. Simple consequence of population growth, increasing standards of living and the inherently high degree of uncertainty in nuclear power from an investment standpoint -- one miscalculation and that nuclear plant is a financial loser before it's even operational. Which basically means coal power will see a tremendous increase in the decades to come.

The question is do you want to continue relying exclusively on a gasoline powered cars that are subject to the whims of speculative oil demand or do you want to finally have greater diversity in our vehicle fleet? I'm not sure why its always argued that electric vehicles will never get to the level where they can replace the gas-burning car because that's not at all the point. If the consumer can wake up one day and say "both of these cars cost $25K, let me consider my needs to determine which is better for me" then we'll create greater diversity in our domestic economy and less reliance on the volatile and uncertain nature of the oil market.

As far as a greener planet, good luck with that mother Earth. The cleanest energy is rarely the cheapest.