ilmbg

With the push for electric cars- being 'green'- how much electricity does it take to charge a car? With the complaints in some cities about possible brown/black- outs, are they a reasonable option now? If the US already has stressed power plants, they had better get going at building new ones!
How have the 'Smart' cars done? In SA, Texas, they were all over the city last year! (I don't see the attraction to them- a smaller Honda/Toyota get better gas mileage..

Jfaulkner

Details details, we don't worry about that. Less pollution from cars = more pollution from the power plants. However since most don't have powerplants directaly in their backyards they don't care. As far as the Smart car, I have no idea. The ONLY advantage to one is the ability to park it. The fuel mileage is terrible for the size and no room or frills. The only way I'd buy a Smart car is if it was the one on YouTube with the Hayabusa motorcycle engine.

Fronty Owner

while there are alot of places that really need to switch to electric cars, if they are charged off a 120 volt outlet in a house. your looking at something in the neighborhood of 1500 watts or about 1.5kW-h at something like $.25/kW-h. I dont know how long they take to charge tho.
Aside from the brown out / black out issues, national average is 50% from coal. by going to electric cars, your just exchanging petroleum for coal. The only redeming feature is 1. we have something 100 years at present consumption of coal in WY and 2. coal fired plants are a bit more efficient than internal combustion engines.

Tate

I think the mileage thing has to do with people using them incorrectly. Those cars are designed for city commuting, not for driving on the highway. But they are diesel, so whats not to like?

Jfaulkner

Diesel? Not that I've ever seen/heard.

Tech Specs

Philabuster

You could say an electric car was powered by nuclear energy if you recharged its batteries from a nuclear electric power plant. That statement might make the greenies a bit mad.

Travis_

They are thinking about putting a diesel in to the smart car in the U.S. market. I believe the European market already has a diesel option for it(I could also be thinking about the Mini Cooper).

Fronty Owner

just about everything is available in diesel in the world market. I have seen diesel at just under half the price of gas in many places. Even in europe, its a little cheaper, but not much.

torquefan

The original Smart cars were diesel powered. Apparently the mileage and power were great. They did away with the diesel a year or two ago; I believe it wouldn't meet the new emissions laws, and replaced it with a gas engine. Apparently power and economy have dropped considerably.

Jfaulkner

Well some greenies have been changing their tune as far as nukes are concerned. Funny how reality sets in and and they figure out if they kill coal, solar is a joke, wind also doesn't work. They know they need power from somewhere and nukes have a pretty good track record. (unless designed in the Ukraine )

I have not problems with electric cars. I could easily own one, I only drive about 3miles one way to work. But since they have such a limited range unless they make them really cheap their not going to sell. I'm not going to pay $30k or so for a car I can only drive limited distances when I can spend the same amount on a car I can take anywhere. Just like those CFL lightbulbs. Their more expensive, they don't last as long if used upside down (can lights), you can't dim most of them or they burn up. I know common sense has no place in government but how about we work all the bugs out of something before we mandate the products use? Just an idea.

torquefan

Good post.