It makes me feel better because I don't have to sit in traffic anywhere.
I live in England where every road is a stream of slow moving cars which drives me absolutely crazy, I didn't mention anything about being eco, did I..?
Electric Cars - The Future of Consumer Motoring?
- Thread starter Paul Glover
- Start date
It makes me feel better because I don't have to sit in traffic anywhere.
I live in England where every road is a stream of slow moving cars which drives me absolutely crazy, I didn't mention anything about being eco, did I..?
RCHeliguy
Premium
I just saw this video about a realistic fusion solution with a very pragmatic design based on existing technology. It appears that they should have a complete proof of concept in the next few months, and a working system in 5-8 years. Not only that, but they have a plan to get to power plant production started in the early 2030's including having all the regulatory approvals in place by then.
What makes this smart is not reinventing the wheel and using a lot of the existing technology in use by the Power Utilities and their suppliers.
1. Rather than trying to maintain an ongoing fusion reaction, they are creating small fusion reactions with bursts of energy. The idea is to feed a tiny fuel cube into a chamber every 5 seconds and ram each with a projectile from a rail gun creating a fusion reaction of about 1000 Telsa units that lasts about a ms.
2. Rather than trying to directly harness the energy produced, they are hoping to absorb 80% of the energy as heat into liquid Lithium that they will then use to generate steam.
Drastically simplifying the technology needed and leveraging the existing steam turbine infrastructure power utilities have in place just makes sense. They would mostly need to change out the exchange loop between the inner coolant of liquid Lithium and the water used to generate steam.
This could be huge! The fuel cubes are incredibly dense in power, safe to handle, and easy to transport. What looks like a half inch cube with a tiny bubble of gas in it has as much power as a barrel of oil.
What makes this smart is not reinventing the wheel and using a lot of the existing technology in use by the Power Utilities and their suppliers.
1. Rather than trying to maintain an ongoing fusion reaction, they are creating small fusion reactions with bursts of energy. The idea is to feed a tiny fuel cube into a chamber every 5 seconds and ram each with a projectile from a rail gun creating a fusion reaction of about 1000 Telsa units that lasts about a ms.
2. Rather than trying to directly harness the energy produced, they are hoping to absorb 80% of the energy as heat into liquid Lithium that they will then use to generate steam.
Drastically simplifying the technology needed and leveraging the existing steam turbine infrastructure power utilities have in place just makes sense. They would mostly need to change out the exchange loop between the inner coolant of liquid Lithium and the water used to generate steam.
This could be huge! The fuel cubes are incredibly dense in power, safe to handle, and easy to transport. What looks like a half inch cube with a tiny bubble of gas in it has as much power as a barrel of oil.
Oh god, don't get me started. I live in a small town so it's all country roads. They're after all of a sudden dropping a lot of 100kph roads down to 80kph with no warning it was happening.
They have the usual "slow is safe" campaign which I hate because it's not true. People just take that to mean "if I drive slow I'm safe so I can look out the window at what's happening in the fields I pass by, check my phone, get engrossed in conversation with my passenger", I see them wobbling all over the road, slamming on the brakes in corners they didn't notice coming because they were distracted. Driving slow doesn't automatically mean your driving safe. It's the governments way of passing blame onto drivers while doing nothing to train them how to be better drivers.
All that's happened is as you say, there's a train of dozens of cars clogging up every small road in the country. I try to cross the road in my town on foot and have to wait five minutes for the slow train to make it's way through the town. They've made congestion worse, they've dodged the issue of driver incompetence, and increased the likelihood of people making more dangerous overtakes. The only plus is that when these drivers inevitably get in a crash because they don't have the skills to avoid it, they'll cause less damage because they're going slower.
Modern drivers are simply incompetent. Modern cars cover up that incompetence and save drivers from their poor driving habits. This slow down campaign is just going to make drivers even more incompetent. Bring on autonomous cars I say, get these people off the roads.
I don't think they're reliable enough. Countries like the UK yes but not like in Australia or usa where truck drivers need to travel vast distances over the desert across the country, only if their battery goes flat in an electric car/truck they're f'ed and no telecommunications. Also some cops in the usa complained a while ago during a pursuit of a violent criminal who got away because halfway during the pursuit the battery died. Also with electric as it gets slower and slower the flatter is goes. Petrol/Gas is way more reliable.
Also what about on hot days where it can get to about 45C-48C during summer here in Australia? How will they prevent the batteries from exploding/over heating?
Also what about on hot days where it can get to about 45C-48C during summer here in Australia? How will they prevent the batteries from exploding/over heating?
RCHeliguy
Premium
As battery technology stands at this moment in time you are absolutely 100% correct. EV's can not cover every single application that ICE engines handle. The technology is reliable, but the range isn't there and there are still cooling needs.
Next gen batteries won't have the same chemistry they have now and won't require cooling. Tesla is working on a dry anode battery that should be good for 500,000 to 1 M miles of use. Ranges continue to increase as well, but they still aren't past many people's range anxiety levels.
Tesla may also be working on ultra capacitor storage based on a company that they acquired. It's likely that will be used for even more instantaneous power and for more efficient and higher charge regenerative braking further increasing range.
Audi is planning to have an EV variant of every car model available within 5 years. When I looked at the Q7 and Q8 I saw that they are phasing in hybrid technology across the board now. The 2019 is the last version of the Q7 that won't have a hybrid component. In 10 years all Audi's will be electric and by then battery tech will be very different than it is today.
BTW the next Tesla Roadster is supposed to have a 620 mile range and with that a police car should be able to chase a criminal until he runs out of gas
Next gen batteries won't have the same chemistry they have now and won't require cooling. Tesla is working on a dry anode battery that should be good for 500,000 to 1 M miles of use. Ranges continue to increase as well, but they still aren't past many people's range anxiety levels.
Tesla may also be working on ultra capacitor storage based on a company that they acquired. It's likely that will be used for even more instantaneous power and for more efficient and higher charge regenerative braking further increasing range.
Audi is planning to have an EV variant of every car model available within 5 years. When I looked at the Q7 and Q8 I saw that they are phasing in hybrid technology across the board now. The 2019 is the last version of the Q7 that won't have a hybrid component. In 10 years all Audi's will be electric and by then battery tech will be very different than it is today.
BTW the next Tesla Roadster is supposed to have a 620 mile range and with that a police car should be able to chase a criminal until he runs out of gas
wombat999
Premium
We need the next generation EV models sooner rather than later, but I definitely agree that reliability and range are holding back public acceptance. I'm very impressed with the higher end Tesla models, after talking to several owners I'm thinking hard about buying one as a daily driver. At most the furthest I drive is a couple of 100K from the coast to the city once or twice a week on major arterial roads, aside from attempting to move into the cleaner energy area I'm highly motivated to get out from under the grasp of the 'Fossil Fuels Cartel'.
However, my 46 year old fuel efficient classic remains my go to sporting drive............
Australia has a huge problem with distance, allied to a government that are owned by many nefarious influences and remain in denial when it comes to the need for prompt action right now. The other ridiculous and immediate problem is the automotive resellers who market 'Crew Cab Trucks' and inefficient 'Sport Utility Vehicles' as 'Family Cars', to the extent that the best selling vehicle for several years has been Toyota's Hi Lux, with either Ford or Mitsubishi versions alternating for P2. Aside from the obvious thirst for fuel, the resources required to build these over size vehicles is just wasteful, while 90% of the 'Drivers' range from stupid or really aggressive!
However, my 46 year old fuel efficient classic remains my go to sporting drive............
Australia has a huge problem with distance, allied to a government that are owned by many nefarious influences and remain in denial when it comes to the need for prompt action right now. The other ridiculous and immediate problem is the automotive resellers who market 'Crew Cab Trucks' and inefficient 'Sport Utility Vehicles' as 'Family Cars', to the extent that the best selling vehicle for several years has been Toyota's Hi Lux, with either Ford or Mitsubishi versions alternating for P2. Aside from the obvious thirst for fuel, the resources required to build these over size vehicles is just wasteful, while 90% of the 'Drivers' range from stupid or really aggressive!
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RCHeliguy
Premium
Ford just released a teaser video about their coming EV's, and it looks like they will continue to cater to the SUV and truck crowd.
https://www.motor1.com/news/376636/mustang-inspired-suv-video/
Currently I drive a 4wd crossover and I've owned a 4x4 truck that I used to tow a boat with. I think that once you've gotten used to a commanding view of the road, lower slung cars feel less comfortable to you. When I test drove a Porsche Panamera, it felt wrong to me. Not saying it's a right or wrong thing, just that people have preferences. That was a real eye opener for me. I used to love driving low to the ground cars, but I have trouble with them today. I don't feel safe in a small car on the road surrounded by large SUV's and Trucks.
https://www.motor1.com/news/376636/mustang-inspired-suv-video/
Currently I drive a 4wd crossover and I've owned a 4x4 truck that I used to tow a boat with. I think that once you've gotten used to a commanding view of the road, lower slung cars feel less comfortable to you. When I test drove a Porsche Panamera, it felt wrong to me. Not saying it's a right or wrong thing, just that people have preferences. That was a real eye opener for me. I used to love driving low to the ground cars, but I have trouble with them today. I don't feel safe in a small car on the road surrounded by large SUV's and Trucks.
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Paul Glover
I talk lots
They could solve the battery issues by getting all the manufactures to agree on a standard swappable battery pack. It would eliminate charging issues, allow batteries to be maintained at their peak and phased out for recycling as they reach the end of their life.
They could even cut costs by having automated stations, you drive on, battery drops out, new one popped in, drive away. It would probably work on a monthly charge but as far as the end user is concerned batteries aren't an issue anymore.
It would probably take the EU or US to force the issue though.
They could even cut costs by having automated stations, you drive on, battery drops out, new one popped in, drive away. It would probably work on a monthly charge but as far as the end user is concerned batteries aren't an issue anymore.
It would probably take the EU or US to force the issue though.
RCHeliguy
Premium
All the fanfare aside this is not a battery. It is a disposable fuel cell that would be manufactured and recycled.
It can be constructed from medium grade recycled aluminum and has a very high energy density. Supposedly it is being put into production and they are looking to sell the replacement cells at the supermarket. It's supposed to take 90 seconds to replace a cell.
If true it would be completely disruptive to the current idea of charging your electric vehicle at home at night. Instead you would pick up fuel at the supermarket where I assume you could easily drop off your old cells.
What I don't understand yet is where the energy comes from and how much energy it takes to create one of these fuel cells. Also the pricing that they list of 7p ( pence?) a mile vs 13p for petrol suggests this is based on fuel costs in the UK which are about 2.4 X what they are in the US.
If true this will be INCREDIBLY disruptive. Suddenly electric cars would be relieved of their battery cost and be much cheaper than ICE cars. But this would end up much more disruptive than that.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-drivers-1-500-miles-without-charging-it.html
https://www.ladbible.com/news/news-...car-battery-that-runs-for-1500-miles-20191020
It can be constructed from medium grade recycled aluminum and has a very high energy density. Supposedly it is being put into production and they are looking to sell the replacement cells at the supermarket. It's supposed to take 90 seconds to replace a cell.
If true it would be completely disruptive to the current idea of charging your electric vehicle at home at night. Instead you would pick up fuel at the supermarket where I assume you could easily drop off your old cells.
What I don't understand yet is where the energy comes from and how much energy it takes to create one of these fuel cells. Also the pricing that they list of 7p ( pence?) a mile vs 13p for petrol suggests this is based on fuel costs in the UK which are about 2.4 X what they are in the US.
If true this will be INCREDIBLY disruptive. Suddenly electric cars would be relieved of their battery cost and be much cheaper than ICE cars. But this would end up much more disruptive than that.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-drivers-1-500-miles-without-charging-it.html
https://www.ladbible.com/news/news-...car-battery-that-runs-for-1500-miles-20191020
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https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/17/cars/ford-electric-vehicle-charging-network/index.html
This is good. They're showing commitment to electric vehicles.
I work with Ford, so my daily is always a Ford of some sort. And I'm ready to switch over whenever it's feasible.
I love cars. Huge Mustang fan, I love my Miata. I've had 4 of them. But for pure transportation, we need electric vehicles.
This is good. They're showing commitment to electric vehicles.
I work with Ford, so my daily is always a Ford of some sort. And I'm ready to switch over whenever it's feasible.
I love cars. Huge Mustang fan, I love my Miata. I've had 4 of them. But for pure transportation, we need electric vehicles.
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Paul Glover
I talk lots
Durge Driven
DD
It is not just about electrics
Autonomous vehicles will change the way we use our time
........well not my time I be long gone p
Autonomous vehicles will change the way we use our time
........well not my time I be long gone p
Electric and non-electric cars can co-exist.
Let people decide what they want to drive, without forcing them out of their cars.
Trying to shame a guy/gal from their 35-40 mpg Honda Civic into an electric at twice the price, is never going to work effectively.
The cost has to be a reasonable amount.
This notion that they can't co-exist...while pushing severely over-priced models, is ludicrous.
Let people decide what they want to drive, without forcing them out of their cars.
Trying to shame a guy/gal from their 35-40 mpg Honda Civic into an electric at twice the price, is never going to work effectively.
The cost has to be a reasonable amount.
This notion that they can't co-exist...while pushing severely over-priced models, is ludicrous.
RCHeliguy
Premium
Electric cars are about to drop in cost very substantially.
There won't be any shame involved. They will eventually be cheaper to purchase and operate.
The good news for people who like gas cars is that the bottom will drop out of the resale value of gasoline cars. This won't happen for the exotic collectibles, but for the average commuter car the used car prices will plummet.
They will coexist for quite a while. My wife has a 12 year old car purchased new and I have an 8 year old car purchased new. People keep there cars a lot longer on average these days and it will take a long time for electric cars to displace the cars on the road today.
There won't be any shame involved. They will eventually be cheaper to purchase and operate.
The good news for people who like gas cars is that the bottom will drop out of the resale value of gasoline cars. This won't happen for the exotic collectibles, but for the average commuter car the used car prices will plummet.
They will coexist for quite a while. My wife has a 12 year old car purchased new and I have an 8 year old car purchased new. People keep there cars a lot longer on average these days and it will take a long time for electric cars to displace the cars on the road today.
Can't replace portable fuel until there's enough infrastructure to cover *everywhere*. Simple problem - people with on-street parking, how do they recharge their cars? you can't exactly run extension leads out of the house, across the street, up the street to the car overnight... the cost of charging points to cover every parking spot will be impractical. Drive through fast-charge points are still not going to be practical either even if they only take 5 mins - 12 cars an *hour* ( more likely 11 ) per station?
I can only really see a couple of solutions to cover everyone -
* Clean alt-fuel hybrids with more emphasis on the EV side, so basically an electric car with a built-in charger rather than an ICE car with a battery boost - I honestly think that's the only way forward for anyone outside suburbia. That is essentially what a hydrogen fuel cell car is, only hydrogen production is a long way from clean right now - most of it still comes from refining oil.
* Charging coils under main roads, which is already being trialled but boy does that have it's own problems. That wouldn't aim to positively charge the car ( well I don't think that's the current aim ) but just prolong battery life.
"Use public transport more" you say - if public transport was that good we wouldn't be having any discussion about cars outside leisure activity. Public transport in my area has as good a coverage as on-property parking, ie, minimal.
One thing that'd help everyone is if people didn't buy excessively overweight vehicles...
I can only really see a couple of solutions to cover everyone -
* Clean alt-fuel hybrids with more emphasis on the EV side, so basically an electric car with a built-in charger rather than an ICE car with a battery boost - I honestly think that's the only way forward for anyone outside suburbia. That is essentially what a hydrogen fuel cell car is, only hydrogen production is a long way from clean right now - most of it still comes from refining oil.
* Charging coils under main roads, which is already being trialled but boy does that have it's own problems. That wouldn't aim to positively charge the car ( well I don't think that's the current aim ) but just prolong battery life.
"Use public transport more" you say - if public transport was that good we wouldn't be having any discussion about cars outside leisure activity. Public transport in my area has as good a coverage as on-property parking, ie, minimal.
One thing that'd help everyone is if people didn't buy excessively overweight vehicles...
If this is the future of electric, I might consider it. The beautiful Polestar1
Over time I'd expect companies could use charging the same way they use parking to incentivise customers into their businesses. If wireless charging ever became a thing shopping centres could make their car parking spaces charging points so every time you went to shop you got a free charge. That's a long way off but electrics offer big opportunities to businesses.
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