Electric Car in your future?
- Thread starter DustyRusty
- Start date
Makes more sense than eminent domaining a bunch of land from people, cutting down tons of trees to run a power line out to the middle of nowhere that may occasionally charge a car. If electric car drivers don't like it they are free to push their vehicle the rest of the way to the nearest grid charger after their car dies.
Except that the generator probably runs for 10 minutes every week to exercise no matter if it is used to charge a car. Wouldn't a solar array for charging a battery bank make more sense? Then the occasional EV user could draw the power from the bank instead of the generator.
The ones I work with get ran once a month when they don't get used. They get ran long enough for the coolant temperature to level off, for some that's 10 minutes, others it's more like 30.
GreensvilleJay
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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
re: Wouldn't a solar array for charging a battery bank make more sense?
In one word... NO. Do the easy 'math',it's all online. Get the specs for say a TESLA battery pack capacity ,then the power a solar panel 'array' can deliver. Decide on how much AND how fast you want the 'recharge' time at the 'pump. Odds are real good you'd need the area of a foorball field of solar panels AND that's during a bright sunny day ! All that solar energy would be stored into a battery to be transferred into your car's battery.
Now could it be done, yes but when you look into all the details, it's just not economically or physically viable. Neighbours have solar microfit on their house , past 2 weeks only got about 8% energy ,mainly due to the clouds and snow. Dust is a huge factor on panels as is tree pollen !
The two major factors that kill solar are 1) cost to make and 2) storage of energy. If you can solve either of those you'll become THE richest man on the Earth , or put 6 feet under...
In one word... NO. Do the easy 'math',it's all online. Get the specs for say a TESLA battery pack capacity ,then the power a solar panel 'array' can deliver. Decide on how much AND how fast you want the 'recharge' time at the 'pump. Odds are real good you'd need the area of a foorball field of solar panels AND that's during a bright sunny day ! All that solar energy would be stored into a battery to be transferred into your car's battery.
Now could it be done, yes but when you look into all the details, it's just not economically or physically viable. Neighbours have solar microfit on their house , past 2 weeks only got about 8% energy ,mainly due to the clouds and snow. Dust is a huge factor on panels as is tree pollen !
The two major factors that kill solar are 1) cost to make and 2) storage of energy. If you can solve either of those you'll become THE richest man on the Earth , or put 6 feet under...
That's partly my point. EVs are just not suitable for widespread use.
BTW, the solar equivalent for that generator I posted would only be around 5000 ft sq. That charger is in the outback of Oz and sees very little use. They just got sick of rescuing idiots that keep getting stranded.
BTW, the solar equivalent for that generator I posted would only be around 5000 ft sq. That charger is in the outback of Oz and sees very little use. They just got sick of rescuing idiots that keep getting stranded.
On the bright side, the battery fee ain't bad. Gas cars are charged the same fee for their little battery.
GreensvilleJay
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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
yesh, 5000 sqft.... that's bigger than most city lots here ! Even IF you have the room, Mother Nature doesn't play 'fair'. right now we've had a WEEK without Mr. Sun, and forecast is another WEEK before we see him for a few hours.... not exactly good for solar power .
BTW salty water ( winter road yuck, here) is extremely corrosive to metals, allows current to flow. It's also a big concern down south, with hurricane flood sea water coming inland.
BTW salty water ( winter road yuck, here) is extremely corrosive to metals, allows current to flow. It's also a big concern down south, with hurricane flood sea water coming inland.
Lil Foot
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Saw one of these today:
rivian.com
R1T - Rivian
Rivian is an electric vehicle manufacturer on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever.
rivian.com
the fee is still there. It's included into the "cost" of the battery. We did the same at work, had to add in the $6.10 per pound battery disposal fee because with it being itemized separately customers were throwing a hissy fit about it. Can't blame them. So we just include it into the cost of the battery(s).
$6.10/lb is what the suppliers charge us to take them currently. It went up a dime at 1 Jan 2023. Hoping that will be reduced, but until THEY find a way to dispose of them less expensively, it's likely going to remain-or increase possibly. And the fee is based on the shipping weight. We never know what the actual battery weight is because we do not have scales. Shipper says it weighs X number of pounds and that's what we have to go by. If they send it on a 44"x44" HW pallet, then the pallet and strapping weight is also included in ship weight.
Thankfully we don't have to replace many Li batteries. The majority of the ones we do are FLA, 6, 8, and 12v (times however many per unit). Li batteries are really REALLY expensive. I did one on a Polaris last week that was over $6000. For a battery (and labor, which wasn't much in comparison), a few tuflocks, 5 screws, shop supply fees. also gotta reprogram the ECU when replacing battery.
Trucking companies have to charge a good bit more to haul them, than 12v batteries, as well. That's another cost to consider. Li-Fe-Po batteries are often over the 12.8v threshold that the DOT considers "haz mat", thus there are additional fees. I am understanding that there are going to be, or have been changes to that, so take it with a grain of salt. When I did motorcycles, they would send Li-Ion battery equipped motorcycles at about a 40-45% SOC (state of charge) because if they were at 100%, the voltage would be about 14v, over the threshold, thus incurring additional fees. So we TECHS (not the dealer...) had to buy a special charger specifically for them. $294 at the time, I think they're a lot less now. Dealer wouldn't buy them, so there were two choices. Send the unit out with a dead battery, or buy a charger so that the customer would be happy. I bought a charger. I don't like disappointed customers. And when I left that dealer? I took MY charger home with me and I use it for my scooter battery (yamaha zuma 50 2T)
GreensvilleJay
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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
man what a great SCAM...
$26K for a battery and the customer doesn't get to keep his old PAID FOR battery and has to pay a few hundred bucks for 'disposal fee' (which really it gets resold to another place or person).
On top of that, the guv gets a LOT of tax money for doing NOTHING....
Yup...EVs are great...just NOT for the buyer of them.
It's interesting about the 14 volt 'hazmat' threshold. Anyone seen what happens to a 1/2" combination wrench when you drop it onto a 'safe' 12v 800CCA battery and it hits both terminals ???
$26K for a battery and the customer doesn't get to keep his old PAID FOR battery and has to pay a few hundred bucks for 'disposal fee' (which really it gets resold to another place or person).
On top of that, the guv gets a LOT of tax money for doing NOTHING....
Yup...EVs are great...just NOT for the buyer of them.
It's interesting about the 14 volt 'hazmat' threshold. Anyone seen what happens to a 1/2" combination wrench when you drop it onto a 'safe' 12v 800CCA battery and it hits both terminals ???
79+ percent of all new car sales in the country of Norway are EV's. Some of you should call them and see what they do to accommodate their salty roads and cold temps, because reading the threads above it appears a lot of you believe the USA doesn't have the smarts to figure this out. I believe in my country and I know we can.
GreensvilleJay
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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
re: Norway and salt...
norwegianscitechnews.com
From this one report...
1st, the USA uses 68 times the amount of salt Norway does.,
2nd Norway only salts 20% of their roads
It's NOT that we can't STOP using salt, as other methods like beet brine work, it's a 'follow the money' deal It's a high profit commodity for a few, and makes even more ,with car sales, rust repairs,concrete bridge rebuilds, etc. There are ZERO reasons for those in control to stop using salt. A city can't afford to convert from salt to beet,unless YOU want to pay HUGE increases in taxes to PAY for the conversion.
From a Norwegian paper..70% of the vehicles driven in Norway are gas or diesel, it's only new sales are mostly EVs BUT they've now slowed that down as the 'grid' has been maxxed out.
Norway only has 5 million ,far less than say NYC, is a really small country,good mass transit so 'personal miles per car' is low.
Finding ways to use less salt on snowy roads
It’s springtime in much of the northern hemisphere, although spring snowstorms are still possible. When that happens, salt trucks and ploughs help make roads safe. But road salt can be bad for the environment, and can rust cars, bicycles and other metal. New research shows that salt use can be...
norwegianscitechnews.com
1st, the USA uses 68 times the amount of salt Norway does.,
2nd Norway only salts 20% of their roads
It's NOT that we can't STOP using salt, as other methods like beet brine work, it's a 'follow the money' deal It's a high profit commodity for a few, and makes even more ,with car sales, rust repairs,concrete bridge rebuilds, etc. There are ZERO reasons for those in control to stop using salt. A city can't afford to convert from salt to beet,unless YOU want to pay HUGE increases in taxes to PAY for the conversion.
From a Norwegian paper..70% of the vehicles driven in Norway are gas or diesel, it's only new sales are mostly EVs BUT they've now slowed that down as the 'grid' has been maxxed out.
Norway only has 5 million ,far less than say NYC, is a really small country,good mass transit so 'personal miles per car' is low.
re: Norway and salt...
From this one report...Finding ways to use less salt on snowy roads
It’s springtime in much of the northern hemisphere, although spring snowstorms are still possible. When that happens, salt trucks and ploughs help make roads safe. But road salt can be bad for the environment, and can rust cars, bicycles and other metal. New research shows that salt use can be...
1st, the USA uses 68 times the amount of salt Norway does.,
2nd Norway only salts 20% of their roads
It's NOT that we can't STOP using salt, as other methods like beet brine work, it's a 'follow the money' deal It's a high profit commodity for a few, and makes even more ,with car sales, rust repairs,concrete bridge rebuilds, etc. There are ZERO reasons for those in control to stop using salt. A city can't afford to convert from salt to beet,unless YOU want to pay HUGE increases in taxes to PAY for the conversion.
From a Norwegian paper..70% of the vehicles driven in Norway are gas or diesel, it's only new sales are mostly EVs BUT they've now slowed that down as the 'grid' has been maxxed out.
Norway only has 5 million ,far less than say NYC, is a really small country,good mass transit so 'personal miles per car' is low.
beat me to it.
ev might kinda work once the grids, etc are upgraded, if you live in a heavily populated area (NYC LA Houston DFW etc), and for short trips (50mi or less). For a lot of us, myself included, ev ownership is out of the question. I can't afford a new car. An oxymoron? The government root-causes big price increases and the same government wants you to go buy a new electric car that you can no longer afford because of their blunders. In my short 47 years, I've seen this exact thing happen several times, but not with ev because they're still "new".
and one more set of thoughts before I head to work. I know it's sunday but I set a goal and I'm gonna make it happen. Anyway yesterday I went racing. Aint been since Oct 2021, so a little over a year. I show up, unload my stuff and had some free time to go get fuel and such. On the way to the fuel place, I rode past "the races". In other words, sensory overload. Dragsters warming up. Door cars warming up. The sounds, the smells, the sights and the feeling. it's not the smell. It's not just the sound. It's all of it that makes the sport and hobby what it really is. Sensory overload. Now stop and think about this. Say there's an all EV drag race and I have been to one so I can speak firsthand. No more sensory aspects. There is absolutely nothing that is interesting as a spectator. Spectators pay the bills at a lot of racing events. Participants might race for some money but that money isn't there unless people show up to park their butts in the grandstands. And EV races are as interesting as watching grass grow. There is no noise. There is no smell of 110 octane racing gas and no smell of methanol and nitromethane (the latter two are my favorite). There is no loud 600+ cubic inch V8 roaring during a burnout and no nitro cars that will pound your chest with their exhaust pulses. What we know of drag racing right now and in the past, if EV is forced (and it probably will be if we let it) will be 100% gone into history. They're already attacking the sport in a lot of different directions. As I walked around the pit area I couldn't help but think that all of what I'm experiencing is on numbered days if we let our leaders make decisions for us.