Is/n't Tesla literally/figuratively crashing?

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-08-20 09:41

Originally Posted by Plow

it's too bad there's not like some kind of a cross between the 2 (we could call it a hybrid!) that gets absolutely absurd highway mileage and covers all the complaints people can come up with until we get batteries effective enough not to need it

You mean like the Chevy Volt? 35-mile all electric range, gas generator on top of that.

**Dantrag** · 2012-08-20 09:45

Does the volt recharge the battery as it goes?

**Plow** · 2012-08-20 09:57

Originally Posted by archibaldcrane

You mean like the Chevy Volt? 35-mile all electric range, gas generator on top of that.

I actually can't decide what I think about the volt.

Instead of a true hybrid (i.e. driving with the engine as necessary, driving with the battery when possible), it just has a straight up generator to make more electricity to drive it with.

Seems like a shit idea to me, but somehow they managed to make it more efficient than any other hybrid, so I guess it's working.

I don't get why not just have the engine actually drive when necessary, though. I guess it's just so that you can use it as a full electric if you don't need much range, but it seems like the could have gotten even more out of it by letting the engine take over completely when necessary.

**Plow** · 2012-08-20 09:59

Originally Posted by Dantrag

Does the volt recharge the battery as it goes?

volt is propelled by electricity 100% of the time, the only thing the gas engine does in it is kick in to start supplying more electricity when it gets below a certain point, it also charges it from braking

there's no like... engine turns therefore wheels turn as a result, just... engine kicks in, generator starts putting out electricity, electric motor still turns the wheels

**aurik** · 2012-08-20 10:16

I remember when these arguments were made about how hybrids were terrible and people who owned them should feel bad because the technology was never going to go anywhere.

The current 160 mile range on a car is sufficient for everything except long-range travel. Just wait 10 years and the range will probably be double that as they learn how to increase the energy density in batteries, more efficient engines so that we get more mpkwh, oh and also improve charging technology.

Does nobody remember how fast mobile phones went from this:
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1...2cd917bsz5.jpg
to this:
http://1.androidauthority.com/wp-con...alaxy-S3-2.jpg

**Plow** · 2012-08-20 10:27

that's actually almost 30 years difference but yeah, "they're not good enough right now so we shouldn't work on them for the future" is pretty much the dumbest argument imaginable

**Dantrag** · 2012-08-20 10:30

My biggest issue with electric cars isn't their range but their recharge time.

**Dantrag** · 2012-08-20 10:33

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...efone-1991.jpg

1991

**Plow** · 2012-08-20 10:35

if we were really smart we'd have rails and charging time wouldn't exist

yeah I went there

**Apelila** · 2012-08-20 10:42

Originally Posted by aurik

Does nobody remember how fast mobile phones went from this:
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/1...2cd917bsz5.jpg
to this:
http://1.androidauthority.com/wp-con...alaxy-S3-2.jpg

People can't remember last week anymore.

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-08-20 10:50

If a specific electric car doesn't suit your range/charging time needs 99% of the days you drive, then you probably shouldn't get one. As ranges improve and charging times decrease, the number of people for whom that won't be the case will continue to decrease.

**RKenshin** · 2012-08-20 14:08

The Tesla recharge time currently paces at a little over 1 mile per minute if you fit a high-voltage outlet, which is only going to get better with time.

But yeah, again, I don't honestly see many typical situations where a sense of urgency to recharge is needed when you start every day off with a 150-200m range.

**test123** · 2012-08-20 14:46

A well designed machine could probably swap old batteries with new ones in less then a minute.

**archibaldcrane** · 2012-08-20 14:48

Battery swapping isn't going to be a thing.

**Dantrag** · 2012-08-20 14:48

For some reason I doubt it. Would be scary if it could because I don't feel as those would be very secure.

**quannum** · 2012-08-20 19:44

Originally Posted by Plow

if we were really smart we'd have rails and charging time wouldn't exist

yeah I went there

yep we'll have charging lanes

**Ragnus** · 2012-08-21 10:03

But that would require spending money on infrastructure and solar panels! If we use solar panels then we'll use up all of the sun just like wind mills would use up all of the Earth's wind! Also, SOLYNDRA!

I would love to see this actually happen. It's just that it won't ever happen while the US is still greedily sucking on Big Oil's tit and refusing to wean.

**Raldo** · 2012-08-21 10:54

Last I heard, that wireless recharging stuff was super inefficient.

**Salodin** · 2012-08-21 11:12

Originally Posted by Ragnus

But that would require spending money on infrastructure and solar panels! If we use solar panels then we'll use up all of the sun just like wind mills would use up all of the Earth's wind! Also, SOLYNDRA!

I would love to see this actually happen. It's just that it won't ever happen while the US is still greedily sucking on Big Oil's tit and refusing to wean.

I thought it had more to do with how ineffective those two are, requiring huge fields of windmills or solar panels to still not produce enough energy for most cities. Nuclear or dirty energy is pretty much our only options, afaik.