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What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

nytimes.com

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Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#61

Post by eloisant »

jmnicolas wrote: post #48
paol wrote: post #33

These articles keep omitting a pretty big barrier to adoption: street parking. (Maybe it's a function of US being suburb-centric? But at least the New York Times ought to know better.) One of 2 things needs to happen, either charging technology improves to the point where you can charge at a gas station in a span of time comparable to refueling a conventional car, or all street parking spots need to be fitted with ch…

This is what I never understood : why don't they create cars where the battery is removable and when you go to a "gas" station there's a machine that just change your empty battery for a full one. In fact I thought about patenting the idea 10 years ago but I didn't have the know-how.

Because batteries get old and need to be replaced, so you'd have to pay for the aging of your battery when you get the new one

Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#63

Post by IndrekR »

chrisper wrote: post #56
_greim_ wrote: post #15

> Drivers will have to shed their attachment to the sound, smell and feel of gas-powered engines. I for one will not feel the least bit sad when continuous, smooth acceleration becomes the norm, and lurchy, awkward automatic transmissions fade into distant memory. I'll probably feel slightly nostalgic about the sound and smell of fuel-burning cars someday, but it won't inform my buying choices in the slightest.

>continuous, smooth acceleration becomes the norm, This was achieved with CVT (Continous Variable Transmission). I did not like to drive one, but it already exists. Also I currently have a car with 7 gear automatic transmission and the acceleration is pretty smooth. >lurchy, awkward automatic transmissions fade into distant memory. Again, newer automatic transmission aren't bad anymore.

I drive a hybrid with CVT. After getting used to its smoothness driving with a "normal gearbox" feels really awkward.

Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#64

Post by ianai »

mtgx wrote: post #43
ianai wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much power does the electric motor need? -edit- found it https://www.quora.com/How-much-power-is-required-by-the-moto... 80kw to accelerate and 1 kw to maintain. -edit 2- how come no ones put 3 solar panels on top of an EV? Three of the following could output 1 kw and fit in the space available. http://www.solarwholesale.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Sil... Seems like an obvious for electric semis where there’s…

Model S has about 500 kW, Model 3 300 kW, Bolt 150 kW, Renault Zoe like 50 kW. As for the other question, the solar panels provide way too little charge for the given area. When EVs are all about to have 100+ kWh batteries soon, it doesn't make sense to have a solar roof top: https://www.engineering.com/ElectronicsDesign/ElectronicsDes...

The numbers in that article seem chosen as low bars to prove a point. There are panels with much greater efficiency/density and lower cost. If it doesn’t make sense today it will in the future.

If a company could move their trucks for “free” for 5 hours/day they would.

Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#65

Post by ekianjo »

eloisant wrote: post #61
jmnicolas wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what I never understood : why don't they create cars where the battery is removable and when you go to a "gas" station there's a machine that just change your empty battery for a full one. In fact I thought about patenting the idea 10 years ago but I didn't have the know-how.

Because batteries get old and need to be replaced, so you'd have to pay for the aging of your battery when you get the new one

you pay for the service and that cost should be factored in.

Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#66

Post by fergie »

> "But the automakers’ existing expertise — building internal combustion engines — will no longer give them a competitive edge."

Interesting- this would mean that the real innovation in cars comes _after_ electric drivetrains have become the standard, when any moderately capitalised company without substantial experience of internal-combustion motors can create their own take on a car with any kind of new features they see fit.

Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#67

Post by chrisper »

bigbugbag wrote: post #41
czechdeveloper wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But how would you move around? Public transportation cannot reach everywhere. I would just stop seeing my family without having a car.

Walking, bikes, trains and other public transportation. Maybe carpooling. But in countries built around roads and cheap oil such as the U.S. the consequences of those choices will be harsher. Specially as the people in charge know of this but did and still do nothing to address the issue.

I live in a country where public transportation is excellent and car sharing exists. I lived 2 months without a car and just could not stand it any longer after that. Now I just do a mix of driving my own car + taking public transportation. If you only live in a big city and only want to do things there, then public transportation is ok.

Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#68

Post by fergie »

jmnicolas wrote: post #48
paol wrote: post #33

These articles keep omitting a pretty big barrier to adoption: street parking. (Maybe it's a function of US being suburb-centric? But at least the New York Times ought to know better.) One of 2 things needs to happen, either charging technology improves to the point where you can charge at a gas station in a span of time comparable to refueling a conventional car, or all street parking spots need to be fitted with ch…

This is what I never understood : why don't they create cars where the battery is removable and when you go to a "gas" station there's a machine that just change your empty battery for a full one. In fact I thought about patenting the idea 10 years ago but I didn't have the know-how.

The battery-swap idea has in fact been fairly well established for a while, but nobody has actually made it work. I believe that Tesla considered going down this route for a while.

Here is a HN classic about "Better Place", a company that rolled out "battery swap" electric cars in Israel. https://www.fastcompany.com/3028159/a-broken-place-better-pl...

Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#69

Post by toAnswerIt »

paol wrote: post #33

These articles keep omitting a pretty big barrier to adoption: street parking. (Maybe it's a function of US being suburb-centric? But at least the New York Times ought to know better.) One of 2 things needs to happen, either charging technology improves to the point where you can charge at a gas station in a span of time comparable to refueling a conventional car, or all street parking spots need to be fitted with ch…

in Norway they have free charging in the street for electric cars. https://youtu.be/zSjYra7cYqY?t=4m8s

Re: What Needs to Happen Before Electric Cars Take Over the World

#70

Post by leereeves »

FabHK wrote: post #47
leereeves wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gross profit, maybe. Toyota alone reported $43 billion gross profit on $247 billion revenue.

You probably mean billion. Daimler made EUR 9 billion profit on EUR 160 billion revenue, so that's the right ball park.

Yep, thanks. Silly mistake.
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