CHINESE TRACTOR OWNERS CLUB FORUM - Why Are Electric Cars So Expensive???

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Dec 28, 2009, 1:30pm

CHINESE TRACTOR OWNERS CLUB FORUM :: Construction & Other Projects :: Alternative Energy & Energy Saving Projects :: Why Are Electric Cars So Expensive???

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Topic: Why Are Electric Cars So Expensive??? (Read 141 times)

Joe
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Why Are Electric Cars So Expensive???
« Thread Started on Jul 20, 2008, 6:31pm »

With Energy at an All Time High,, The Economy going to the Dumpster,, and People just staying at home,, because they can't afford to go anywhere,, why is it that No One has came up with a Cheap Alternative to the High Fuel Prices.

Last night I was thinking a bit about this,, and wondered why not just put a Regular Portable Generator in a Vehicle,, Connected to an Electric Motor to power the Transmission.

I've got an 11 hp portable generator that has a 5 gallon tank that will run for about 8 hours on that 5 gallon tank. Well imagine putting that in a Vehicle and at 50 miles per hour for 8 hours,, that is a 400 mile range for a 20$ tank of fuel @ 4$ a gallon!!!! That works out to be about 80 miles per gallon!!!!

There are many 10 HP Portable Generators that run much longer for about 12 to 14 hours,, which could easily get way more than 100 MILES PER GALLON!!!!!

I did a quick google and that is basically what this fellow installed in a used Opel GT. He gets 75 miles per gallon and has a top speed of 90 miles per hour!!!!

Now this fellow did this back in the 70's,, and used a 5 hp lawn mower engine. Well imagine doing this with the high efficient 10 or 11 hp portable generators,, that are widely available for the modest price of 600 dollars!!!!

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http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable....lectic-Car.aspx

Maybe I am missing something,,but it seems to me that they are making too big a thing out of this,, and it seems to me that they could put out an electric car for much less than they are currently doing.

All thoughts appreciated,
Joe

« Last Edit: Jul 20, 2008, 7:07pm by Joe »

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Re: Why Are Electric Cars So Expensive???
« Reply #1 on Jul 12, 2009, 9:25pm »

Well I like the idea, however I think the power requirement for the electric motor may be too much. Unless you use the vehicle for slower speeds.

For the Chevy VOLT

Battery system

Type: lithium-ion
Energy (kWh) 16

Electric drive unit

Power (kW / hp): 111 / 150
Torque (lb-ft / Nm): 273 / 370

I can't think of all the math right now, but off the top of my head the power just isn't there from a 10-11 hp engine to run a generator to run an electric motor to power a car....

Aubrey

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hardpan
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Re: Why Are Electric Cars So Expensive???
« Reply #2 on Jul 13, 2009, 3:17pm »

Just a few comments...

There's some things that get ignored about electric cars.

The performance stats seem to always be obtained on flat level roads, during daylight hours with ambient temperatures in the 70s.

Real world driving! Like I and many others would experience during much of the year...dark rainy days in hilly and mountainous terrain with cold temperatures. (Plus Ma & Pa & the kids onboard!)

With lithium batteries in one of these 40 mile range electrics, just how much is the actual range reduced with the wipers on, the headlights on, the heater and defroster operating, climbing hills, all while driving in near freezing temperatures? Of course listening to the radio too. :-/

Where are we going to get all the lithium for mass produced electric cars? Half the worlds known lithium is in Bolivia...so we have to kiss a third world Bolivian dictator's behind to get lithium? :'(

I keep hearing how electric cars will reduce so called greenhouse gasses and how they'll "save the earth". Uh, what do we use to produce the energy to charge electric cars? Shutting down the coal fired steam plants that produce much of the worlds electricity like Obama wants to do won't happen soon. Charge them up with wind power I suppose...maybe mount a windmill on the roof of each electric vehicle. ::)

Another item seldom if ever mentioned is the losses encountered when charging and running an electric vehicle. You can't get back out of your batteries an amount of energy equal to what you consumed during charging.

Add the price of the car, the cost of maintenance plus the cost of charging the batteries. Compare it all to the expense of a comparable gasoline powered car and guess which one makes sense?

The day of the practical electric car just isn't here yet. Maybe it never will be. :-/

Wayne

« Last Edit: Jul 13, 2009, 5:33pm by hardpan »

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Re: Why Are Electric Cars So Expensive???
« Reply #3 on Jul 15, 2009, 1:52pm »

Hi Turbo,

There sure is a lot of discussion about electric cars in the news and at work and here in the forum.

First off that car was converted in 1980. in that time!

And battery technology hasn’t progressed enough in the 29 years since.

Bill gates was making the first windows program for IBM.
the INTERNET was not even in our vocabulary.
cost of a computer was in the thousands.

That was DOS in 1980. Windows didn’t appear until 1985 I believe. Don’t forget, Bill Allen had a big part too!
Internet not in our vocabulary? Not until Al Gore invented it! I think he invented global warming too… ::)

I bought a Commodore VIC-20 about 1980 for around $300, if I remember correctly. A fun machine at the time.

back in the 1900 two brothers built a airplane and the nay sayers
what good is that going to do? nobody ever going to use that!
you can't even take your family with you? you can't go far ether!

Wilbur and Orville’s first flight in 1903 evoked many comments, many of which were very positive! The military was extremely interested. To many, it was just unbelievable.

Innovation is mans best legacy without it where would we be?

The innovative also know when to change direction. If you’re confronted with a dead horse you need to ask yourself if you are going to ride it or eat it.

We need to change our way of thinking, we just can't rely on what we have.

If what we have works then heck yes we can rely on it! I'm sure not going up in a steam powered or electric airplane! I'll stick with the petroleum models.

Electric cars: they will improve. We may have to adjust our way of travel, but as time goes on there rage and reliability will also improve.

Maybe electrics will improve, then again maybe not. We don’t know. Why waste time and money on an electric car when we still don’t have a practical, economical battery that can make an electric car compete with internal combustion? Developing the battery first would make sense.
If we come up with such a battery every electric vehicle owner will need to bring in more power to their home just to charge it up, and you’ll need to charge it up fast if it’s to compete.

I only live a mile from work and most of my driving is less that 20 mile that one end of my city, and back to my home..
if everybody in my city had a electric car just for work and city driving, and use the gas car for long distance travel, how much would that save? yes there expensive now! but so was the computer your using. now everybody has one in there home and there cheap to buy..

Electric cars may not be the answer but what choses do we have?

We have many choices. We can go back to the dark ages and walk, which is what many will be doing if our Marxist president gets his way. Ride a bicycle. Take public transportation. Fuel cell powered vehicles could be viable. Continue driving your gas and diesel cars and trucks until something better develops. (I'm talking free market capitalism here).

Yup, burn good old all natural petroleum that the “global warming” crowd loves to hate. Sure, make the engines more efficient and cleaner (within reason).

I’m a science driven guy so I need things proven to me. The science just doesn’t support man made global warming. The man made global warming thing is just another way the government elite has lined up to control us stupid working folks.

Wayne

P.S. If I lived a mile from work I'd be hoofin' it or ridin' a bike.

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