Formula E

[XfireZ51]

This is going to be interesting. Having driven a Tesla S recently, the instantaneous availability of torque will present a paradigm shift for racing.
Here's a Formula E car at 1/4 power.

http://youtu.be/dqIsFbdLJ7k

[efnfast]

On that note, watch the vette get clobbered.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti2y_3o16-E

[Kevin]

Formula e is an interesting idea...if you want to have to swap cars mid race. the deltawing is a far more "interesting" idea then electric cars. When we look back at electric cars in 20 years we're going to see a giant hole that money was flushed down.

[efnfast]

Kevin, the way I see it, we have two amazing energy delivery systems in this country. Gas, and electricity. Gas powered cars are hogwash. Held over because the oil companies have all the money. Hydrogen is great, but where you gonna' buy it?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by efnfast

Kevin, the way I see it, we have two amazing energy delivery systems in this country. Gas, and electricity. Gas powered cars are hogwash. Held over because the oil companies have all the money. Hydrogen is great, but where you gonna' buy it?

I need to get to columbus...186 miles one way, and back today. How am I going to get there? Can't use electric cars, need to run the heater since it's currently 32 degrees out, gps because I need to know where I'm going, and charge my phone because I need to make calls...should I plan for an additional 6 hours to charge the car up? Not realistic.

Lets face it, there is no easy answer to where do we go from here...here being petrol cars. I'm going to go out on a limb and say most of us reading this are either voters or of voting age. The next election cycle comes around and a candidate steps up and tells us "I have the answer to solving the problem about where we go from here. It's going to take 15 years, we're going to fail more times then we can count and it's going to be the single most expensive and painful experience we've ever undertaken" Now who's going to vote for this guy? no one.

hydrogen is probably one of the easier and "cheaper" alternatives and even that is going to cost a cubic fuckload of cash, a metric asston for our non-us members. It's going to be easier for most people because it doesn't require any real change in their life. they get in their car, check the fuel gauge see it's low, pull into a filling station which is probably owned in some part by one of the big oil companies, fill up and be on their way. Grand total of 5 minutes including running inside for a Wild Chery Pepsi or Chery coke. other drinks are available but not as tasty.

Now I just read that Tesla loses 25 miles of range sitting over night. So lets say that I have a Tesla (not that i could afford one but lets play along), now instead of having to worry that my cellphone, laptop, and tablet are charged before I get on the road I have to make sure that my car is plugged in and charging and hope that the power doesn't go out over night? No thanks. Tesla, Leaf, Fisker, Volt, 500E, ect are an interesting idea but it's more of a beta tape player then the way forward and the more time and money we spend going down that rabbit hole the less money and longer it's going to take to get to where we need to be

[efnfast]

So I get up in the morning. Unplug my Volt and head to the office. Once here, I plug it back in. Phone rings and I'm off to east neverland. Run 40 miles on $1.50 in energy costs. Battery goes flat, swaps me to electric seemlessly. Get back to my office, plug back in, barely make it home on battery and plug back in for the night.
On purely electric, not real good for long trips, for reasons mentioned. I think for a lot of the traveling pubic, this is a good choice. Plus, most of our electricity is produced domestically. We don't buy any electricity from opec. On that note, did you know that Sunoco does not import any of their gasoline?

[Kevin]

we don't buy from OPEC

[XfireZ51]

I've seen vids of the White Zombie blowing off built Turbo GNs. Having driven that Tesla, the instantaneous torque is just amazing. I believe that electric propulsion is at an inflection point. Tesla recently demonstrated a battery swap system that takes less time than it takes to fill up a gas tank. Manufacturers and consumers are becoming more and more attuned to electric vehicles. The time for turning that back I believe is over. What better way to keep gas prices in check.

[mike100]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

...What better way to keep gas prices in check.

Now that we consume less per capita with the proliferation of smaller cars and better engines, the price must go up. People will pay a lot for mobility, whether it be to the electric company to charge up, battery makers, or good old fashioned Big Oil.

if anything, the .gov will raise the taxes due to less gallons being sold (they don't want to lose that revenue). The best thing to do as an individual is be off the grid or provide your own juice with solar or something. I like the idea of the electric cars with the range extending internal combustion engines best. The biggest hang up for me is the cost of buying solar and the fact that there is no way the batteries are going to even last a decade.

and on the Tesla model S- you are not bound by barometric pressure. if anything I bet the 1/4 mile time would be faster in Denver than it would be at sea level. I used to live at 7000ft elevation and driving down out of the mountains to get your hp back was always so much fun.