Sunday, July 24, 2011

Electric cars not popular

From the NY Post:

A year after Mayor Bloomberg introduced a program offering 100 free home charging stations to buyers of the superhigh-mileage vehicles, not a single one has been installed in a New York home.

Scott Miller, of Coulomb Technologies, which launched the program, said that demand has been high from public garages and parking lots but that private individuals have been put off by the lack of garage space or the cost of electrical work, which can run from $1,000 to $4,000.

The company, buoyed by $15 million in federal stimulus funding, is spending $37 million to put in 4,600 public and home charging stations in select cities across the country.

20 comments:

Joe said...

"cost of electrical work, which can run from $1,000 to $4,000"

Mafia Union or meter company quotes ? Thats total BULLSHIT. DC power supply's are cheap.
The inverting pulsed regulated Nimh (Nickle Metal Hydride) charging systems are already in the cars. They are part of the battery "brick".
You just need to supply a basic VDC at 20 to 60 amps.

Joe said...

To add you can take tie a MOSFET AC to DC inverter to any light pole and charge in 3-6 hours depending on the Amp hour rating of the battery...(yes not a fast 1.5 hr rapid hot charge to a totally depleted battery)
Energy management is the issue --you cant be a pig

ew-3 said...

You sound like you know what you are talking about, but Nimh batteries?

No way are they Nimh batteries. That technology has been dead for quite a while.

Lithium Ion batteries are the ones in use now. Some may use the LiFe batteries as they have even better as they have the ability to supply more current with lower internal resistance.

But I'm sure you already knew this.

Anonymous said...

Crappy:

Don't mean to hijack this topic, BUT I just saw an article in the NYTimes that reveals how former Bloomberg appointee as head of NY Public Schools, Joel Klein, is now Rupert Murdoch's right hand man (!!) - has been attending the hearings of the Murdochs before Parlement.

Combined with that woman Bloomberg recently appointed head of schools (now gone) it raises yet MORE questions into the nature of Bloomberg's web of associates, not to mention why the hell he puts such shady characters into the position of 'guaranteeing' the educations of our children.

Here is the NYTimes article about Joel Klein and Murdoch:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/business/media/joel-klein-ex-schools-chief-leads-internal-news-corp-inquiry.html

Queens Crapper said...

You couldn't have just e-mailed that to me?

Anonymous said...

Great...
so you decide to spend a bundle for a high cost bleeding edge of technology electric kiddie car in order to save money by eliminating the need for costly gasoline.

Now you've got to spend 4 grand more on top of that just to charge your new toy's batteries?

Somebody's taking some consumers for a ride for sure.

Not me!

I'll stick with my gas guzzler and public transportation....
until these new "miracle" high tech products finaly get the wrinkles and major creases ironed out of them....AND THEY'RE CHEAPER TO BUY!

And I'll bet these vehicles cost a lot to more repair than traditional ones.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know how much these batteries cost when they finally go dead?

I heard thousands!

Is that true?
If so, I'm going to buy stock in some of these battery companies.

Anonymous said...

These kinds of measures are supposed to protect the environment?

OK....so far!

So what kind of poison goes into the landfill after these car batteries get dumped?

The government is feeding us tech-crap....just like they're doing pushing those florescent energy efficient light bulbs to replace our old incandescent bulbs.

These energy savers are filled with ultra poisonous Mercury!

Put that in your backyard....then let your kids and pets play there.

Cav said...

More important than charging stations or the types of batteries used is where is the electricity going to come from to charge these cars? We're already having sporadic power outages as it is let alone a new load on the grid.

Anonymous said...

"If so, I'm going to buy stock in some of these battery companies."

You'll be investing in Chinese companies then (and a few Japanese companies with Chines factories).

Making batteries can't be done in the US due to EPA OSHA etc. It's a very dirty process.

While prototypes may be US made when (and if) there is a volume production requirement it will be done in Japan. Just like the solar cell companies.

Edsel Lemmon said...

"Electric cars not popular"
------------------------------------------

I'm not shocked! Are they that re"volting"???

Joe said...

Does anyone know how much these batteries cost when they finally go dead?
$6000-10,000 dollars depending on what kind they are they are. Most are warranted for 100,000 miles however that for total failure. The problem is they start loosing their capacity at 40,000 miles.

Lithium Ion batteries are lighter and have more capacity but are very sensitive to heat and require elaborate cooling systems---expensive. The makers are not dropping the prices despite the fact they cost 1/2 the price to make VS 2 years ago. They are like the oil companys

Anonymous said...

Why is Obama financing the Tesla electic car operation with your tax money ? at a price of $132,000.,the hollywood lefties can not buy enough of them.

Why is obama giving your money to the HOLLYWOOD RICH ?
Environmentalists NO.....DRILL BABY DRILL ...YES

Anonymous said...

If you live in a high-rise apt. building, you'd need a long, very long, extension cord to reach from the street to your apt. to plug in to re-charge.
I wonder if the dealer will supply it?

Joe said...

Any very long extension cord one could carry would have to much resistance. It takes MASSIVE current to charge these electric cars. The Tesla operates a around 400 volts and stores 60 kilowatts of energy. Your average window AC uses around 1.5 kilowatts per hour.
I am not convinced the battery's "bricks" are safe in a bad accident what you have is a huge arc furnace nothing can put out even if you dropped the whole car in the ocean.

Hybrids are the best way to go especially if you want usable air conditioning and heat in the winter.
The battery's are cheap and 1/4 the size.
I was going to build a simple electric car from an old 60 MG midget. It was not worth the expense. Without the extremely complex regenerative braking you discharge the battery's in no time

Knott Too Brite said...

Can you get power at an outlet store?

Anonymous said...

Uh....duh....I was being sarcastic about buying stock in battery companies.

Nothing is made here anymore.

Union busting American companies moved most of their manufacturing offshore.

Anonymous said...

"Union busting American companies moved most of their manufacturing offshore."

In the case of battery companies it was the EPA and OSHA that forced them out.

Anonymous said...

ew-3 I have aLiFe battery in my harley,weighs 3 pounds,great tecnology.I'd love an electric car.Thing is if i can get 100ft 10gauge extension cord from my fifth floor window to the car,will my neighbor(s) steal my power?
P.S electric/hybrid vehicles save gas,not $$$$

Gary the Agnostic said...

If you are saving gas you are saving money.