Electric Car Performance

Keith Tedford

Keith Tedford

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Somehow, the hum of an electric motor isn't going to get the adrenalin rushing. Still, some enterprising guys have put some pretty quick electric stuff on the drag strip already. Zero to 100 kph in 2.9 seconds in nothing to sneeze at. Luxury electric car reads expensive so I won't be buying one any time soon. Still, it is an interesting read. Maltese electric car developer promises to beat market leader - timesofmalta.com
 
No doubt about it, those motors produce incredible torque, the one thing missing is the sound. I know lawmakers are looking into changing legislation to make electric cars make noise so that it will be safer for pedestrians.

F1 is putting an unusual spin on it
"There was going to be a requirement for cars to run under electric power only whilst in the pit lane, but that has now been pushed back to 2017."

as long as it's only in the pits.
 
For old grease monkeys like me, we are truly living in a transitional age. Dino-motors are making incredible horsepower, but are in their final gasp at greatness.

Once everything goes the way of computerized, automated (read no driver), electric appliance, commuter-mobiles, the car hobby is dead. Governments will nail the coffins shut.

I think we've lived in the best "car" era one could imagine. We've pretty much seen it all. Our grandkids won't get it. Maybe they can collect stamps.....nah. Those are pretty much gone too. :rofl:

C'est la vie.

:seeya:
 
67HEAVEN said:
For old grease monkeys like me, we are truly living in a transitional age. Dino-motors are making incredible horsepower, but are in their final gasp at greatness.



:seeya:
Click to expand...

Yes I was there for the 50's on ,we've seen the best .
 
Elf said:
Yes I was there for the 50's on ,we've seen the best .
Click to expand...

I was there for a few 40's too but don't remember too much of that.....:rofl:

Yes I think we've had it the best -- especially due to the recent resurgence of 'performance'.
 
I find a lot of time tires make more noise than engines anyway when a car is moving. Is the electric car noise just for when they are sitting still?

If they can actually fulfill the promise of traveling 1000 km on 10 minutes of charge, that would be amazing and take electric cars out of the city and to the highways. They must have some smart people working on it but I think they'll have to eat their words on that promise.....unless they are planning on homes installations of three phase 480 volt plugs!:rofl:
 
i think you guys may be holding the wake a little prematurely. i don't think big oil will go down without a fight. my opinion is you will see wider use of e85, methanol, maybe solvent based fuels. who knows, maybe some lab somewhere is working on synthetic gasoline. i could see electric vehicles being mandated for city use. however, in a country the size of canada or the u.s., at this stage they just don't seem terribly practical. the eggheads and granola eaters would have us all on public transit, bicycles, or electric cars, but where i live that just aint' gonna fly. somehow i don't think an electric car would haul much firewood for me or recharge that easily in the woodlot.
 
The one thing that I have never gotten an answer on is how much will it cost compared to gasoline, to drive an electric car. I've asked on different web sites. They get really vague when you ask that question or don't reply at all. We all know that electricity isn't exactly inexpensive and it takes a given amount of energy to move a vehicle down the road whether the energy comes from electricity or fuel. Nothing comes for free and electricity doesn't magically make free energy out of thin air. I know people with a Toyota Camry hybrid. They figure about the time that the fuel savings from the electric side of the car has paid for itself, you will be ready to spend a few thousand more on new batteries. Hybrids give you a nice fuzzy feeling until reality sets in.
Bob is right. Us geezers have lived through the best automotive period ever and these last few years have been the best. Lots of car shows for the old cars. Lots of cruise nights for everyone. You can still go down town and hang out on a weekend. What's not to like. :driving: We're just old kids with a few aches and pains. ;)
 
And where do the old batteries go exactly??? I realize that we will need a better alternative to internal combustion engine at some time but I think the solution still lies within hydrogen. Electricity is not far better considering the coal we burn to make it and the batteries we replace when the time comes.
 
Agreed! They call the electric cars zero emission, but what is being used to provide the electricity for the batteries? If it's wind power, or solar, then it's sort of zero emission except for the energy required to make the turbines or panels, plus the energy required to make the equipment that makes this stuff, the energy the plant uses, plus the energy used for people to come to the plant to make the stuff. Power consumption goes a long way down the line!
 
I am 100% sure that electric cars will not be the savior some people thing they are, they are not cost effective or environmentally friendly if you look at energy source and disposal of batteries.
There's more emotion than logic with these things. There may be a lot of positive spin offs from improved batteries, lighting and weight reduction that can be used in better applications.
 
It was probably 25 years or more ago when my brother-in-law was in a hydrogen research centre in Tennessee I believe. At that time they said that hydrogen was totally feasible then. They had developed a catalyst that promoted the separation of hydrogen and oxygen in the electrolysis process making it much more efficient. They claimed that the only problem with bringing it to market was........you guessed it, Big Oil. With lakes and oceans full of water and zero emissions, it seems to be a natural. Still, there is the electricity to separate the two so that has to be taken into account. Solar panels could do some of it. There's always a little catch 22 somewhere. Nothing is for free.
 
"Big oil" is what squashed Ballard Power in Vancouver. They even had transit busses already running on hydrogen 10+ years ago.
 

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