Like any other emerging infrastructure, it's not as "good" as the technology
it replaces. Of course if we were starting off fresh with no transportation
technology a piston-driven internal combustion engine would the the very last
possibility considered. Horrible design choice, but after a hundred years of
development it's pretty tough to compete with either the design or the
infrastructure that supports it. It's SO entrenched that hybrid cars use it as
a generator driver when a turbine-derived design would be so much more
efficient, and a small fuel cell would be even better.
Electric and other technologies will replace gasoline as a fuel, and it's
conceivable that a piston-driven engine will be replaced. Such a hideous and
intrinsically limited design.
My next car for Maui will definitely be electric-based. I can and will run it
for "free". I generate about 200KWH per week with photovoltaic panels, and
I'll double that next year. Given Maui's electric rates and the cost of
gasoline they pay for themselves in five years. I don't have any other
investments that come anywhere close to the ROI. I can do math, so until the
engine in my jeep drops out onto the road I'll probably still be using that,
but given expected battery life an electric vehicle pencils out very nicely
here.
I've also built an electric bicycle here that I use for shuttling myself when
I do downwind runs (drop the bike off, drive to the start, do the run, drive
the bike back to pick up the jeep. Yes I could pedal, but after paddling a
stand up surfboard ten miles a little boost is nice. My bicycle runs on the
same 4S 5000MAH lithium polymer batteries that I use for my quadcopter drone.
I just slot four of them into a case I made and it's good for about thrity
miles with hills.
I also made an electric tricycle that everyone in the Northwest is really
tired of seeing in the pits. It does 50 MPH on the flats and I've done a
century ride with it--over Mount Hood. A "short" ride with it is 50 miles.
Great little grocery getter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC_o66ABn6M
On Apr 1, 2013, at 8:07 AM, Randall <tr3driver@ca.rr.com> wrote:
> ---- RACER BUD <budscars@comcast.net> wrote:
>> What happens to The electric cars when the batteries are no good
>> anymore..?..and what does it cost to replace tham..or..what becomes of the
>> car?
>
> They're kind of expensive to replace; buddy of mine said the battery for his
1st gen Prius was $7k but he convinced Toyota to cover half (which I suspect
means the wholesale price is closer to $3.5k). (Yes, I realize a Prius has a
relatively small battery, it's just a data point).
>
> When the car isn't worth the price of a new or rebuilt battery, it gets
scrapped just like any other car that isn't worth repairing.
>
> At the moment, AFAIK the nearest Li-ion battery recycling facility is in
Canada. Toxco was supposed to open a new plant in Ohio last year, but it
doesn't seem to have happened yet. At the moment, lithium is so cheap that it
doesn't pay to recycle it; but likely that will change if electric cars gain
more acceptance.
>
> Personally, I don't see full electric as ever replacing internal combustion.
There is certainly a niche market for them, short distance commuting and so
on. But the advantages aren't nearly as great as some folks like to claim.
They aren't anywhere close to "zero pollution"; its just that most of the
pollution comes out somewhere else. NFI, YMMV, etc.
>
> Randall
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