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  #11  
Old 05-15-2009, 08:20 PM
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hillbilly hillbilly is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigerik View Post
Not the answer, but an answer. The Volt, in particular, seems very impressive. Sure, there will always be a need for other vehicles, but if we could convert half the fleet to hybrids, the effect would be huge.

Of course, we'd have to build a bunch more electrical plants...


Yep, but what I can't help wonder about is just how much more will electricity rates skyrocket 'again'. Once they have folks by the balls needing juice to recharge, they can name their price calling it supply and demand same as gas. I don't trust 'em knowing our electric rates have already doubled in two years here, without electric cars. Whatever they do, we'll most likely end up taking it up the ass in either electric rates, or gas prices no matter what.

Last edited by hillbilly; 05-15-2009 at 08:33 PM.
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  #12  
Old 05-15-2009, 08:29 PM
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Bigerik Bigerik is offline
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Actually, it shouldn't really effect electric rates too much. Could actually bring them down. Most charging will take place overnight in "off-peak" times, which will actually help by keeping a continuous usage of electricity.
If you check the electricity spot market prices, electricity is dirt cheap in the overnight periods.
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  #13  
Old 05-15-2009, 08:32 PM
Ohighway Ohighway is offline
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I love it when "all electric" vehicles are touted as "zero emission" vehicles. Just because the vehicle itself isn't spewing emissions doesn't necessarily mean it's emission free, it just means the emissions are being created upstream, at the power plant. (Obviously that doesn't apply if the electricity is generated by hydroelectric or wind)
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  #14  
Old 05-15-2009, 08:34 PM
Ohighway Ohighway is offline
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Originally Posted by Bigerik View Post
Actually, it shouldn't really effect electric rates too much.
If you check the electricity spot market prices, electricity is dirt cheap in the overnight periods.
Yeah for now, mostly because of lack of electricity useage during those periods. However, plug in a nation's worth of vehicles at night, and I'd expect those rates to skyrocket overnight.....
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  #15  
Old 05-15-2009, 08:42 PM
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Bigerik Bigerik is offline
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Originally Posted by Ohighway View Post
Yeah for now, mostly because of lack of electricity useage during those periods. However, plug in a nation's worth of vehicles at night, and I'd expect those rates to skyrocket overnight.....
Well, the electric grid is actually built for peaks of usage (figure industry going hard and everyone running their A/C units flat out in their homes). What makes things expensive is having these plants running flat out at those times, while idling at others. By actually running them more, believe it or not, costs come down.

Been working in the industry for years, and actually having a lot of electric vehicles, with time of use electricity pricing in place, will improve things a lot.
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  #16  
Old 05-15-2009, 09:44 PM
Ohighway Ohighway is offline
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You work in the industry. I don't. So I'll take your word on it.

However I'd bet $--money--$ , even if actual operating costs, etc. came down, that heavily increased useage during off hours would result in higher costs to the end user.
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  #17  
Old 05-15-2009, 10:54 PM
whoaru99 whoaru99 is offline
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I have to agree, supply and demand. It's hard to imagine that "juice" will not go up in cost as it becomes more in demand.

It's hell to pay to build a new power plant anywhere, afaik.
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  #18  
Old 05-17-2009, 05:52 AM
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Combwork Combwork is offline
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Battery Pack?

I've been thinking about this for a while. What about a standard size battery pack that slides into a housing where the fuel tank would normally be. You go to the filling station, someone brings over a trolley, pulls out the old pack and slides in the new one. Changing packs shouldn't take longer than filling a fuel tank.

Long range zero emission driving. Standard size packs mean that as new designs with greater storage capacity are developed, the range between pack changes increases. Viable idea?
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  #19  
Old 05-17-2009, 01:35 PM
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Ozmoid Ozmoid is offline
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Cultural and lifestyle changes will have to take place for full electrics to be effective any time soon - we will need to reduce our travel distances and speeds.

We need to make our lifestyle fit the available solution, and stop looking for solutions that fit our lifestyles - what would you do if your vehicles were taken away and replaced by horses? That 220 miles a day for work, school and ball games would be right out the window...
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  #20  
Old 05-17-2009, 11:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Ozmoid View Post
Cultural and lifestyle changes will have to take place for full electrics to be effective any time soon - we will need to reduce our travel distances and speeds.

We need to make our lifestyle fit the available solution, and stop looking for solutions that fit our lifestyles - what would you do if your vehicles were taken away and replaced by horses? **That 220 miles a day for work, school and ball games would be right out the window...
**

Yes it would be out the window. The population would be forced to live in the city nearest them and leave their piece and quiet in the sticks. I'd remain where I am though, and breed our mares back before they get old so we'd still be able to work the soil for the garden if no fuel was avalible for tractors or tillers. I guess they could force me off my land if I was being carried by six to be burried where ever they were planting me. Same way with guns, they can have 'em once they pry 'em from my cold dead fingers. It'd also piss off alot of us akers if we couldn't drive hundreds of miles cross country to shoot the shit with each other while enjoying our tunes. We could still pull it off though, just harness my horses upto your old van, and head out about a month early

If they went back to horses, I'd expect the government to do the same, grounding even their own planes. May as well do it right, hey?
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