Electric vehicles: What is different this time around?

[Meddle]

Battery technology is only one step. At this point, you either pay the oil barons or the electric utility barons. Neither are your friend.

Once Solar technology gets to the point of charging a battery nearly equal to the current draw out of the battery, we may be onto cutting the cord or hose for good. But I'm not sure I see that in my lifetime.

[Meddle]

I'm also curious is anybody has looked into wind turbines within vehicles to help charge batteries. I would imaging moving at 60MPH or more would drive a turbine rather well, but would it be large enough to turn a mechanism sufficiently to produce a charging current.

[wazootyman]

I'm also curious is anybody has looked into wind turbines within vehicles to help charge batteries. I would imaging moving at 60MPH or more would drive a turbine rather well, but would it be large enough to turn a mechanism sufficiently to produce a charging current.

A perpetual motion machine?

[Jimaz]

A perpetual motion machine?

You are correct to spot that. Any energy from a wind turbine would have to come at the expense of increased wind resistance. And I think regenerative braking would be better done through the drive train.

[oladub]

Wait .... what? You wanted a new car rebate on a used car?

Was this a demo or something?

No, that Volt had never been sold by the dealership but apparently was used as a demo and/or loaner. Since it had never been titled to a customer, was attractively discounted, was a current year model, and was advertised in the "new", not used car, list of that dealership, I wondered if it qualified for the up to $7,500 rebate. The salesman assured me it did but I wanted the guarantee of the rebate in writing. The sales manager did not oblige.

[Johnnny5]

No, that Volt had never been sold by the dealership but apparently was used as a demo and/or loaner. Since it had never been titled to a customer, was attractively discounted, was a current year model, and was advertised in the "new", not used car, list of that dealership, I wondered if it qualified for the up to $7,500 rebate. The salesman assured me it did but I wanted the guarantee of the rebate in writing. The sales manager did not oblige.

What? You didn't trust the verbal assurances of a car salesman?

[oladub]

What? You didn't trust the verbal assurances of a car salesman?

There was another saleman at the same dealership I might have trusted. On another visit we met a young salesman with an unusual last name. He was sitting in the back seat of a vehicle we were looking at. Hearing that last name, I made an aside to my wife, "like J-----?". The salesman said "did you say "J------?". It turned out j----- was his grandfather and the sage and financial genius we knew. This salesman opened up his shirt and showed us a big shoulder tattoo of J-----'s face. That isn't as bizarre as you might think if you knew J-----. Yes, I would probably trust anyone who has a big tattoo of J-----. It indicated good upbringing. Unfortunately, that wasn't the salesman who I tried to buy the Volts from.

[O3H]

Who trusts the current electric grid in their neighborhood ?
I can't count the number of outages I've experienced over the years.
A few dozen or more with some real nasty ones lasting several days.

Can't wait for the monopoly of DTE with The Electric Car Company
to bend us over when we want to go somewhere in a few years.

Some communities actually have electric, water, and natural gas
under 1 utility entity - yeah it controls the whole deal.

In 2017 an entity known as Eversource Energy acquired Aquarion Water in a $1.7 BILLION dollar proposal. Eversource was already New England’s largest energy provider of natural gas and electric. The service territory covered 3 states: Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. http://bit.ly/EnergyMonopoly

Oh, you want heat, something for thirst, some light in the evening
AND the ability to travel somewhere ........PAY us first buddy.......

[Johnnny5]

Who trusts the current electric grid in their neighborhood ?
I can't count the number of outages I've experienced over the years.
A few dozen or more with some real nasty ones lasting several days.

Now that's something I had never really thought about. Normal, everyday power outages would not really be a big deal, but something widespread or over multiple days and a lot of people may be stranded if all they have is a fully electric vehicle. Depending on the electric grid for transportation would add a new issue after major events like a hurricane, earthquake or ice storm.