The Wet Spot just added something I HATE!

[anewbie]

Something I've never heard is how much it costs to charge up an electric car. If you do it on a home charger does it run your bill up sky high ? How much does it cost at a charging station and how long does the charge last ?

There are comparison cost availbles - it is not free but it is a lot cheaper than oil - basically they compare the total cost of ownership over a period of years. Of course electric cars are also expensive (and availablility of any new car is pretty painful right now). Ford has already sold more than 200,000 of their electric pickup and they haven't even manufactured them (yet).

 

[Slaphppy7]

Something I've never heard is how much it costs to charge up an electric car. If you do it on a home charger does it run your bill up sky high ? How much does it cost at a charging station and how long does the charge last ?

 

[Fishmanic]

Well - just make sure your next car is electric and you won't have to fill it with gas.

Only problem is cost of electric cars are quite a bit higher than gasoline powered cars. Many people cant afford the additional cost.

 

[Colin_T]

Something I've never heard is how much it costs to charge up an electric car. If you do it on a home charger does it run your bill up sky high ? How much does it cost at a charging station and how long does the charge last ?

About 400km per charge.

Not sure about prices but it isn't meant to take too long to charge due to the new storage batteries.

One thing I want to know is why car companies aren't putting solar panels in the roof of electric vehicles. Cars spend 90% of their time sitting outside doing nothing. Stick a solar panel on the roof and let the vehicle charge up for free when it's in the carpark. Seriously, how hard would that be?

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Only problem is cost of electric cars are quite a bit higher than gasoline powered cars. Many people cant afford the additional cost.

That's the problem we have in Australia. Government charges and taxes on all vehicles but especially electric vehicles, makes them way too expensive for the average person. If the government removed taxes from electric vehicles, people could afford them and we could help save the planet. But the politicians are in bed with the oil companies and won't drop the taxes on electric vehicles.

 

[anewbie]

Only problem is cost of electric cars are quite a bit higher than gasoline powered cars. Many people cant afford the additional cost.

But if wetspot didn't charge $5 for shipping insurance then i bet they could afford them !

 

[connorlindeman]

There's also the potential problem of extra exposure to dirty electricity

 

[Back in the fold]

An electric car is supposed to be "green" and environmentally friendly but they draw their charge off coal fired generators and nuclear plants. I'm skeptical about solar and wind. It's a nice idea but does it really generate any appreciable amount of power ? I know the technology is in its infancy and will get better but when ? Not in my lifetime. And how about cold weather ? Nothing kills a battery faster than cold. Does an electric car have any torque ? Will it power out of a mud bog or through deep snow ? That takes real power. Just asking.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Yep, most of our electricity still comes from fossil fuels, so electric cars won't do diddly squat for the environment until we figure out a financially feasible way to create non-polluting electricity. Wind and solar seem to be a frustratingly long way from coming into their own.

 

[Colin_T]

Electric vehicles do charge from the grid that are powered by coal, gas or nuclear fusion. However, they don't produce exhaust gasses and can be charged late at night when fewer people are using the power. The power stations run continuously 24/7 and a lot of power is wasted at night because people are asleep. Charging electric vehicles at night uses the wasted power.

Wind power does work and Albany (a town in the south west of WA) has wind turbines that provide most of the town's power. Obviously if you don't have a lot of wind they don't work as well but for places that get a breeze, wind is a great help.

Solar power is huge in Australia and the new storage batteries (based on lap top batteries) are making a huge difference. You can charge the batteries during the day and use the power at night. In places like the UK where sunlight isn't as intense or common as Australia, you won't get as good results. But for most places, including the USA, solar power should be fitted to everyone's house and business. Even if it reduces the power station needs by 10%, it would still make a huge difference.

Electric vehicles do have lots of torque. They can adjust/ design computer chips for more torque and change the shape of the electric motor to give more torque. As for power, there are videos on YouTube and we had a car show on TV where they ran a stock standard electric vehicle against a modern V8 street car. The electric vehicle crapped all over the petrol powered V8. If you chip up the electric vehicle, they are as quick as most dragsters. One of the standard off the shelf electric vehicles has a top speed well over 300kph and gets there in less than 10 seconds.

Batteries are slightly different to lead acid batteries but do suffer in extreme hot or cold conditions. However, under those conditions, hydrogen fuel cells can be used. Hydrogen can also be used for trucks and busses and we have had hydrogen powered busses in Perth for over 10 years.

 

[anewbie]

An electric car is supposed to be "green" and environmentally friendly but they draw their charge off coal fired generators and nuclear plants. I'm skeptical about solar and wind. It's a nice idea but does it really generate any appreciable amount of power ? I know the technology is in its infancy and will get better but when ? Not in my lifetime. And how about cold weather ? Nothing kills a battery faster than cold. Does an electric car have any torque ? Will it power out of a mud bog or through deep snow ? That takes real power. Just asking.

Nuclear is a lot cleaner than oil - there are new designs for nuclear plants that are a lot safer than the old ones - IF BUILT AND MAINT. CORRECTLY. Remember the accident in Japan where it turned out that the private company running them hadn't done basic maint. in years. It took a tsuami to cause crap but still if it had been maintained correctly there wouldn't have been a melt down.
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Anyway - I forget but even wind resistant texas gets somewhere between %15 and %20 of of their electricity from wind. Go figure. Of course since wind generators are cancer causing everyone has cancer now because we all know wind isn't safe (well ok more pragmatic it isn't safe for birds so they do need to work on that issue).

 

[anewbie]

Yep, most of our electricity still comes from fossil fuels, so electric cars won't do diddly squat for the environment until we figure out a financially feasible way to create non-polluting electricity. Wind and solar seem to be a frustratingly long way from coming into their own.

We do know how to make relative safe nuclear plants - but someone has to be willing to spend the $$$$. I think someone - maybe BIll Gates - is building a few somewhere. One of the billionares foundations just don't remember the details. The new designs are pretty interesting - remember technology has improved a lot over the past 20 years and most of the reactors are quite old. Wind biggest problem (where available) is impact on wild life (mostly birds).

 

[JuiceBox52]

Something I've never heard is how much it costs to charge up an electric car. If you do it on a home charger does it run your bill up sky high ? How much does it cost at a charging station and how long does the charge last ?

My dad charges his, he tells me it costs about $1.50 per charge

 

[Rocky998]

My dad charges his, he tells me it costs about $1.50 per charge

Much better than $6 a gallon of gas!

 

[Colin_T]

About 10-15 years ago, the Chinese made a new type of nuclear power station. They called it dry rock or something but it used the entire amount of uranium and leaves no waste. They were able to run it off nuclear waste from older power stations too. And it is also impossible for the system to have a melt down.

Unfortunately I don't know if they are exporting the idea or what has happened to it, but if it is legit, it would be a great way to go, and I am against nuclear power and weapons so I don't say it lightly. But clean nuclear power with no waste and no chance of a melt down, I would have that in Australia.

 

[anewbie]

About 10-15 years ago, the Chinese made a new type of nuclear power station. They called it dry rock or something but it used the entire amount of uranium and leaves no waste. They were able to run it off nuclear waste from older power stations too. And it is also impossible for the system to have a melt down.

Unfortunately I don't know if they are exporting the idea or what has happened to it, but if it is legit, it would be a great way to go, and I am against nuclear power and weapons so I don't say it lightly. But clean nuclear power with no waste and no chance of a melt down, I would have that in Australia.

It is possible i suppose but sounds fishy to myself. There has to be a by product by nature of the nuclear process of splitting atoms; so the question would be what is that by product. Also the concept of meltdown is due to extreme heat and once again I would question that meltdown is impossible. If the by product is relatively safe (no clue if this is possible); then then meltdown would be less serious as the concern is melting down the containment that prevent radiation leaks in traditional reactors.