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RE: Awesome
By FITCamaro on 12/20/2007 2:17:57 PM , Rating: 2
I think it's going to be a long time before a purely electric car will be a full-time replacement for a gas powered one. They're good for running around town or going to work and back. Not for long trips though. Even if it can make it 100 miles, thats not that far. The average car can make it 300-400 miles on a tank of gas. Sure the size of the tank varies but the point is that they can make it that far. And if you're running low, it only takes 5 minutes to stop at a gas station and fill up. You're likely never going to see a battery than can boast that.

Hence why I still think hydrogen fuel cells are the answer. It'll have to be modified a little but our current distribution system can be used for it.

RE: Awesome
By Doormat on 12/20/2007 3:43:26 PM , Rating: 2
H2 wont do anything. I'd be willing to venture out on a limb and say that 95% of people's daily driving is under 100 miles. If a vehicle can go 100mi on a single charge then fine.

What we'll probably end up seeing is some cars having an optional small 600rpm diesel engine w/ gas tank, where the engine's entire purpose is to recharge the battery on longer trips. You can engineer the engine to operate at its peak efficiency at a constant speed because its only generating electricity, instead of having to go up and down like a standard engine + transmission when you drive and stop, drive and stop.

Now you only use gasoline on trips of more than 100mi/day. The fuel consumption of the people who actually use the engine will be great and since so few people will use the engine anyways, the worldwide consumption of fuel declines dramatically.

RE: Awesome
By FITCamaro on 12/20/2007 6:47:20 PM , Rating: 2
The issue isn't daily driving. It's that people don't want to have to own one car for daily driving and one to take vacations with. And you're still not going to be able to go as far or as fast with just a small diesel engine trying to charge the battery.

With the Chevy Volt it will have a system somewhat like that. But its not meant for driving across the country.

RE: Awesome

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RE: Awesome
By FITCamaro on 12/20/2007 6:49:39 PM , Rating: 2
And why wouldn't Hydrogen do anything? It's a clean source of fuel that can be stored just like gas (not quite as easily but still). The only issue is finding a way to produce it in mass qualities cheaply and efficiently. And there's been research done in that area too.


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