Electric Cars and Auto Tech

[Tomsguiderachel]

The L.A. Auto Show showcased oddities: A Segway car, an electric sports car, even a Wii car. These prototypes probably won't make it to market.

Electric Cars and Auto Tech : Read more

 

[Guest]

The Volt isn't a hybrid.

 

[tntom]

The Volt is a hybrid. A series hybrid like a freight train only with power storage. The Prius is a parallel hybrid.

 

[Guest]

this is why the american car companies are crapping on themselves. wasting money designing things that no one would buy or can afford. most people who are concerned about gas prices can't even afford a segway to begin with. wow great job

 

[Guest]

If you can't afford segway, go and buy yourself a bike.

I don't understand why the hell ELECTRIC CAR should by more expensive ?!?! Technology is here more than 50 years, batteries are doubling capacity/weight every decade. You can buy a 1,2V/3000mAh acumulator type AA for 2$. YOU CAN EVEN RECUPERATE ENGERGY ON BREAKING! And you don't need to change any lubrication OIL, any air FILTERS, service so many mechanical engine parts...

Now tell me why we are still buying combustion engine cars ???

 

[Guest]

joessi,

You are assuming that the only limitation is technology. There is a much larger issue that has to do with politics, business interests and oil, oil, oil.

 

[Daddio-T]

I work for Toyota as a field engineer. We need combustion engines because the 50 year old battery technology isn't good enough. Nickel Metal Hydrid is the only current reliable battery. Litium gets too hot and starts fires and remember your cell phone? the battery dies every 2-3 years. This will not do in the car business. Mark my word, it will be something other that Lithium and we're a couple years out still.

 

[Guest]

joessi the electric IS going to be more expensive regardless of the state of the technology. think about it with no filters, oils to change the industries' bread and butter is taken away, the same way the sat of inks is almost as expensive as the cheapest printer you buy... the money is in the maintenance, you take that away and the industry will cry foul.

 

[zodiacfml]

if everyone will buy an electric car then it shouldn't be more expensive (economies of scale).
i love the aspect of no engine oil and filters, it makes for a cleaner and civilized car.
yet, i still think it is more environment friendly and easier on the pocket by buying a low displacement and efficient combustion engine car instead of a fully electric or hybrid.

 

[Guest]

The Volt is an electric car with limited ICE for backup. A diesel-electric locomotive is certainly not a hybrid, it has a single power source.

Hydrogen is a complete fraud promoted by anti-science greenies. The current chain of natgas - hydrogen - electricity is less efficient than gasoline and produces more CO2.

 

[Guest]

As long as people are brainwashed into believing the so called "larger issue with politics and business interests and oil"
society will be forced to used old dirty technologies, for years we have had all sorts of cleaner technologies but businesses and oil companies make sure these technologies are bought out and hidden away, take the current problems facing the big American automakers - for years they have been building cars that compared to european cars and japanese cars were bad, unreliable and gas guzzlers, yet now they act all surprised that they are banktrupt, instead of using modern technology and hopping into the electric and hydrogen fuel-cell market no they stuck to gas guzzling engines, back in the day when these automakers started off, they created the motor industry, so why is it so difficult to start an new car industry on these new electric technologies which already are quiet reliable and capable of replacing the internal combustion engine?!, if the american auto giants don't do this then european and japanese cars will become the only choice. The only limitation today is greed, plain simple greed, its time the auto industry realise that electric powered vehicles can
replace the internal combustion engine - an old market will die but a new one will rise, sure people don't like change but that has always been the way, things move on and industries that don't face the facts and up being part of history instead of going on to make history.

 

[divpers]

The volt IS a hybrid. It has a 1.4L 4 cylinder engine in it, which powers some of GMs European cars on its own. How does that make it pure electric, which would NOT be a hybrid?

The iMiev is not a hybrid, it is pure electric. If you are using 2 power systems, you are a hybrid.

Not that hard to understand.

Note to poster: 1.4L 4 cyl gas engine in the Volt, and a mere 40mile pure electric range sort of disqualifies it from not being a hybrid, lol.

 

[divpers]

[citation][nom]Daddio-T[/nom]I work for Toyota as a field engineer. We need combustion engines because the 50 year old battery technology isn't good enough. Nickel Metal Hydrid is the only current reliable battery. Litium gets too hot and starts fires and remember your cell phone? the battery dies every 2-3 years. This will not do in the car business. Mark my word, it will be something other that Lithium and we're a couple years out still.[/citation]

You aren't much of an engineer, or just spewing nonsense. Lithium Iron Phosphate are what are being used in the indi electric car industry, very superior battery to the li-ion in just about every respect.

Recharge life is dealt with via capacitors, no need to draw and dump from the battery continuously, afterall, and shorten its life.

Some are even using korean polymer batteries with great success.