While we debate who killed the electric car in another thread (everyone knows it's the Stonecutters), here's an electric car I'd love to own:
You’re not alone if you think electric cars have as much panache as a motorized golf cart.

But take one look at Tesla Motors’ Roadster, an all-electric auto with race car-like chops (zero to 60 in four seconds) and sexy styling, and you’ll gain a new appreciation for this emerging category of cars.

In fact, people across the globe are talking about the new Roadster, which also gets the equivalent of 135 miles per gallon (driving the Roadster costs about one cent per mile). With that in mind, we have honored it as this year’s "new car that best lived up to the hype"--one of several awards in our roundup of this year’s best vehicles overall.
http://www.teslamotors.com/
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2744476n
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/research/4212847.html
Finally, an electric car with a decent range that doesn't look like a golf cart. If they can get the price down to about $30,000, these things would sell like hotcakes.

$30,000, yes they would sell, but they would still be a minority purchase.

200 mile range isn't great, and you can get two seaters that match it's performance for $30,000.

But the simple fact is it costs nearer $100,000, and the few people that can afford to be driving these things aren't going to make much of a dent on global carbon emissions.

But the simple fact is it costs nearer $100,000, and the few people that can afford to be driving these things aren't going to make much of a dent on global carbon emissions.
Well sure, right now. But right now they're being made on a small scale by a small company. Economy of scale alone would surely bring the cost down signficantly. Look at DVD players. The first one I ever bought cost $250. Now you can pick them up for $50 or less. Anyway, the main point is that this is the first electric car I've ever seen that I'd like to own that is within an order of magnitude of what I'd be willing to pay.

I don't even understand why they even bring shit like this out for ridiculous prices like that. If you want to contribute to the environment, EVERYBODY needs to be on board. But not everybody has the money to buy something like that. Even the Prius and Insight are expensive by normal standards, compared to the fuel savings and environmental contribution advantages they have.
By the time the manufacturers get it right and these 'green' cars become mainstream and affordable to everyone, it may be too late.

I don't even understand why they even bring shit like this out for ridiculous prices like that. If you want to contribute to the environment, EVERYBODY needs to be on board. But not everybody has the money to buy something like that. Even the Prius and Insight are expensive by normal standards, compared to the fuel savings and environmental contribution advantages they have.
By the time the manufacturers get it right and these 'green' cars become mainstream and affordable to everyone, it may be too late.
Everything is expensive when it first comes out. It's new technology. If it catches on, the price will come down.

"total: $92,950"

Holy crap! As awesome as this thing is, it's just a dab expensive.

It actually does look like a dream come true though, only I'd ask for one modification... a small solar panel integrated in somewhere so it can recoup at least some of it's charge whenever it's sitting out in a parking lot all day. I realize it wouldn't charge the car very much, but it's could save a couple pennies, and even act as an emergency power supply if the car gets stranded somewhere without a charge station nearby.

and one of the reasons for the price... liberal use of carbon fiber it seems, that stuff can be hundreds of dollars per square meter of produced material, and while it's good for where you need structure that's lightweight, they seem to use it for styling alot on this car, which is a waste really.

The solar panel sounds like a good idea, I wonder how much power could actually be provide by a small solar panel? If your car was sitting out in the sun all day, maybe it might even be significant.

The solar panel sounds like a good idea, I wonder how much power could actually be provide by a small solar panel? If your car was sitting out in the sun all day, maybe it might even be significant.

It would be enough to power the phone.

or perform whatever battery conditioning a li-poly battery would need. I'm familiar with NiMH batteries, where when they're charged, some NiMH chargers will perform a "trickle charge", where they run a tiny ammount of current through the fully-charged battery to keep it at it's peak power. The current during a trickle charge is very small, so the battery isn't damaged, and I have no idea if li-poly batteries work on the same principles.

I'll bet a solar panel could perform such trickle charging since it really doesn't take alot of power to do.

I'd ask for one modification... a small solar panel integrated in somewhere so it can recoup at least some of it's charge whenever it's sitting out in a parking lot all day. I realize it wouldn't charge the car very much, but it's could save a couple pennies

Have a look and see what you can buy, an check out the wattage, I think you will be disappointed. I have a solar panel that keeps a car battery topped up. It's about 14"x4", and provides 1.5W. It stops the battery depleting when the vehicle isn't being used for a while, it's not really enough to charge the battery in any reasonable time.

If you want more power, you have to go larger, something about 2' square will provide about 13w in full sunlight. The electric motor on the Tesla car is rated at 185kW! (note the kw!).

A small solar panel might provide just about enough electricity to power the radio.

Well sure, right now. But right now they're being made on a small scale by a small company.

Same goes for Ariel, producer of the 'Atom', top speed 150mph, 0-60mph in 2.9s, (ie beats the Tesla hands down) and costs about $70k.

The Tesla is expensive because it's hard to do what they have done. If people really were interested in affordable environmentally friendly cars, we'd see a lot more Honda Prius sales. They start at £17k, very affordable, and decent performance for around town. The Tesla is a novelty two seater, and not very practical. When there is an affordable four seater, that I can tow a caravan with, get back to me.

Now all we need is a law that forces electric car owners to use Wind, Solar, Tidal, Waves and Hydro power to run those cars.

Now all we need is a law that forces electric car owners to use Wind, Solar, Tidal, Waves and Hydro power to run those cars.


Why, you bought shares in a bicycle shop? If we did what you propose, nobody would get anywhere. Did you not grasp the point that Solar energy cannot provide anywhere near enough power for a vehicle?

Why, you bought shares in a bicycle shop? If we did what you propose, nobody would get anywhere. Did you not grasp the point that Solar energy cannot provide anywhere near enough power for a vehicle?

Just reorganize society so that you don't need cars.

Just reorganize society so that you don't need cars.

My great, great, great, great, grandfather sold all the donkeys though.

A feasible optimal scenario I could see happening in about 10 years or so would be everyone driving cheap, mass produced eletric cars that run on some version of Altair batteries. Lithium Ion batteries, essentially, but they charge in seconds, they don't lose life charge after charge, and they are high in capacity. The electricity would be made available and cheap through the use of clean nuclear power plants along with widespread use of cheap nanotechnology solar panels. Power will be trasmitted along extremely low electrical resistence carbon tube cables. That would enable our cities to be a lot cleaner.

This technology isn't far away at all.

... Lithium Ion batteries, essentially, but they charge in seconds, they don't lose life charge after charge, and they are high in capacity.

You are asking for a lot in one package. A capacitor arrangement may charge quickly, but one capable of 'high capacity' isn't going to 'charge in seconds'. Not losing life charge on charge? Everythings wears out, that's life, here you ask for the impossible.

The electricity would be made available and cheap through the use of clean nuclear power plants

Nuclear is the only feasible option for future power.

along with widespread use of cheap nanotechnology solar panels.

Er, nanotechnology is still a pipe dream that hasn't delivered a single product to market yet. Solar panels, even if 100% efficient (and that can't happen) could only provide about 300W/m^2 (averaged for seasons etc), so you would need a lot of area to keep that 185kW Tesla engine's batteries charged.

Power will be trasmitted along extremely low electrical resistence carbon tube cables. That would enable our cities to be a lot cleaner.

Carbon tube cables? Again, despite the wonderful arrangements that can be made from carbon atoms, buckeyballs and tubes have still not been applied to any real world product. They won't offer superconductivity at outdoor temperatures though, superconductors candidates are ceramics.

This technology isn't far away at all.

No, it's on a web page easily found by Google I bet. It is not however, very close in real life.

My great, great, great, great, grandfather sold all the donkeys though.

they make bicycles nowadays.

You are asking for a lot in one package. A capacitor arrangement may charge quickly, but one capable of 'high capacity' isn't going to 'charge in seconds'. Not losing life charge on charge? Everythings wears out, that's life, here you ask for the impossible.

Battery technology has lately been making huge strides. These quick-charging Altair batteries that I'm talking about already exist, but they're still going to need a few years meet mass production.
http://energy.seekingalpha.com/article/13330


Nuclear is the only feasible option for future power.
Not really. It's likely that as solar panel technology improves and the price of the technology comes down, their use will be much more widespread and it will become more feasible for people to power their homes with them. Already people can use solar panels to power their homes, but it's expensive. Give it about 10-15 years or even less. The price of solar homes are going to fall drastically as the price of solar panels drop, which is indeed being forecasted. Nanotechnology companies such as Konarka are coming out with ways to produce solar panels that can be manufactured without the use of clean rooms. These "dirty" methods of mass producing solar panels hold the promise of cheap solar power.
http://www.indolink.com/SciTech/fr071104-101529.php


Er, nanotechnology is still a pipe dream that hasn't delivered a single product to market yet. Solar panels, even if 100% efficient (and that can't happen) could only provide about 300W/m^2 (averaged for seasons etc), so you would need a lot of area to keep that 185kW Tesla engine's batteries charged.
Nanotechnology is still in its infancy. It has produced products so far, but they don't represent what we think of when we hear or read about it. It's coming though, and these solar panels are proof.

And yeah, you're right. Providing significant power would require a lot of space. That's part of the reason why these solar panels are a big deal; they're plastic and can be molded on surfaces, such as buildings and mobile devices. So you can have a surface collecting energy without it losing its functionality. As devices get more energy efficient and as solar power is implemented more and more, the more substantial the ability solar power has to power our world.

Carbon tube cables? Again, despite the wonderful arrangements that can be made from carbon atoms, buckeyballs and tubes have still not been applied to any real world product. They won't offer superconductivity at outdoor temperatures though, superconductors candidates are ceramics.
I'm not really sure how far away this is. But I've read that nanotubes are excellent at carrying current. We're currently making great strides in the length that these tubes can be manufactured. Eventually, it's likely that these carbon nanotubes will replace our copper wires since they carry current with much less resistance.

No, it's on a web page easily found by Google I bet. It is not however, very close in real life.

I'd give it about 10 years.

Everything is expensive when it first comes out. It's new technology. If it catches on, the price will come down.

The invention of the electric car actually preceded the internal combustion version.

I think this car is great, but it's purpose is slightly different than creating a practical form of transportation for the masses. They hope to counteract the idea that electric cars have to be slow.

Now all we need is a law that forces electric car owners to use Wind, Solar, Tidal, Waves and Hydro power to run those cars.
Apparently hydro creates quite a lot of co2. Saw it on the bbc earlier.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6638705.stm

I think this car is great, but it's purpose is slightly different than creating a practical form of transportation for the masses. They hope to counteract the idea that electric cars have to be slow.

True. It's an expensive showcase of what could be, but in no way is it practical.

It makes me laugh that all the people on the (very small) waiting list for these cars are extremely wealthy or celebrities. The same people that fly all over the world many times a year, live in extremely luxurious and eco-unfriendly houses and are only getting one because it's cool and they'll look good being eco-friendly.