Electric cars are a pipe dream

**elte** · 07-29-12, 10:07 PM

My car has a too-stingy carburetor that causes it to stall (It's defective). I need an electric motor attached to the engine that will not let it drop below idle speed.

**DaS Energy** · 07-30-12, 05:56 AM

Hello elte,

It may be cheaper to provide a degree of force to the idler screw?

Cheers Peter

**elte** · 07-30-12, 06:21 AM

Howdy Peter, oddly, the idle circuit is probably the only portion of the carburetor that works correctly! Once it finally will keep running and the cranking the starter motor can be discontinued, the car idles okay. However, when the gas pedal is pressed, the engine stalls. The accelerator pump seems not to be working, at the very least. I intend to inquire into the availability of a carburetor rebuild kit or some other option to try to fix the problem.

**billvon** · 07-30-12, 12:43 PM

> I need an electric motor attached to the engine that will not let it drop below idle speed.

I think a new carburetor would be a lot cheaper!

**elte** · 07-31-12, 04:45 AM

>I think a new carburetor would be a lot cheaper!

Indeed, thanks!

**Billy T** · 08-06-12, 08:14 AM

with a twist on what is meant by "Electric cars" here is coming concern:

"... Car-hacking: Bluetooth and other security issues: It's not time for full-on panic, but researchers have already successfully applied brakes remotely, listened into conversations and more. " from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic...yam_2012-08-06

Story tells of one set of ~100 rental cars that were remotely stopped and horns turned on.

**Billy T** · 08-30-12, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by http://www.plugincars.com/chevy-volt-sales-game-changer-123771.html (on 14 Aug2012)

Compared to the Volt's 10,666 sales so far this year, Toyota has sold 93,741 units of its conventional hybrid Prius liftback; 26,747 of the Camry Hybrid; and 25,234 of the Prius V wagon. The Prius C, Sonata Hybrid, and Lexus CT200h also outsell the Volt. Volkswagen has sold 28,255 units of the Jetta TDI, and 13,538 of the Passat TDI.

Not a hybrid but cheaper and selling well as exports:

Originally Posted by http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-08/14/content_15675672.htm (14 Aug 2012 edition)

Chery Auto spokesman Jin Yibo said, on Tuesday, the company exported 112,014 automobiles from January to July, compared with 88,835 for the same period last year, up 26.1 percent year-on-year. … The Wuhu-based company in east China's Anhui province set a full-year export target of 170,000 units at the beginning of the year. "Judging from the overseas sales in the first seven months, Chery is set to fulfill the export target this year," Jin said.

Originally Posted by http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-08/30/content_15721402.htm (today´s edition)

China's largest domestic automaker Chery said on Wednesday that it would recall 18,875 vehicles sold in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina and Singapore due to a problem with asbestos. (Gaskets and exhaust systems installed in the vehicles contained small amounts of asbestos, a carcinogen banned from those auto markets.)

Billy T question: Don´t almost all cars use asbestos containing break shoe pads? They are slowly ground up but gaskets in between parts of an exhaust system get no wear. Why what seem to be a double standard (and backwards)?

**Trippy** · 08-30-12, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Billy T

Billy T question: Don´t almost all cars use asbestos containing break shoe pads? They are slowly ground up but gaskets in between parts of an exhaust system get no wear. Why what seem to be a double standard (and backwards)?

No, not generally.

Asbestos used to be used in brake pads, but has been phased out in favour of things such as (other) mineral fibres, cellulose, Aramid, PAN, copper fibres (also being phased out in places) and even chopped glass or steel.

**quant** · 09-01-12, 12:42 AM

Electric cars have both good mileage, I think the Nissan leaf gives something like 100 m on a full charge and are far more efficient in energy use than IC petrol engines. This can easily be verified by looking at the watt hours ( or equivalent) used. For instance the Nissan Leaf has a battery capacity of about 23 KWh, a full charge gives 100 m (approx.) If a gallon of petrol is equivalent to 11KWh and the mileage is on average about 35 mpg, then it is possible to see that the electric car is about 1.5 times (approx) more efficient than an IC petrol engine. It is not the efficiency or the mileage that is the problem with electric cars, but the grid. If a large scale shift to electric cars took place the grid would not be able to cope. This is because cars use the energy consumed by an ordinary household during a single day i.e., about 18 KWh to travel about 50 m. in less than an hour. So everything will have to be scaled up to meet this demand. This in turn will mean that existing fossil fuel reserves, coal or oil are going to disappear at an exponential rate. So it is better to wait until a better more sustainable solution comes along.

**Syzygys** · 09-11-12, 08:04 PM

Untippable gyroscopic electric motorcycle:

http://techcrunch.com/2012/09/10/lit...ntippable-c-1/

" The initial price will be $24,000 when the C-1 is expected to launch in 2014 and will take a year or two to drop down to $16,000. As it scales to being mass market (~100,000) around 2018, the price of the C-1 will drop down to $12,500. It is not only expected to top out at over 100 MPH but has an estimated range of up to 200 miles per charge and will go from 0-60 in roughly six seconds."

if you watch the video in the link, this is basicly a 2 wheeled car. It behaves and drives like a car....

**KilljoyKlown** · 09-11-12, 08:43 PM

Anybody seen the following news article? I want one but can't afford it.

Insight: GM's Volt - The ugly math of low sales, high costs

**X-Man2** · 09-21-12, 03:36 PM

The Germans have been busy at work developing the ebuggy and have claimed success with their prototypes.What is an ebuggy? It's a battery trailer that pushes an electric car.The plan is to have ebuggy exchange stations scattered about the Country so one can travel any distance on electric power.They claim it is cheaper than the battery exchange idea being implemented in other areas.Check it out.

http://www.ebuggy.com/

**billvon** · 09-21-12, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by X-Man2

What is an ebuggy? It's a battery trailer that pushes an electric car.

Forget battery trailer. Just use a gas (or propane, or ethanol, or biodiesel) powered pusher trailer. Rent one when you need to go long distances.

**KilljoyKlown** · 09-21-12, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by X-Man2

The Germans have been busy at work developing the ebuggy and have claimed success with their prototypes.What is an ebuggy? It's a battery trailer that pushes an electric car.The plan is to have ebuggy exchange stations scattered about the Country so one can travel any distance on electric power.They claim it is cheaper than the battery exchange idea being implemented in other areas.Check it out.

http://www.ebuggy.com/

That's an interesting idea. I didn't see how much extra range you might get out of one ebuggy trailer, but it's got to be better than being stuck in town or stopping for 30 minute recharge every 90 to 100 miles.

**Syzygys** · 09-22-12, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by KilljoyKlown

Anybody seen the following news article? I want one but can't afford it.

Insight: GM's Volt - The ugly math of low sales, high costs

That article is kind of bullshit. The accounting isn't done properly...

**KilljoyKlown** · 09-22-12, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Syzygys

That article is kind of bullshit. The accounting isn't done properly...

Anyway you want to do the accounting, that car is out of my price range. If they want to be competitive, they need to be closer to the price of a Prius. To do that they will need to knock about $10,000 off the sticker price. I would like to know how they plan to do that?

**Stoniphi** · 09-23-12, 07:08 AM

From your fingers on the keyboard into GM's ears.

I don't know how they did that, but they announced on the GMA morning news today that they are indeed knocking $10k off the price of a Volt.

Also saw an ad for a Hyundai electric that has a lifetime warranty on the battery and touts 100 miles on a full charge.

**KilljoyKlown** · 09-23-12, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by Stoniphi

From your fingers on the keyboard into GM's ears.

I don't know how they did that, but they announced on the GMA morning news today that they are indeed knocking $10k off the price of a Volt.

Also saw an ad for a Hyundai electric that has a lifetime warranty on the battery and touts 100 miles on a full charge.

Even so, $30,000 is still a bit high for my taste. Think I'll wait for Volt 2 in a couple of years.

**Stoniphi** · 09-24-12, 06:11 AM

Yeah, I hear you on that. I hope to keep my ride putting with me for several more years myself. Hope they nail down some serious hybrid technology by that time for a decent price. A major battery breakthrough would indeed help on that score considerably.

**DaS Energy** · 09-26-12, 07:36 AM

Hello Syzygs,

Question. On what premise do you base all ectric cars need a battery. Electricity does not need be stored but may taken direct from alternator to electric motor. There be no reason electricity why electricity need first be passed to a battery. Electricity need be generated somewhere so why not under the hood. This can be simply done 24/7, no museum technology needed.

Cheers Peter

Cheers Peter