After reading a story about a Houston residency’s power company adjusting the residents thermostat to 78° remotely I wonder how that my work in a fire with electric cars. Someone at the company decides you drive too much. Downtime.
2 Likes
Or decides you need to drive somewhere they choose, ala that scene in Minority Report.
1 Like
1 Like
Probably shouldn’t buy a Google mobile.
2 Likes
Desktop version instead? 
1 Like
Just because I like Rocket J Squirrel & desktops.
2 Likes
Thought I read something yesterday about Californians being asked to refrain from charging their vehicles to reduce load on the system. After the prescribed blackouts, brownouts etc. due to fires, anyone pursuing primarily electric vehicles may be virtue signaling themselves out of existence.
1 Like
Wait!?!? Electric cars use energy?!?! I thought they were emission-less wonders that were key to saving the planet!
3 Likes
I’m going to wait for the wind-up version, Sanders approved. 
3 Likes
I find it puzzlingly amusing (amusingly puzzling?) that the “go green” crowd is pushing for more and more devices and machines which are run on electricity, ostensibly to reduce carbon ‘pollution’, while simultaneously pushing for that electricity to be supplied by means and methods which are proven to be less stable, less reliable, less productive, less able to be ramped up or down according to demand, dependent on “fuel sources” which are completely out of our control, and, worst of all, more expensive to the consumer.
1 Like
In a word, Control.
The more reliable your options, and the less tied to a centrally managed system they are, the more independent you can be.
That’s not a desirable state from the perspective of a socialist political faction.
2 Likes
Oil and gas will eventually run out. There’s a reason the Saudis are making huge investments in non oil related industries. Transitioning will have to happen at some point. But the pace that the fanatical Greens want it to happen is not only unrealistic but is an environmentally bad idea as well. There are not enough rare earth and other resources necessary to have everyone driving an electric car in the next 10, 20 or even 50 years without some significant breakthroughs in alternative battery technology.
It makes more sense to push hybrid gas/electric vehicles to maximize the efficiency of both technologies. Putting smaller affordable batteries in as many cars as possible makes more sense than putting big expensive batteries in a much smaller percentage.
We just picked up a new hybrid SUV to replace our recently deceased family car. I’m really liking it. Has much more pep than most gas only vehicles and is saving a bunch of money at the pump.
3 Likes
SAY GOODBY ABDUL = mea alsalama <<
I will say right up front I have been interested in electric cars for years. However the biggest drawback is the battery. So as they were working on alternatives Hydrogen sounded like a likely replacement. the most plentiful element in the universe is Hydrogen. Now turning it into fuel is another matter.
Still I drove a Tesla and was really impressed. As fast if not faster than a 60s muscle car. But range bothers me. when they say 300 miles they really mean with normal use maybe 220? LA to Seattle is 1200 miles or so. Six charges there and six to get home? Assuming I could find a station with a charger on the same road. A fast charge gets me 80 percent of a full charge. Other wise I would be looking at about 12 hours of extra time to recharge on normal charging. Now if you are a RV and boat person you are simply not going to get 300 miles ever. So there needs to be a lot more work done before I would be ready to switch.
Road trip experience would have to change dramatically. Would need a cafe and recreation room to relax while vehicle recharges. I saw some time back someone was dabbling in a way to exchange batteries at the stop. But no word since. Over 10 years ago.
1 Like
The problem with electric cars is the batteries. There have been tremendous improvements in battery technology over the past few decades but we appear to be reaching the peak. According to the info I’ve seen, it would take at least a 10-fold increase in battery capability to make electric cars truly practical for widespread, general usage, and our current understanding of physics doesn’t allow for anything even close to that.
I have also seen studies from reputable sources which determine that the reduction of carbon output is actually rather modest, at best, when considering everything that goes into obtaining and processing the raw materials, manufacturing the vehicle and batteries, thousands of recharges, and eventual disposal.
That being said, I do see a place for small electric personal vehicles, such as densely populated areas where everyday goods and services are relatively nearby and plentiful charging stations are economically feasible.
Electric vehicle may be a piece of the puzzle, but they are no panacea.