Who killed the Electric Car?

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Take a look at Honda's Puyo car at:

http://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2007/10/honda-puyo.html

or

http://jalopnik.com/cars/tokyo-auto...ar-has-no-edges-begs-to-be-fondled-308551.php

It is efficient, hydrogen-fuel-cell powered. Its wheels (both front and back) turn to go in any direction (park "sideways" in space only centimeters larger). There are no edges to the body, which is a soft plastic that fells like human skin and changes colors to tell various factors about its "health." Wide doors swing up to open.

Several photos at both sites. (Every time I try to up-load photos it fails so perhaps some one will.)
 
Billy T said:
Take a look at Honda's Puyo car at:

http://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2007/10/honda-puyo.html
Click to expand...

puyo3mv9.jpg


Looks something like a giant toaster doesnt it...on wheels.

Not very aerodynamic, but I do like the all around transparency.
 
Who killed the electric car? Its maker of course! GM is paid a big deal of money by gas companies as long as GM's buyers are using their petroleum. When GM's first set of elecric cars came out, people were more than satisfied, but the big oil companies were not. It was apparent that the oil campanies were losing a significant amount of sales and so they stopped paying GM. Slowly but surely, GM got rid of their electric car. So the simple answer to the question is, an unreasonable man killed the electric car.
 
Heres an interesting take on the GM Volt series hybrid car, proposed for large scale production within the next two years.

The Chairman of GM Bob Lutz says that current battery tech is not viable enough to take the car 40 miles before the gas generator kicks in.

Not so, says this Blogger...the technology has existed since the EV1 over a decade ago.

Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XcnTPUzxLI
 
Carcano said:
Heres an interesting take on the GM Volt series hybrid car, proposed for large scale production within the next two years.

The Chairman of GM Bob Lutz says that current battery tech is not viable enough to take the car 40 miles before the gas generator kicks in.

Not so, says this Blogger...the technology has existed since the EV1 over a decade ago.

Listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XcnTPUzxLI
Click to expand...

GM is making an attempt to redeem themselves, but still wants their cars to use gasoline!
 
ahm i think the moderaters unplugged it

wheres that dam bloody plug
french mighta took it fcuk me senseless excuse my french
 
Carcano said:
puyo3mv9.jpg


Looks something like a giant toaster doesnt it...on wheels.

Not very aerodynamic, but I do like the all around transparency.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the CD on that thing looks absolutely hellacious. I'm betting 0.40+.

That said, aero isn't a big deal for a city car, because aero drag only becomes an issue as you get closer to highway speeds. Drag increases as a square of speed so it isn't a huge deal when you're moving slow. For city driving you need a lower final drive ratio and a powertrain that can hit peak torque early in the powerband. Which is why electric motors work so well in that role.
 
"There is no doubt demand for oil is outpacing supply at a rapid pace, and has been for some time now," Mr Wagoner said. "As a business necessity and an obligation to society we need to develop alternate sources of propulsion.

"So, are electrically driven vehicles the answer for the mid- and long-term? Yes, for sure. But we need something else to significantly reduce our reliance on petroleum in the interim."
Click to expand...
http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...-oil-slips-away/2008/01/14/1200159362708.html

This said by the head of General Motors.. I am sure at least a couple of you will understand the sick irony.
 
MetaKron said:
Echo3Romeo, drag increases with the cube of speed, not the square.
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Although neither cubic nor quadratic is exactly correct, the correct choice depends upon what you consider "drag."

Drag depends upon speed approximately cubicly IF drag is the rate of energy loss (power drain).

Drag depends upon speed approximately quadraticly IF drag is the force resisting motion.

From the context*, (and as his comments would then be correct) I think Echo3Romeo was considering the drag force, not the power drain.
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*He specifically mentioned torque, which is the FORCE times the lever arm (wheel radius in this case) AND spoke of gear ratios, not the POWER of the motor. He also mentioned "CD" (Coefficient of Drag), which I think, but am not sure, is usualy associated with FORCE, not POWER. (Too lazy to look up the definition of CD.)
 
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"... BYD Auto, a subsidiary of China-based BYD Group, the leading provider of NiCd batteries (65% global market share) and lithium-ion cell phone batteries (30% global market share), introduced its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology at the North American International Auto Show.

The F6DM (Dual Mode, for EV and HEV), a variant of the front-wheel drive F6 sedan that BYD introduced into the China market earlier this year,* actually offers three modes of operation: full battery-powered EV mode driving its 75 kW, 400 Nm motor; series-hybrid mode, in which a 50 kW, 1.0-liter engine drives a generator as a range-extender; and parallel hybrid mode**, in which the engine and motor both provide propulsive power.

The FD6M starts out in EV mode. At medium speed it will shift to range-extending series hybrid mode, and at high speed it will shift to full parallel mode. In addition to the 100 km of EV range, the HEV modes add another 330 km of range, for a total vehicle range of 430 km (267 miles).

The F6DM uses a 20 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack, based on BYD’s own production cells (which the company calls its Fe cells). The pack, which runs down the center console, has a lifetime of 2,000 cycles. A 100% recharge with household 220 VAC takes approximately 9 hours. BYD says that the pack can achieve a 50% recharge in 10 minutes.

The 1,800kg vehicle has a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). It is Euro 4 compliant, according to BYD, and emits 70 g CO2/km.
...
BYD currently has two automotive assembly manufacturing plants in Xi’an and in Shenzhen, and R&D and testing center in Shanghai, and a mould plant in Beijing. The company currently has production capacity of 300,000 units per year. ..."

More at:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/01/byd-auto-introd.html#more

Sounds to me like China is ahead here but I do not know much about the alternatives to be available in US in 2008*. (This one not available in US for several years, perhaps only a decade hence.)
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*This bold text is not clear, but even if only the non-hybrid was marketed in China in 2007, the hybrid will be in 2008.

**75+50 = 125. & 1 HP = 746 W so 125,000/746 = 176.6 horse power in parallel mode. I do not know the weight, but guess the HP/ pound is good and makes it very fast from the light with the high torque available from electric motor at low RPMs.
 
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Damn, I had no idea there were so many Chinese car makers...BYD (Bee-Ya-Dee), Geely, Chana, Haima, etc.

Heres a little German video from the Shanghai Auto Show...complete with communist dancing girls! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbL3_9G7wuU

Most of the Youtube comments are super negative...the chinese are just copying other designs...they must be crap quality, blah, blah.

I'll bet they'll be undercutting everyone though...in just a few years.
 
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USS Exeter said:
When GM's first set of elecric cars came out, people were more than satisfied...
Click to expand...
I wish people would stop talking about GM's EV-1 like it was some kind finished product that was ready to replace cars. Very, very few people would be interested in buying an EV-1. It only had 2 seats, a 100 mile range, and took eight hours to charge. Even with those limitations, the EV-1 might have found a market with people who only wanted a car to commute to work or something...if it hadn't cost $38k. That high pricetag more than cancels out any gas savings; you could buy a regular small sedan (that will still be a lot bigger than the EV-1) for around $10k, budget $18k to buy more gas than you are ever likely to use in the life of the car, and still end up paying $10k less than the price of the EV-1. With the exception of a few die-hard environmentalists, no one is willing to pay thousands fo dollars more for a car that does a lot less.
 
Nasor said:
Even with those limitations, the EV-1 might have found a market with people who only wanted a car to commute to work or something...if it hadn't cost $38k.
Click to expand...
Thats the estimated cost for determining a lease arrangement. The car actually cost GM $80,000 to manufacture.

It was an experiment.
 
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