• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Electric Vehicles

Status
Not open for further replies.
I've been reading a fair amount recently about the revival of some old battery technology, usually variations on the use of zinc rather than lithium. Many of these ideas are not very suitable for automotive use because their energy density per pound is not very good, or because they involve liquids that slosh, but they'd be ideal for home use where compactness is less important.

I expect to see more of this stuff in the near future. After all, if you had a home battery that could keep you cooking for a weekend off the grid, if there's room for it in the basement or the garage, who cares whether it fits under the floor of your car?
 
bruto said:
I've been reading a fair amount recently about the revival of some old battery technology, usually variations on the use of zinc rather than lithium. Many of these ideas are not very suitable for automotive use because their energy density per pound is not very good, or because they involve liquids that slosh, but they'd be ideal for home use where compactness is less important.

I expect to see more of this stuff in the near future. After all, if you had a home battery that could keep you cooking for a weekend off the grid, if there's room for it in the basement or the garage, who cares whether it fits under the floor of your car?
Click to expand...

Far more important is how well it stands up to accidental misuse without bursting into flames if it's in any part of the house. Sure it's rare for lithium ion batteries to flare up, but it's a risk that would have me putting any battery storage well away from buildings.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
We already do that with propane tanks, so not an unreasonable solution.
Click to expand...
Yes, I think if that were the only issue, it would not be hard to address. As said, we do that with propane tanks, emergency generators and even, often, with furnaces.

But I think the issue of chemical dependency and cost enters in here too. If you can make a practical backup battery with cheap zinc, it's worth the extra bulk to forego the expensive lithium.
 
That Citroen is very interesting, and looks like just the sort of thing I'd be interested in, but I suspect that aside from being only a pipe dream, the design would never get through US safety standards. I suppose it might pass crash tests, but what about airbags and the like?

I really like the thinking on it, and I also like the relative independence from excessively complex electronic gadgetry and connectivity (I am sort of assuming that it would be possible at least to limp home even if your phone dies or is stolen between rides).
 
Where do I sign up?


52852156770_3da731089e.jpg
 
Donal said:
GM is ending the Camaro. At least, the all gas one.

GM has been heavily investing EVs and executives have hinted at an EV muscle car prototype coming soon.

To me, one of the defining features of a real "muscle car" is you can modify it in your own driveway or garage. How exactly do you do that in the current gas powered cars that are full of sensitive electronics, much less a full EV?
Click to expand...

i don't think too much about a guy with a garage full of tools tinkering with his car culture is compatible with EVs.
 
dirtywick said:
i don't think too much about a guy with a garage full of tools tinkering with his car culture is compatible with EVs.
Click to expand...
At the local Maker Faire I went to a few years ago there were many electric cars and trucks on display that were either mostly scratch built or converted from ICE vehicles. And I have seen some interesting mods done by other owners of the model of EV I drive.

Where there is a will to tinker, tinkerers will find a way.
 
Probably not a great sign.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/26/23697911/gm-discontinued-chevy-bolt-small-affordable-ev

Chevy is discontinuing the bolt, the small, affordable commuter EV. In the world of expensive luxury EV sedans like Tesla or giant EV trucks, the bolt was a remarkably inexpensive and practical vehicle that even people of less wealth might afford.

Real bummer that the EV remains a rich person's car, not a great sign for wider adoption anytime soon.
 
After following this thread for several years, I got curious. How many people are there like me, who live in an apartment, with no possibility of plugging in an electric vehicle?

In the U.S., according to the Census Bureau, for the period 2017 to 2021, 64.6% of 142,153,000 "housing units" were owner-occupied. This means that about 50 million units are rentals. I haven't found any estimate of the conformation of these units, that it, how many are single-family, how man are two- or three- or four-family units, and how many are in larger apartment buildings, like the one where I live.

In my building, I don't have—and can't get—an outlet into which I could plug an EV. The building owner would have to spend considerable money to add electric capacity and metering in order to charge each EV the appropriate amount for electricity.
 
There's a big overlap in the age ranges of people who are more likely to live in apartments in the US and people who would like to drive an EV - i.e. younger people are more likely to live in apartments and are the ones who are more likely to want to drive an EV.

So, apartments are and will continue to add infrastructure to support EV charging in order to attract and retain tenants.

In the meantime, if an EV isn't appropriate for your situation, a standard ICE or hybrid vehicle is a better choice.
 
xterra said:
After following this thread for several years, I got curious. How many people are there like me, who live in an apartment, with no possibility of plugging in an electric vehicle?
Click to expand...

That's currently my situation. I live i n a large 50 year old condominium complex that wasn't designed with the required infrastructure to charge electric vehicles. Fortunately we have good electricity here, an ability to upgrade, and the condo board is looking into setting up some charging stations.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top Bottom