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Chris Jacob
So how do us apartment dwellers get our electric cars charged? My apartment is wired for 110v electricity and can barely support a 60a draw, how can a car battery be charged off this when it needs 220v at +40A?
Forgetting the cost to recharge, it would take 100,000 miles to break even on gas (at an assumed 30mpg and $3/gallon)
Assuming you're getting rid of a $3,500 car, you'd only need to drive around 65,000 miles to break even (again, ignoring charge costs)
i think you can safely negate the cost to charge by noting that it will need no oil changes, it will never overheat, and with hundreds fewer moving parts, repairs will be extremely rare, and likely cheaper (electronics are less fickle and generally cheaper than their mechanical equivalents)
reliability is my #1 criteria in selecting a car (thus i drive an older civic) so as long as this theoretical sub $10,000 car handles as well as the civic round corners, i have to say, yeah, i'd totally buy one.
oh but only if it has 14" wheels. i hate newer cars, all with 15-20" wheels standard - tire prices go up exponentially it seems with every size bump. I used to be able to put a fresh set of 13" tires on my old corolla for $130 out the door.
14" tires on the civic cost around $300-$400. WTF.
No, a sub-$10,000, zero-emissions car that you never have to pay fuel costs for will be the most desirable consumer electronics device in history. Right now you still have to pay fuel costs, whether its electric or gas. Create a fuel cell that can generate enough power to run for the expected life of the vehicle (say, seven years) and then you can talk shit.
Sub $10K all electric car makes a ton of sense. It's a perfect price point to allow just about everyone into a car. Makes the car almost disposable and negates the whole "the batteries will cost a fortune to replace 5-10 years down the road." However a full electric is still tough sell. I rent and don't have a place to plug it in.
Make it a hybrid for 10K and you've got yourself a game changer.
@FriarNurgle: Yeah, I mean, electrical outlets outside every home can only lead to less problems! The homeless will enjoy not having to plug their space heater into a light pole. And think of all the fun kids will have running down the block at night unplugging cars, and having to wait for AA(as in battery) to come over and give you a "quick charge" to get you to work.
Sorry, I'm too much of a snob to own a vehicle that cheap. Give me the same exact car, only it has emissions, leather seats made from baby cows, and seal-fur lining the interior for triple the price and maybe I'll buy it.
@f0rge: You missed the point. Imagine if your M3 cost less than $10,000 and caused no pollution. People buy expensive sports cars in spite of gas guzzling and high costs.
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Assuming you're getting rid of a $3,500 car, you'd only need to drive around 65,000 miles to break even (again, ignoring charge costs)
i think you can safely negate the cost to charge by noting that it will need no oil changes, it will never overheat, and with hundreds fewer moving parts, repairs will be extremely rare, and likely cheaper (electronics are less fickle and generally cheaper than their mechanical equivalents)
reliability is my #1 criteria in selecting a car (thus i drive an older civic) so as long as this theoretical sub $10,000 car handles as well as the civic round corners, i have to say, yeah, i'd totally buy one.
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06/15/09
oh but only if it has 14" wheels. i hate newer cars, all with 15-20" wheels standard - tire prices go up exponentially it seems with every size bump. I used to be able to put a fresh set of 13" tires on my old corolla for $130 out the door.
14" tires on the civic cost around $300-$400. WTF.
06/15/09
yeah. 'handles as well as a 1994 civic ex coupe'
as in no problem cornering at 80, 90mph
i haven't driven the newer civics but i imagine they are heavier and thus not as much fun - im assuming that's why you seem so incredulous?
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Make it a hybrid for 10K and you've got yourself a game changer.
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Gas mileage be damned.
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