Quote:
Originally Posted by PKFFW
Baring a major break through in EV's I think I'll wait until hydrogen cars come along.
I read recently about a gentleman that had developed a new way of turning water into HHO gas that made the process much more efficient. He had built his own portable blow torch cutter thingy-ma-jig that was water powered and then he coverted his car to run on it too. He uses something like 5 ounces of water for a 100 mile trip. It's all been tested and verified and doesn't seem to be a scam and now he is currently in negotiations with US car makers and is even working with the US military to develop a water powered Hummer.
Of course it probably wont be for another 20 years until these things are available to the public but since I probably wont be able to afford another car for that long anyway I can wait! 
Cheers,
PKFFW |
Myth! This story exists in thousands of permutations. Hydrogen extraction from H2O is an energy intensive process. It takes more energy to separate the molecule into components than the recombination produces. Period. Law of thermodynamics. It would be exactly like the mythical perpetual engine.
I don't have space enough to discuss the economics here. All I'll say is that if oil is to fall out of preference as a transportation fuel, those who profit from its sale will wish to fall back on an other source; an other fuel, one they can control and own. The biggest idiocy I've heard is that one company wanted to extract hydrogen from oil!!!!!!!!
Hydrogen will not be as efficient as electrics. They can't get tanks big enough for more than a 100 miles range. The efficiency cycle of hydrogen is even less than that of the ICE which in turn is less than an EV's powered by PVs. Of course the present oil economy will lose benefit from this if ever EVs were manufactured. What would happen to the economy if everyone could manufacture their own fuels? Unthinkable, of course...
With Hybrids they make a more complex vehicle that costs more. Katching!!!
A plug-in hybrid MUST have its gas engine run frequently to keep it healthy. Katching!!!
Service of hybrid vehicles is more expensive
Tell me PKFFW, what kind of breakthrough do you want to happen with electric vehicles to allow manufacture? As they are they can provide more that 90% of one's needs. Isn't that enough for those who want them? Why don't they want us to have them? Why do they stifle anyone who want's to build them? Why do we let them dictate that to us?.........Katching!!!.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
Not so major as you might think. Right now, parking meters are being rolled out that allow people to use credit cards to pay... and they can build one of those for every parking spot, or one box that serves multiple numbered spots. So there is a way to (A) give each spot a charging point, and (B) accurately charge the individual who uses it. You don't need assigned spaces at all.
Further, lot owners would have an incentive to wire their lots, and make them attractive to car owners (ie, safe, fast-charging, etc) if they received a percentage of the charging revenue.
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Cities have started planning for the introduction of EVs. As an example Vancouver has enacted a bylaw that enforces the installation of electrical circuits outdoors next to a driveway, for EV plugging.
On another note. Science students in "X" University( don't remember which) have successfully developed a way to charge a lithium ion battery to a full charge, in
6 minutes!!! With no side effect to the cells. Engineers say that to achieve such a level of charging on an EV sized battery will require nothing less than an electrical generating plant.
But the idea is feasible... The solution would be to install charging stations next to electricity generation plants and equip them with gigantic capacitors.
Since this would penalize regions without electrical generation plants I figure they could build small nuclear stations near major highways to charge the long range traveling EVs at 100 mile intervals.
I personally would favor a rental micro trailers system with onboard LiOn batteries. You pay for the KW use + rental. Stop anywhere and hitch up!
That would be an excellent fall back market for all the gas stations.