The carbon footprint of building a new car is pretty well documented. Driving an existing car that is already older than the life expectancy of the typical electric/hybrid obviously reduces your carbon footprint.
Then there is the fact that an electric car can't pull the skin off a custard.
It's the same problem. There will be days on which the sun doesn't shine, and you'll then charge your Volt off the grid, which has to have generation capacity in place to allow for that. If everyone charged their Volts off the grid every day, then more efficient generation capacity would be used than for the situation where Volts are only charged off grid when the sun isn't shining.
Sylvia.
You shouldn't put much store in what Graham says I said last year, since he's unable even to track what I've said in my previous posting.
Sylvia
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The costs involved simply don't add up compared to a similar sized petrol o= r diesel vehicle.
Unless something has changed dramatically, why would you buy a western made= /designed vehicle, when for close to a generation Japanese product has run = rings around them in just about every area including quality, longevity, pr= ice, resale value, comfort and economy ?
What a wonderful idea, get all the cars off the road, given that you will be charging them at the time that most use them.
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Not only that, the cars are least likely to be used at night, would be char= ging, and would NOT be using solar. Even in this fictional commuter scena= rio quoted, where everyone drives into the city to work, then home, it woul= d be impossible to get sufficient surface area on multi level car parks, or= office buildings to place enough panels to do the job for the number of ca= rs involved.
**Let's review the facts:
-- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au
**Strawman. Further, as oil costs rise and becomes scarcer, other forms of transport will be more viable. Electric vehicles are likely to fall in price, once supply exceeds demand. **Personally, I wouldn't TOUCH a US built automobile (well, except for a '64 Mustang, maybe). There would need to be a seriously convincing argument to buy a European car as well. The Japanese and Koreans (presently) have the market to themselves.
Either way, electric vehicles are likely to become ubiquitous in the near future and the Volt, particularly, is an excellent design exercise. It uses the strenghts of the electric motive system, along with an intelligently utilised petrol engine. For my part, I expect we'll see a lot of similar systems used in the near future, but with an even lower emission, more efficient Diesel engine. Probably around 500 ~ 1,000cc in capacity.
-- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au
**So, driving an old electric/hybrid is the best of all options. I get your point. **Really? How about this:
Then, of course, there is this one (not yet for sale):
Under 5 secs to 100kph is quicker than lots of vehicles.
-- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au
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uld
yeh the compressor fridges are more efficient, but peltiers work too and are solid state so you can leave them on for years and run at different amps, no maintenance.
I wouldn't' be able to use gas if I sealed the shed up. this will just be a weekender once I've setup the water tank I can move on..
Easier to get a caravan or build a full house for something permanent than do up a shed. But water, power, resources, etc. are good to have on stand by.
I boarded off the gaps between the concrete slab and walls so no spiders crawl in anymore
Herc
r
huh?
good agument when I remember what you said and you don't
why don't you just cite the figure,
you said 85% or 90% efficient by memory.
electrolysis is on par with charging a bettery in efficiency!
the picture is of a home hydrogen fuel pump!
I won't say anything if you just deny everything I say!
ffs
Umm, what is the point of having the Volt? Is this for people who are at home during the day?
Isn't experience a bitch, but don't let that stop you actually builting it.
**You would need to ask the people who the Volt that question. For many owners, no petrol will be required, except under unusual circumstances. **I merely supplied a scenario where the Volt could be charged, with no extra burdens placed on the grid and at no cost to the owners. Many vehicles are garaged during the day and used to (say) drop the (lazy) kids at school, do the shopping, etc.
-- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au
**No. Making hydrogen from electricity is presently extremely inefficient.
The battery technology used in the Volt is in it's early days. Battery costs should fall with increasing production quantities. It is churlish to use the production costs of a relatively new technology with that which has been in production for more than 100 years. In 1960, the cost of a field effect transistor was measured in the hundreds of Dollars. Now they cost far less than a Dollar. As battery production is ramped up, costs will fall.
*Why? An IC engine has the ability to use the enormous chemical energy available in typical hydrocarbon fuels, but relatively poor torque characteristics, at low RPM. Electric motors, OTOH, develop maximum torque at zero RPM, thus allowing for excellent stop-start motoring. An electric motor has an additional advantage in allowing for the recovery of lost energy during braking. **I never heard that claim.
-- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au
I still don't see that changes anything unless you are willing to forgo the use of your car when you've used up the charge, or run it on its petrol engine.
You might be willing, but if so I can't see most people being like you. Most will charge it from the grid if there's no sunlight, and that causes the problem discussed in this thread.
Sylvia.
Huh? How did I become responsible for citing figures just because you claim, without any evidence, that I've previously cited them. My postings get archived. If you think I've cited something, post a URL for it.
Previously you asserted I'd said 90%. Now it's 85% or 90%. What does that say about your memory?
OK.
Sylvia.
**Your initial comments (correctly) centred on the ramifications of using PV cells and their usefulness WRT grid connected power. My suggestion was to not bother with connecting the PV cells to the grid at all, but to, instead, use the PV cells to keep an electric vehicle charged. This would have several benefits:
**No one suggested that PV cells were a panacea, but there are other ways to skin a cat.
-- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au
Yes, but as revs increase the torque tapers off to nothing making them completely useless for towing (beyond taking off perhaps where maximum torque is available at 0 revs) or high speed acceleration.
The X might be able to carry 7 midgets but you won't get anything like the range or performance out of the thing with a load like that.
I'd be interested to see what you come up with and see how efficient, reliable and cost effective it is.
It could be a very comfortable weekender for little outlay. Shouldn't be a problem since you're loaded, right?
Expecting armageddon?
What about the gaps at the top? I found they came in through there and had to seal that. Ended up doing it by hanging a ceiling made from silver cell insulationl. Secured it using metal screws to the centre beam and let it droop slightly and fastened it to the sides with a bit of overlap. Looked quite neat and worked a treat. I ilaid some carpet and nsulated the sides of the shed and put some panels on to make it into a very comfortable workshop/office.
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