Car companies still cant get it right

[Allan]

Actually I wanted to voice y ideas for an efficient idea for transport for
most people.

In my case the majority of my driving is smaller trips less than 30
kilometres. Commuters would perhaps travel 50 kms given the spread of cities
perhaps slightly more.
So instead of building hybrid cars which still require oil for use car
companies should build vehicles that are battery electric vehicles but for
longer trips have a generator assembly in a trailer or easily attachable
cradle. There are one wheel trailer designs that may work as well as two
wheels. Since these wont be needed much local garages could hire them out ,
they could be well maintained and tuned or you could own your own. Perhaps
there could be different size generators depending on your needs, a longer
trip take the larger design. Or have a small 2-5 kilowatt generator that can
recharge the car while your having lunch or to act as a backup. Include a
solar panel on the roof to charge batteries in the day time at work or while
driving to extend range.
You would have a generator for longer trips to use while camping etc
Alternatively we could hire vehicles for rarer longer trips or use public
transport.
We can complete 95% of our transport needs, and longer trips usually of a
discretionary nature like holidays, recreation wont be a iimpediment. We
will always be ale to get to work or the shops. Of course pulic transport
would be preferable if possible. But for say country people its unrealistic
to think we will be able to supply everyone with pulic transport..
This will mean we could reduce oil consumption by 95% and we wont be faced
with increasingly more expensive fuel. Energy could be sourced from
alternative local sources if desired.
We would never face another OPEC oil embargo of much effect like in the 70s.
We wont find it necessary to invade middle eastern countries or worry aout
oil security as much.
Other developments like Algael fuel my even mean independance in oil.
Oil prices may even drop given the drop in demand.
Any way I hope the car manufacturers get it right and consider this concept.
Id buy one for daily use even though I may have a second vehicle. I saw a
show today a comparison of normal driving involving a Prius a 1 litre
vehicle and a citroen diesel vehicle. The 1 litre car and the Prius only
returned 35 mpg while the diesel returned 54 mpg. This was highway driving
of course requiring the prius generator engine to be used a lot. So really
there wasnt the benefit that youd get for short trips down the shops where
you could use battery power. But your still reliant on oil and the
instability we increasingly see.

Anyhow my 2c
Cheers
Allan

 

[danny burstein]

So instead of building hybrid cars which still require oil for use car
companies should build vehicles that are battery electric vehicles but for
longer trips have a generator assembly in a trailer or easily attachable
cradle.

That's the concept behind the GM "Volt", except that
the electrical generator is onboard rather than in
a trailer.

 

[Trygve Lillefosse]

So instead of building hybrid cars which still require oil for use car
companies should build vehicles that are battery electric vehicles but for
longer trips have a generator assembly in a trailer or easily attachable

That's called a "serial hybrid".

 

[Eeyore]

Actually I wanted to voice y ideas for an efficient idea for transport for
most people.

Where have you been ?

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

That's called a "serial hybrid".

Series hybrid in US/UK English. One of the most promising technologies going and
possibly on the market in quantity by 2012/13

Graham

 

[Ulysses]

Actually I wanted to voice y ideas for an efficient idea for transport for
most people.

In my case the majority of my driving is smaller trips less than 30
kilometres. Commuters would perhaps travel 50 kms given the spread of cities
perhaps slightly more.
So instead of building hybrid cars which still require oil for use car
companies should build vehicles that are battery electric vehicles but for
longer trips have a generator assembly in a trailer or easily attachable
cradle.

My idea for electric vehicles is to have easily replacable batteries and
have battery stations much like gas stations where you go switch your dead
battery for a charged one. You would pay according to how much charge is
left on your old battery. This could make long trips with electric vehicles
viable.

The main problem I see with this is that is order to make it easy all the
batteries would have to be located at the same height and perhaps with a
"pass-through" design. IOW, they would have to be standardized and that's
about the last thing manufactuers seem to want.

I can imagine "self-serve" stations where much of the exchange could be
automatic.

Personally I don't see the point behind having a generator onboard. It
seems like it would just be more effecient to have a gasoline-powered
vehicle.

Of course none of this adresses *how* the batteries are being charged.
Unless it's from some kind of RE that is non or low polluting then the main
advantage to electric is less dependence on foreign oil.

 

[m II]

My idea for electric vehicles is to have easily replacable batteries and
have battery stations much like gas stations where you go switch your dead
battery for a charged one. You would pay according to how much charge is
left on your old battery. This could make long trips with electric vehicles
viable.

I'd thought of something similar. The battery would be on a sliding tray
under the vehicle and could be slid out as the new one is put in.
Similar to old slide projector mechanisms.

The station would be responsible for the full charging and maintenance
of the packs. They could also get the rebuilding done when needed. The
volume alone would lessen the cost of the packs.

The idea requires standardization and cooperation. That probably dooms
it from the start. Remember how industry fought the idea of returnable
containers?


mike

 

[Vaughn Simon]

Of course none of this adresses *how* the batteries are being charged.
Unless it's from some kind of RE that is non or low polluting then the main
advantage to electric is less dependence on foreign oil.

There is nothing special about the power that is used to charge vehicle
batteries, so we don't need to single them out for RE. Electricity is the
ultimate fungible commodity, it all comes from the same grid.

Simply put, we need as much RE as we can get, and beyond then as much
low-carbon-impact power (like nuke) as we can get.

Vaughn

 

[m II]

1500 lbs of batteries on a 'tray' isnt going to 'slide' anywhere. You
could hit the 'drop' button on the air suspension and sit the whole
car down on the garage floor, pull out 4 pins, raise the car back up,
and roll it away from the battery pack, which will sit exactly where
it wants until you move it with a fork lift.

You are probably right. Let's not even think about it. We are all fools
for imagining that change is possible. I'm so dumb that I thought
standardised headlight sizes were also a good idea. Industry thought
otherwise.



mike

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[Cydrome Leader]

1500 lbs of batteries on a 'tray' isnt going to 'slide' anywhere. You

HaHaha. well said.

 

[Vaughn Simon]

Wrong.

I'm so dumb that I thought
standardised headlight sizes were also a good idea. Industry thought
otherwise.

Me too. I remember when I could go to any K-Mart and replace a headlight
lamp/reflecter/lens all in one convenient calibrated unit for under $5.00 and
install it with just a screwdriver in under five minutes. Wasn't that stupid?
[/QUOTE][/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
Nothing personal, but if you are posting through Google Groups I may not receive
your message. Google refuses to control the flood of spam messages originating
in their system, so on any given day I may or may not have Google blocked. Try
a real NNTP server & news reader program and you will never go back. All you
need is access to an NNTP server (AKA "news server") and a news reader program.
You probably already have a news reader program in your computer (Hint: Outlook
Express). Assuming that your Usenet needs are modest, use
http://news.aioe.org/ for free and/or http://www.teranews.com/ for a one-time
$3.95 setup fee.
Will poofread for food.

 

[Eeyore]

My idea for electric vehicles is to have easily replacable batteries and
have battery stations much like gas stations where you go switch your dead
battery for a charged one. You would pay according to how much charge is
left on your old battery. This could make long trips with electric vehicles
viable.

I had that idea about 20-30 years ago too.

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

It's not quite that simple. Since batteries have a finite life, their "value"
is not only how much energy is stored in them, but also how many times they've
been recharged. Granted, this could all be tracked, it's just a little messy
and needs to be made so simple that the kid making minimum wage at the gas
station can get it right.

Lease them.

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

The idea requires standardization and cooperation. That probably dooms
it from the start. Remember how industry fought the idea of returnable
containers?

A good smack from the government can fix that.

Graham

 

[Eeyore]

Me too. I remember when I could go to any K-Mart and replace a headlight
lamp/reflecter/lens all in one convenient calibrated unit for under $5.00 and
install it with just a screwdriver in under five minutes. Wasn't that stupid?

They gave crappy light too.

All you have to do now is replace a bulb. Dead easy.

Graham

 

[nick hull]

My idea for electric vehicles is to have easily replacable batteries and
have battery stations much like gas stations where you go switch your dead
battery for a charged one.

It's not quite that simple. Since batteries have a finite life, their
"value"
is not only how much energy is stored in them, but also how many times
they've
been recharged. Granted, this could all be tracked, it's just a little messy
and needs to be made so simple that the kid making minimum wage at the gas
station can get it right.[/QUOTE]

Or you could go to Vanadium batteries, you keep the same battery and
recharge it by replacing the working fluid.

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

 

[nick hull]

A good smack from the government can fix that.

If the govt were in charge of the Sahara there would be a shortage of
sand

Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/

 

[Ulysses]

1500 lbs of batteries on a 'tray' isnt going to 'slide' anywhere. You
could hit the 'drop' button on the air suspension and sit the whole
car down on the garage floor, pull out 4 pins, raise the car back up,
and roll it away from the battery pack, which will sit exactly where
it wants until you move it with a fork lift.

I was thinking more like "in one side and out the other" and the batteries
could just slide on rollers, lock in place etc. A hook might be required to
pull the old battery out. Some kind of laser alignment mechanism that would
"beep" when aligned. Some tolerance would be required, perhaps a half inch
or so. I'm thinking it might also be necessary to have a hydraulic pad to
raise the entire car if needed to allow for low tire pressure etc. Just a
couple of inches should do it IF it could be standardized. Anyone who wants
a "Monster EV" will be on their own but they pretty much are anyway.

 

[Ulysses]

There is nothing special about the power that is used to charge vehicle
batteries, so we don't need to single them out for RE. Electricity is the
ultimate fungible commodity, it all comes from the same grid.

Agreed, of course, but we would be talking about a lot more electricity than
is being used to currently charge a typical car battery. This is assuming
that electric cars became standard.

 

[Ulysses]

I had that idea about 20-30 years ago too.

Graham

Well then I guess you get to apply for the patent ;-)