OT-ish: "Powerwall" - will change the way the world uses energy

[Tim Watts]

A Tesla supercharger will charge the 85kWh model in 75 minutes to 100% (about 300 miles of range), 80% in 40mins and 170 miles worth in 30 mins according to:

Now, at least the way I drive, after 170 miles, I rather find a 30 min break with a coffee and a good walk around to be a necessity.

Yes, you have to plan your journey around fuel stops, but it's not a bad effort for what you can do NOW in GB and a fair slice of northern europe. So that's only going to get better.

And I'm not a Tesla fanboi (ie I don't have one and couldn't afford one) but I honestly think they are with merit.

[Tim Streater]

Are you one of these people who drives on the brakes, and sits 3 microns behind the car in front at all speeds?

[Tim Watts]

Please tell me how you made that mental leap - I am actually fascinated!

[charles]

at least once a month and twice a year it's 400.

[Capitol]

I asked her if she wanted a Tesla, she said "NO, it doesn't come with a crane to enable me to get into and out of it".

[charles]

believe it or not 3 phase is also AC mains.

What you mean is single phase (domestic) AC mains

[Capitol]

You need a Dodge Intrepid, the only car I've driven which made 14 hour journeys uncrippling.

[Tim Watts]

I shall bear that in mind when I visit America next year...

How so, BTW? Leg room, handling or what?

[tim.....]

and in 2 hours time rinse and repeat

and in another 2 hour rinse and repeat

just how many meals a day are drivers of electric cars supposed to eat?

tim

[Tim Watts]

Drive 2.5-3 hours. Take 30 min break. Seems perfectly reasonable...

[dennis]

Yes, well people that are actually green would buy one and use it rather than just having panels to grab FIT payments.

[alan_m]

Or 40 minutes for an full charge?

Excessive heat during charging may be the killer of batteries hence long charge times. Fast (???) charge stations may be more convenient but at a cost of a shorter battery life.

When the take up of electric cars becomes significant I wonder how long it will then take for every computer route to be grid locked every day due to drivers getting the last mile out of the old battery. Do you remember when milk was delivered every day to the doorstep by a electric milk float and at the end of the round the local traffic queue was a result of following a vehicle with insufficient performance to climb a sleeping policeman?

[tim.....]

the problem here is that these cars are far too expensive to be "second" cars

tim

[Davey]

No idea, I don't drive one. I just saw the chargepoints. But German rest areas tend to have much better food than the M1 does, so it would be a better experience.

[tim.....]

there's something seriously wrong with the technology if the manufacturing cost is such a large part of the total bill (given that this is a 3000 pound item)

Or do the economies come because they are making 100 times as many and can get a better price for components, which will only happen in there's a demand for that quantity of product (though again, the order of the saving still looks too large)

[tim.....]

and it would take a pretty big tank to use the summer sunshine to heat water for my winter heating :-)

tim

[alan_m]

Is the capacity still 100 miles if you want interior heating during the winter or air-con cooling during the summer?

[dennis]

Maybe

smaller but cheaper.

Or

[The Natural Philosopher]

You know they gave no economic case.

[Huge]

There are a number in our nearest town, and one right outside our "local" Costa.

I've never seen any of them in use.

OTOH, we were at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania (*) the week before last (well worth a visit if you're in the area, BTW) and they had three charging points, which had two Tesla S's and a Tesla Roadster on them. I'd never noticed they have a means to padlock the cable onto the car, presumably to stop "jokers" from unplugging them.

Let's hope there's a mechanism that prevents you from driving off with it still plugged in.

(*