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

No thanks.

I don?t do anything like that.

Reply to
Simon Brown
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there are two answers to this:

1/. Design is part of the cost of production

2/. In a volume product R & D costs are so small as to be ignored.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I don?t care, I don?t need anything like that.

Making that a 30 min break is not pushing the

Yep.

Yes, you claimed 'they are with merit', that is wrong.

With a price that even a fan-boi like you can't afford.

The problem has nothing to do with superchargers, the problem is the price.

But they will never be competitive with conventional cars, you watch.

Reply to
Simon Brown

can I get my harp into any of the current electric cars?

Reply to
charles

Actually the Soviets did have compact fission reactors in space, for their ship-hunting radar satellites. These used highly enriched Uranium, if not actually weapons grade then probably somewhere close.

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The Voyagers just relied on *heat* from Pu 238, converted to electricity by thermoelectric generators

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Reply to
newshound

A Tesla S looks pretty much like a Mondeo to me. Not sure if they're a hatchback or not, though.

Reply to
Huge

In much the same way that some big country houses had an "ice-house" which kept them in cold gin and tonics through the summer.

Reply to
newshound

at this point elec cars are still an expensive purchase compared to the equivalent combustion engine car. (not really sure where the break even point with lower running costs and maintence is though)

I don't think Dave 'just pops' anywhere much :-)

Depending on where you live, that might be an option, when I lived in London I didn't own a car and hired one when I wanted one for out of tow journeys. but that was easy as hire places were ten a penny and easy to get to. I's hazard that Dave's nearest hire place is maybe 20 miles away maybe? A lot depends on how easy the hire process is I guess

and you still have the situation where you have to purchase a more expensive elec car, and then hire another one for longer journeys, and it can still be inconvenient.

Reply to
Chris French

Nothing like it actually. You need to store a hell of a lot more joules to heat the house through the winter than to keep the drinks cool in summer.

Reply to
Simon Brown

Yeah, but thee is a difference between choosing to take a break and having to take a break. Whilst maybe doable, I don't see that anyone but someone who is a bit of an enthusiast for an elec car wanting to do that. I am someone who tends to like to take regular breaks when driving, but nI don't think I'd want that restriction

And most elec cars don't have that sort of range. Things like the Nisssan leaf you are talking maybe 100 miles as best

Reply to
Chris French

Huston, we have a problem. Nearest charger is Leeds 100+ miles away or Edinburgh 150 miles+ and only 20 in the UK don't make eye larf... Can a Tesla charge from the more widespread genric charge points and if so how long does that take for what range?

Perhaps one ought to chill out a bit more when driving? Having said that it probably depends when and where you are driving. Went to Preston Easter Monday, that wasn't a pleasant drive particulary south of Lancaster. The number of drivers on the M6 who hadn't a clue how to drive on motorways, 70 mph less than two car lengths apart, lane 2 hogging (I set the cruise just over 60, so either illegally under take or have to go out to lane 3 and back), the "magic indicator" either from incoming slip roads or lane changing. I go further south than Preston quite often and it's never as bad as it was Easter Monday. Occasionally busy with three lanes full all at 60 to 70 but well spaced and no magic indicators.

Having said that 170 miles is anything from 3 to 6 hours behind the wheel depending on the roads. I'd probably need a pee and possibly a coffee and bun but that doesn't take 30 mins. Also that 30 mins is presumably marketing speak and doesn't include the time to connect/disconnect, authorisation, payment (free in the US but are they free over here?)

But long fuel stops and if you are third in the queue with the others taking a full charge (1 1/4 hours) not just a top up any schedule of getting to your destination on time goes out the window.

Had a tediously slow diesel pump yesterday. I'd guesstimate 0.1 l/sec but that means 13 1/2 minutes for the 81 l delivery, I'm sure it wasn't *that* long! But even so I won't have to refuel for 550+ miles.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

So why are we building the damn things? Hasn't the mantra for quite a while being "let the market decide"?

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

Now ypou come to mention it, yes, probably.

The bigger a thermal store is, the easier it is to insulate as the ratio of mass to surface are goes up.

bloody great hot water swimming pool of cast concrete surrounded by expanded poly inside the foundations is the answer.

Use off peak leccy to charge, and pull the heat out via a secondary heat exchanger

If you want a boiled baby just lower on the end of a string ;-)

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

yes, but the principle is the same. The more mass you have the lower are the losses.

icebergs last longer than snowflakes....

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

If you need a break that frequently on a journey, I deduce you drive like a manioc. Unless you're going at 35mph the whole way, perhaps?

Reply to
Tim Streater

No. The mantra has been 'throw other peoples money at our useless technology' for 10 years now.

There is no electricity market as such, its ALL subsidised and those that shout loudest (greens) get the most money.

Its optimised for profit and ideology not for cost effective solutions.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

He drives like a root vegetable?

Reply to
Huge

No - I just take my breaks at recommended intervals is (about 100-120 miles in my case) doing 60mph average on the motorway (M25 4-5 lanes of side to side traffic). This happens to be when I judge I should have a break. Besides my knees get annoyed by being unable to straighten after about the same time.

So I still don't know what you're on about...

Reply to
Tim Watts

Bollocks it is.

I just listed the merits. You can go places, they are by all accounts a very fun drive (judging by all the vids on Youtube). And they are quiet and clean at the point of use. And the fact about having to plan refuelling is going to lessen in fairly short order. I want to rent one for a couple of days, perhaps in America next year, just for giggles. (Couldn't afford to rent for longer!).

Being "hideously expensive" does not mean they don't have merit.

Reply to
Tim Watts

Indeed - and that's why I'm quite enthusiastic about the Tesla - and not at all about the Prius (it has to cart two power units around - what's the point), or the baby electrics - but the latter do have some uses if

*all* you want is a town car. The problem is that you just can't occasionally go anywhere else.
Reply to
Tim Watts

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