Author Topic: Tesla Motors (Read 848 times)

Ghosth · « **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2006, 08:03:50 AM »

Think Hybrid.

Actually if you REALLY wanted a car that could do it all.
Think steam /electric hybrid.

Could burn sold/liquid fuel such as waste oil, wood pellets, corn, coal, wood,
grass, newspaper, cardboard, alcohol, virtually anything that burns. It could do it cleanly, effeciently, with no dependance on foriegn oil.

Convert that heat to steam, drive a generator with it.

The biggest problem with the steam car was that it was slower to start
up. Took 5 - 15 minutes to fire up enough steam to move.
Well with a steam/electric hybrid, thats not a problem.

So if we really needed to we could burn our own garbage to get around.

If we are willing to try.

Or you can continue to give the oil company's 3 - 5 dollars per gallon just to get from point a to point b.

The other alternative would be to go back to Tesla's idea.
Broadcast the power into the air, put an antenna on the car, and go where you liked.

Nashwan · « **Reply #16 on:** July 23, 2006, 08:11:51 AM »

Quote

250 miles between charges

They claim they expect 250 miles one the EPA highway cycle. That assumes an average speed of less than 50 mph, and a max of 60 mph, and excludes the stop start of urban driving.

I'd be suprised if it did more than 100 miles in the real world of hills and towns and hard acceleration.

Edit: they say the battery pack is 1,000 lbs Li-ion. They don't say the storage capacity, but that should be a maximum of about 90 Kw/h.

That's about the same as 2.5 US gallons of gasoline. Granted an electric motor in a car is far more efficient than a petrol engine, but it's still the energy desity of 2.5 gallons of gasoline dragging a very heavy car (the battery alone weighs 1000 lbs).

Jackal1 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 23, 2006, 08:37:55 AM »

The Tesla will be offered in two models in 2007.
The standard 2 wheel drive model...........

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------or the optional 4 wheel drive model.

In case of a collision in which the auto is considered totaled , your vehicle will still be of use to you . The coil may be used as a source for remote neon power, to rid yourself of pesky neighbors and many, many more nifty uses.

lazs2 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 23, 2006, 09:40:29 AM »

Since you ask... I think it is a very ugly car. Very expensive too. I would not want one for myself.

That does not mean that I don't want other people to buy it. I am glad that private enterprise is doing the research and that there are enough idle rich or eccentrics to buy their stuff.

From this car may come something good. Right now it is just an expensive, poorly functioning toy with a short range that adds to the load of our coal burning and petro burning power plants. It probly gets about 25 miles with the ac or heater on but....

Someday we may (if the government quits meddling) get some solar panels that are in the 80% efficeint range so that 2 or 3 4' by 8' panels will supply all the electrical for most homes and enough to charge batteries to boot..

At that point.... we will be glad all the eccentrics bought such toys as these cars and helped them evolve to something useable and... brought down the price in so doing.

The real key to making the world a better place for all is free, or relatively free.... electricity.

lazs

Furball · « **Reply #19 on:** July 23, 2006, 09:45:02 AM »

Lazs dream car: -

lazs2 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 23, 2006, 09:46:11 AM »

Allready trying to figure out how to get a big block 502 inch motor in it furbie.

lazs

Furball · « **Reply #21 on:** July 23, 2006, 09:49:14 AM »

i think you should start thinking about how you are gonna fit in it too...

lazs2 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 23, 2006, 10:02:53 AM »

LOL furbie... that is a sore point.. at over 6' I sometimes forget it.

When I put the small block into the Healey.... I realized that.... I no longer fit in the car. I had to hack up the old battery cover area and move the seat back six inches from where it was at it's furthest back stock position.

lazs

mipoikel · « **Reply #23 on:** July 23, 2006, 11:33:30 AM »

Smart is going to USA soon. http://www.smartusa.com/

I see those daily here, actually it is quite funny vehicle.

Maverick · « **Reply #24 on:** July 23, 2006, 12:53:12 PM »

How long are those smart cars?

J_A_B · « **Reply #25 on:** July 23, 2006, 01:20:24 PM »

I think the "smart" car got its name because if you live in a northern city, it's smarter to commute in one of those than on a motorcycle.

J_A_B

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #26 on:** July 23, 2006, 01:33:45 PM »

The smart 2-seater is so short you can park it crossways to a normal parking spot on the curb. I've seen it done in Greece.

Some guy parked his Smart in the crack between two parked regular cars sideway.

BGBMAW · « **Reply #27 on:** July 23, 2006, 02:33:26 PM »

if we stop buying mid east oil..they will all stave and die!!

dont kill the middel east!

we will then need to send "aid" to them

Suave · « **Reply #28 on:** July 23, 2006, 05:20:34 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Rolex
Range is 250 miles with efficiency @ < 2 cents per mile.

You must be thinking of some other car?

250 miles between charges, that means max radius from charger is 125 road miles. In other words roughly 100 miles. In some countries thats a good distance, but in the states that's a comute to work or an airport, and in rural US that's a trip to the grocery store. The same thing can probably said for countries like Canada, China, Austrailia or Russia.

So yes, an $80k comuter car. Which, in most places, will be fueled by a coal burning power plant.

And less than 2 cents per mile? I don't believe that for a second, that is actually cheaper than walking.

lazs2 · « **Reply #29 on:** July 24, 2006, 09:03:33 AM »

To get that kind of range you might not want to turn on the ac or heat or defrost or headlights or windshield wipers. or... radio if you are one of those that likes a powerful stereo.

lazs