Comments on: Jump-Starting The Electric Car Dream

Some Are Getting Charged Up About A "Crazy Idea" To Transform How We Drive

[ass_u_me]

Posted by msroregon at 9:35 AM : Mar 17, 2009

The solution (to getting energy) is from multiple sources, not just one.

Nucleur could be a very valuable part of the solution. However, biofuels, and all the other stuff you hear about, combined, will be the way out.

[fedup12]

But the majority of Americans will fight this like the plague.

Early adopters will only make it cheaper for the people that dont care to have cheaper gas longer.

I think it should be pushed, tax incentives etc... Eventually our dwindling supply of Crude will make it a moot point. (not necessarily just this idea but this and others like it)

[msroregon]

How about a new model for America, indeed. The Better Place story failed to address, except in a single sentence, the negative aspects of this undertaking. The amount of electricity needed has to come from somewhere and alternative sources are not yet able to provide enough power for recharging large numbers of batteries. Is that progress? does it reduce the emissions from coal-generated electricity? and what of the disposal problems associated with batteries that can no longer be used? It seems likely that Better Place undertaking will create jobs. However, as the ideas are presented, I cannot undertand how it can be good for Planet Earth. The Better Place plan doesnt really ask us to reduce our driving, to use public transport, to rethink our basic relationships to our cars; it simply provides a way for us to continue doing what we do. That doesn't constitute a new model for America

[J_G_H]

A recent news story indicated that in two or three years we could get batteries which recharge in 5% of Setting up recharging stations in rest areas (also fast food sites) would enforce 20 minute rests every three or four hours, which is a safety plus. However, until such recharging sites are widespread across the country, probably 10-15 years, an electric drive car with a small gas or diesel genertator would be a workable interim solution.

[gmcnally4]

We do not need hydrogen cars. They will always be more expensive than electric cars. I, for one, do not want to trade sending my money away to Exxon Mobil Oil to Exxon Mobil Hydrogen. Besides that, Hydrogen is currently made from oil. Ever wonder why Bush supported it?

[gmcnally4]

I am all for the charging stations, but the whole 'lease a battery' thing is ridiculous. The tech is here for fast charging (Phoenix), we don't need to swap batteries. Solar tech is almost ready for everyone (First Solar, Nansolar), as is second generation lead acid battery technology (Axiom, Firefly). Let me buy a car that never needs anything but my roof top to charge and free me from the people that want to make me their slave like Shai Agassi. Shai's dream is for a better place for himself, where he is stupid rich instead of merely rich. The jobs he will create are working for him, managing his money. How about a new model for society, America. Make life freer and better. Make things that last and are good for the most people. This is not a good idea, and technology will displace it soon enough. Stop wasting our money.

[rf35]

If this had the slightest chance of working, Mr. Agassi would have been killed months ago by oil company hit-men. Instead of battery-swapping stations, we need to concentrate on hydrogen filling stations. Hydrogen fuel cell cars are beyond the prototype stage. The main hold-up with these is the lack of infrastructure. Once in place, fuel cell vehicles can move into mass manufacture and the price will drop to become comparable to gas-powered autos.

[getyourbone]

wrightraider,

I encourage you to check www.betterplace out. One aspect that Shai Agassi has stated is that Better Place will Purchase electrons from renewable sources. In fact, since most charging will occur during the night, it is a perfect match for wind power when most wind generated electricity is occurs. Israel is building a solar plant sized to the expected need for charging the vehicles.

There are hours of interviews on youtube. Just type in Shai Agassi or Better Place.

Sincerely

Steve

[poguenyt]

Wrightraider wrote: "So the public utility that burns coal to produce the electricity to charge the battery of this electric car makes this "green" technology - "save the climate" crisis?"

No. Better Place has stated that it will use only electricity generated by green tech: wind and solar.

--Pogue

[panacam]

One other thing that might need consideration: Standardization of the batteries! Everybody builds a car but everyone builds a different battery! So called swappout stations would need to carry at least 40 batteries for each model of car if each car is different in it's battery configuration. Granted, bigger batteries for bigger cars but still, that can be standardaized too!
THEN, there is the infrastructure for the power grid needed to charge batteries anywhere you go! This would require consideration to Solar and Wind power in local areas to accommadate the needed power for recharge. The idea could work but if everything is not planned at the same time, you will have stalled cars on the freeway and intersections of town that ran out of power because there were no swappout stations or power outlets to charge from.

[wrightraider]

So the public utility that burns coal to produce the electricity to charge the battery of this electric car makes this "green" technology - "save the climate" crisis? Think again. Less foreign oil - yes. Innovative - yes. Can we run a story on the many merits of building more cars capable of running on compressed natural gas (CNG)? CNG is more environmentally friendly and efficient than coal as an energy source.

[optimystic]

I think it is a great idea, but I wonder about the logistics on high traffic days. Can they recharge batteries fast enough to keep swapping them on the day before Thanksgiving? If the answer is yes, is the business model sound? That much capacity will cost money all the time (paying off the capital investment). In other words. a station that can recharge 200 batteries at once will rarely need to be charging more than 40 at a time (I am making the numbers up, but you get the idea) but it will always have the equipment on hand.