Out of curiosity I rented this flic to see what it was really about. I was in for a slight shock...
I knew that electric vehicles were a reality, but I never really understood how close to launching large scale production the not-so-big 3 auto manufacturers had come.
I am stunned that the automotive industry did not embrace this achievement throughout the world. We really are addicted to fosil fuels. I think we are even more addicted to big vehicles in North America. This only compounds the coming problem we are about to face...
15 years ago I owned a car that did about 50 mpg... my Ford Festiva!
5 years ago I owned a car that did about 60 mpg... my little green GEO!
Now it is nearly impossible to find anything nearly as economical. WHY? I think this movie offers a good suggestion thread... don't just take my word or opinion for it - decide for yourselves and watch this movie when you have the chance.
I can no longer take any car-selling hype seriously. I don't want to be sold what car manufacturers want to sell the public. I don't want a big car. I don't want a gas powered car. I don't need an insulated living room on wheels to get me to the store. I don't want an SUV.
Here in the north, people think that this electric technology would be useless. I DISAGREE!
The cold of winter does pose a problem, but it can easily be overcome:
Cold weakens batteries therefore they have to be kept in an insulated heated battery storage compartment. When batteries charge, they heat-up. If the heat from the charging process is not sufficient enough, the storage compartment can be augmented with heat tape strips, similar to what is used to keep pipes from freezing in winter.
If lithium batteries are too sensitive in the cold, may I suggest using the newer high-capacity lead acid batteries? These batteries look like a 6-pack of cans in a single case and are about 1/2 the size of a standard car battery. They would be a good midpoint between the low-end lead acid batteries and the high-end lithium batteries.
The heating system in a vehicle could be a dual system. By using a ceramic heating coil in the environmental controls, an electric vehicle could heat the incoming airflow without using the heat from an non-existant internal combustion engine. The only problem with an electric heater is decreased driving range, depending upon how much charge the heating system shunts from main battery storage. For colder weather operation a secondary heating system could be optional. A seperate propane or alcohol heating system could be easily made available; remember, this is not new technology to the transportation industry (locomotives, trucks, and other insulated transports).
For anyone who has seen the Apollo display at Cape Canaveral there is no doubt that electric vehicles can be easily produced and fueled. HELL, if NASA could send 3 men to the Moon in those tiny tin cans we call capsules two generations ago, we should have no problem sending an electric car down the road in mid January in Northern Canada. What's a little snow to a well INSULATED vehicle. (Did I mention insulating the vehicles against the elements?)
So, with the correct combination of battery type, storage design, environmental control systems (heat) and vehicle insulation, electric vehicles could work quite well in an extreme environment...
BUT the question is: Can we figure this out and produce it before fuel reaches $3 per Litre, never mind $3 per gallon?
...only time will tell...
