Who killed The Electric Car?

I was looking thru my weekly searching of documentaries on 9/11 and other things and I found this video.

I found it to be quite interesting to say the least...

It talks about how in the 90's they came out with electric cars in Cali, and all of a sudden recalled all the cars. It goes into detail on why this happened.

Anyway I find it interesting because in EU there are cars that go roughly 80 mpg and we cant even crack 50.

Anyway here is the video.

Just finished watching it... I have seen people mention electric cars being all the rage versos times on this forum...

It was an interesting watch and I think that they need to start making more pure electric cars.. but what will they do to the gas cars? A lot of people will lose money. Although, making it illegal is absurd to me.

Is their actually a law or is it GM and others that realize the cars will be cheap and last a long time, also possibly having deals or investors of oil company's.

I thought the oil companies bought all technology like this out. I think its so they can control the market

There are two problems with the electric car that probably held it back.

1. If electric cars became popular, the power grid as it now exists would not be able to produce enough electricity to charge up the cars. This would require that several more power plants be built.

2. The energy that makes the electricity that powers the cars has to come from some source. This source would most likely be coal, and so the extra coal burned to power the electric cars may not create a net reduction in polution.

Of course the easy and most feasible solution to this problem would be to build more nuclear power plants to power the electric cars. This of course would require a massive paradigm shift in energy and environmental policies as well as trying to convince the average person nuclear power plants are not going to make their children grow seven arms.

I had seen that when it first came out and had
recommended that to all my friends to see.

I thought it to be a great film on great technology
that was taken away by greed.

Almost every excuse is cooked up to discredit these machines,
to keep people NOT interested, and doubt them.

I myself believe that since it is recharged from being plugged in in to
your house and what not, it will not require more power plants to charge them for everybody. heck unplug your extra alarm clock, or one of
the many extras thats kept plugged in doing nothing wasting electricity.

If there were to be extra power plants needed it wouldn't needed to be coal. You can gain power from things like solar, water and wind.
It is done many ways. No need to rely on pollution.
heck tap into the free energy of the earth.
There are many ways to do this.

There are companies out now that are doing total electric example Tesla
( I want one so bad ). They need more support from people to get
this mass marketed. So we don't have to rely on oil for everyday use.

Now the question is can we do this as an everyday person?
Yes, because nothing stops you from converting to a
different source of power. We as people do not need to
bow down to the corp greed, we need to voice our opinions
and get things done right.

Thanks for posting this. I had forgotten about this film and had been wanting to see it.

Originally posted by hotpinkurinalmint
The energy that makes the electricity that powers the cars has to come from some source. This source would most likely be coal, and so the extra coal burned to power the electric cars may not create a net reduction in polution.

Well, think about this, even if the source for the electricity is coal, electric (and hybrid) cars don't idle. Imagine how much gas is burnt everyday simply to keep our engines running at stop lights and whatnot. So, electric (and, again, hybrid) cars don't waste energy in that sense. But besides that, I think the idea would be to eventually get to where we are charging at solar stations and such places rather than using conventionally produced electricity.

Anywho, great film. As if I wasn't going to like it.

reply to post by evilod


As far as electric cars not wasting energy when they idle, they would still consume a large amount of energy nonetheless. Our power grid is not ready to provide that energy and other sources like solar are not efficient enough yet to provide that energy either. Perhaps our power gird *should* be ready to accombidate electric cars, but that is another story.

Good documentary, well made, as said though it didn't cover the energy concerns mentioned here. I don't understand why cars like this are put out on the market if they don't intend to mass market them.

reply to post by Bumr055


Brilliant documentary - with a hopeful conclusion.

It is clear that the oil industry will run out of product and the US motor industry will itself be crushed.
All the US car industry's squandered research will be taken up by China, which will be making the electric cars of the future.

So much for American capitalism.

Originally posted by hotpinkurinalmint

There are two problems with the electric car that probably held it back.

1. If electric cars became popular, the power grid as it now exists would not be able to produce enough electricity to charge up the cars. This would require that several more power plants be built.

2. The energy that makes the electricity that powers the cars has to come from some source. This source would most likely be coal, and so the extra coal burned to power the electric cars may not create a net reduction in polution.

Of course the easy and most feasible solution to this problem would be to build more nuclear power plants to power the electric cars. This of course would require a massive paradigm shift in energy and environmental policies as well as trying to convince the average person nuclear power plants are not going to make their children grow seven arms.

Excellent assessment hotpinkurinalmint. The answer of course is fusion reactors. Fusion reactors powered by Helium3 are a reality but highly secret. If that techonology replaced our current reactors we would be paying $.04 per kilowatt hour.

The power plants where I live are all Hydro, it's pretty clean power. We will need more power plants anyways every time a new house is built it uses 100 times more energy than a electric car, that reasoning is so bogus.

And the switch would be gradual, not overnight too. It's not for everybody like communters over 100km.

The corporations are are greedy and government is stupid for siding with them.

Imagine if this technology was pursued, then they could kiss off the middle east for oil. But no kill the electric car and go fight a war for oil instead. Just how stupid can our leaders be?

Great documentary !!!
I didn't know this was going on. I had heard about
an electric car but had no idea how to get one. Course
I don't live anywhere near California. Sometimes I think
living as a backwoods redneck has it's disadvantages

But I would love to own one, but the $100,000 price tag
kind of prices me out of the game even though with oil
at $100.00 a barrel I would probably spend more money
in gas on a regular vehicle over a period of 10 years than
the price of the electric version's sticker shock.

Maybe prices will come down or maybe a conversion
kit for my SUV is in order.

Originally posted by hotpinkurinalmint
As far as electric cars not wasting energy when they idle, they would still consume a large amount of energy nonetheless.

Not nearly as much energy as i consumed by the process which is normally used to extract that much more oil.

Our power grid is not ready to provide that energy

The power grid in the US and many other countries are geared for 'peak periods' of usage and if all cars are charged at night there are very few countries that will experience problems with generation capacity.

and other sources like solar are not efficient enough yet to provide that energy either.

Where did you hear that and why have you chosen to believe it?

Perhaps our power gird *should* be ready to accombidate electric cars, but that is another story.

We could have had electric cars before we ever had gas fueled cars and the shift to gas happened due to the fact that it was at the time a by product an thus exceedingly cheap. If we invested in battery technology what we did in IC engines, to say nothing of nuclear and fusion, we would have never had a gas fueled transportation economy.

Stellar

One of the major problems with any new fuel sorce is LAWYERS! People want to buy a car in Panama then move to Alaska without buying a new car. We need regional cars something with a 200 mile range would cover most peoples day to day needs. The Ac unit in your full sized car is big enough to cool your house no problem (35k btu I think) and the heater would be simulary sized. Going down the highway doesn't take near the power those 2 beast do. How many people want to go without heat and AC? It was 28F this morning in south west Michigan.

mikell

Edit to add ona side note I need a 220 volt European "Kill- A- Watt" meter ( brand name) I can't seem to find one anywhere on the net.

[edit on 28-11-2007 by mikellmikell]

The electric cars isnt killed, in fact it is in birth of gaining a market.

2. Then why arent they being mass produces?

they will as soon as people start buying them.
I for one will buy a hybrid (electrical/hybrid) car in 2009, when i have "killed" my already halfdead Skoda Felicia. Im getting a "hywet" wich they can already sell for 200,000 Dkr, thats about 30some thousand dollars. a normal price in Denmark for a new car.

out local communati has started to develop local plans for hydrogen production only based on clean energy from windmills, water and solar power.

2. why not go all electric and not use hydrogen?
you can just as well if you have enough money to buy one.
but the fact remains, that economy is much based on control of energy sources. so the controlling forces introduce energy that they once again can control, such as hydrogen. Because the controlling powers will have to sell you the hydrogen and that way keep controlling the energy flow to the public.
Besides that, a pure electric car has to have batteries that are so expensive to make, whereas hybrid cars (electrical/hydrogen) can combine both batteries and the electricity produces from hydrogen, using the hydrogen produces electricity to run smooth, with the batteri kicking in for peak peformance. Thats why hybrids are cheaper.

3. So if you wanna help the electric car...
start to plan on getting one yourself, or a hybrid to start with. spread the knowledge that there are alternatives to the fossil fuel vehicles.
Anything that shows you as the consumer demanding clean energy will be a step of the way to get rid of the fossil fuel engine.
Never expect the producers/moneymakers of todays energy and vehicles to go "queitly into the night" and start massproducing electric cars when their businesses are doing just fine.
you/me/everybody have to make the demand and take the responsibility of the purchases we make.

Electric cars are cool, but Diesel technology out paces it by alot. Why is everyone so "anti oil" if that oil was waste vegi oil, or new vegi oil(hemp,corn,peanut,any plant oil really). They put these filters in the exhaust any they have near zero emissions now(well in europe diesel cars at least). There are so many reasons to switch to deisel over electric I could go on for days. Diesel cars get 40-70mpg(and upwards of 120mpg in newwer cars using 1-3 cylinder engines with turbos). My buddy has a converted VW Golf TDI that can go a little under 1500 miles before a refill(which costs under 10$!!).

Electric cars are really only good for people who are rich,live in a city, and travel less than a few hundred miles(don't plan on ever going outside of that 200mi range, you may not get to a plug). If a car costs more than 10-15,000$ only 5-10% of the population will be able to afford an electric car(notice I said afford,ie without going into extreme debt). Auto repair shops can not fix them for the most part too(an auto mechanic is not an electrition). A car full of electrics is also bad if something shorts out and trashes the circuts. Diesel engines ignite the fuel using pressure and no spark plugs, you could never jump start an electric by pushing it.

Wiki-Diesel Enigine

please read up about Diesel engines, its an already affordable "alternative" fuel engine.

Originally posted by LordBaskettIV
Electric cars are cool, but Diesel technology out paces it by alot. Why is everyone so "anti oil" if that oil was waste vegi oil, or new vegi oil(hemp,corn,peanut,any plant oil really). They put these filters in the exhaust any they have near zero emissions now(well in europe diesel cars at least).

Diesel technology has been improved over many years and I'm sure electric/hydrogen cars will eventualy catch up. and the zero emission you talk about, because of the filters... well do some research on how to dispose the filters please.

There are so many reasons to switch to deisel over electric I could go on for days. Diesel cars get 40-70mpg(and upwards of 120mpg in newwer cars using 1-3 cylinder engines with turbos). My buddy has a converted VW Golf TDI that can go a little under 1500 miles before a refill(which costs under 10$!!).

I agree that you can travel a long way using the TDI engine, but 1500 miles on how many gallons? im sceptical about this.

Electric cars are really only good for people who are rich,live in a city, and travel less than a few hundred miles(don't plan on ever going outside of that 200mi range, you may not get to a plug).

Tesla motors have already made an electric car that goes 245 miles pr. charge, so where did you get that from?

If a car costs more than 10-15,000$ only 5-10% of the population will be able to afford an electric car(notice I said afford,ie without going into extreme debt).

price is a matter of units produces over a given amount of time, ofcourse "new" technology is expensive until it gets mass produces.

Auto repair shops can not fix them for the most part too(an auto mechanic is not an electrition). A car full of electrics is also bad if something shorts out and trashes the circuts.).

True, as long as there arent many of the vehicles on the road there wont be many auto repair shops that could fix them, but they will learn how to as the number increases. Besides maybe an electrician could help?

please read up about Diesel engines, its an already affordable "alternative" fuel engine.

affordable yes, but clean and good for the planet no.

Tesla had one that ran around Canada.

Most likely a myth.

No internal generator yet he replaced the car engine with a Westinghouse
electric motor.

An iron pipe took energy from the air and was operated on by 12 diodes
connected to a black box.

So was the energy wave in the air 6x the motor power or would the
motor need 6x the number of poles.

A power antenna, anyone heard of that.

Look at the bright side. There are new cancer clinics popping up everywhere. If we are lucky they will not let us suffer to much.

one thing i always wondered.

why do we need +1.5 tonne of car to transport an 80kg human?