I don't think you understand how hybrids work. The a/c system for example, is a magnitude of 100 times more efficient than an ac system on a gas powered vehicle, in fact I actually have to wonder why gas vehicles haven't switched to electric a/c yet. But they will eventually. The fuel savings would be astronomical. Electric steering has already proven to make a vehicle 10% more efficient than the same vehicle with conventional power steering, and a/c takes even more power to run than power steering .
That is completely beside the point for the person buying the car. For them it's this simple: The car was $31,000, now it's $15,500. Hence making them more likely to buy it. Your argument has nothing whatsoever to do with the point I was making. So? Either the range works for you or it does not. If it doesn't, for whatever reason, then the car is a bad choice. Well, people with small cars pay less than people with gas guzzlers. And the CAFE standards are going up, so ultimately we are heading there anyway. But for now? I can't say I care much. One of the benefits to not buying gas is not having to pay gas taxes.
Sure they love having someone else having to earn the money to buy their car, but it doesn't lower the cost of the car, something liberal mindset doesn't seem able to comprehend like free health care. There are only so many amps in the battery, if you are sitting there running the A/C in that Atlanta heat during that congestion it lowers your already very limited range. No we are not unless we start taxing electric vehicles for road use, they use and wear out roads no differently from a similar size gas powered car. So shouldn't you and those who drive them pay their fair share? Actually it's real simple, get rid of the gas tax and start taxing tires up front based on mileage rating. Include it in the cost of a new vehicle. - - - Updated - - - We we talking an electric.
While I agree with you that Obama has created a horrible economy, fact is other comparable cars (comparable in terms of pricing) are selling well. There is just no demand for electric cars among the general population. Let's stop throwing good money after bad.
There may be no demand in America (despite Tesla announcing its first profitable year), but in Europe sales are slowly increasing. The new BMW i3 hits the dealers in the UK this month. http://www.economist.com/news/busin...-new-roads-profit-electric-cars-plugging-away http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car_use_by_country
Tesla would be losing money hand over fist if it wasn't for the government handouts it gets. Where is all the liberal whining about corporate welfare when it comes to Tesla? I could turn a profit too if the government gave me about $70 million in credits which I could sell to others. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs...success-is-the-result-of-political-favoritism Even with the support of federal and state politicians, Tesla would still be reporting losses were it not for its ability to profit off of other auto manufacturers in California. In the first quarter of 2013, Tesla reported its first-ever quarterly profit by using special credits from California's Air Resources Board, which rewards auto manufacturers for the production of "zero-emission" vehicles. So far this year, Tesla was able to turn what would have been a $57 million loss into an $11 million gain by selling $68 million worth of these credits to other auto manufacturers in California.
That's an experience I can relate to with hybrids. Many's the time that I have sat on the Capitol Beltway as literally thousands of cars surround me, all with their engines running. All of these hydrocarbons are being burned to turn air conditioners and play the radio. Thousands of gallons of gasoline and tons of emissions every day! And people take it for granted. My Prius sits in the same traffic jam and doesn't run at all, burning NOTHING. The air runs, the XM plays. When the storage battery drops below a certain point, the car starts and runs for a minute or two, and then shuts off. Imagine how much energy we would save if every car in that traffic jam did the same thing? Imagine how much cleaner that air would be? And all the people would still get where they are going just a soon and in just as much comfort.
Which makes the Volt a good choice, as it really doesn't matter about the range as it can switch to gas if it gets low on electricity. The Volt can also recharge it's self up to a point. I think it's through it's braking system.
Snake! Where have you been? All the big-name economists have told us repeatedly that, thanks to the brilliance of Obama's "stimulus" right after he became president, the recession ended in June 2009, over four freaking years ago! Don't take my word for it... look at the stories at these links: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/20/nber-great-recession-ended-in-june-2009/ http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500395_162-6884342.html http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/20/news/economy/recession_over/ http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/the-recession-has-officially-ended/?_r=0 If you think there's something wrong with the economy today, the fault must lie with you! Sure, we continue to blow billions upon billions on every conceivable form of welfare imaginable, because it results in votes for Democrats, as we see over and over. All parasites do is keep sucking until the host is completely drained of blood, but, please don't embarrass yourself -- the hooptie "Great Recession" is just "so over-with", as the children say....
Yes, it's regenerative breaking, a feature of all hybrid vehicles. It takes advantage of the law of conservation of energy. All Toyota hybrids have a "B" shift mode, which doubles the power of the regenerative braking going down a hill. It feels like downshifting. Only instead of compression braking, you have turned two electric motors into powerful generators, which are not only slowing the car down, but they're putting the inertia of moving object going down a hill into the batteries. I can ususally completely charge my hybrid battery going down the long 7% grade going into my town, and never touch the brake.
As opposed to the hydrocarbons that produced the electricity in the batteries? Not much. Why do people who proport electric vehicles seem to think electricity just exist, it doesn't have to be produced first?
While you lug around 400 lb's of dead weight with an underpowered engine. And the Volt does not recharge itself unless there has been a major redesign in the last year.
2012 Chevrolet Volt Review | Edmunds.com www.edmunds.com Chevrolet Volt Hatchback‎ The battery can only be completely recharged through either a 120- or 240-volt outlet, but regenerative braking and the engine generator can replenish it slightly ... Quote Originally Posted by Marine1 View Post Which makes the Volt a good choice, as it really doesn't matter about the range as it can switch to gas if it gets low on electricity. The Volt can also recharge it's self up to a point. I think it's through it's braking system.
That battery with that underpowered engine can still take you all across the country, or back and forth to work on one charge depending on how far your work is from your home. It also has the highest customer satisfaction in it's class two years in a row.
