Engineering Explained video: Why Gas Engines Are Far From Dead - Biggest EV Prob

[JeffKeryk]

Originally Posted by Dave9

and senseless toys for everyone else.

Agreed; I consider all Teslas toys. So are Porsches, Beemers, Corvettes, Caddys, etc. Mercedes Benz! No one needs a Tesla, except to get in the computer lane perhaps... And many pickup truck purchases are toys as well. A Honda Civic is a sensible car.

 

[PimTac]

The latest flooding here in the PNW tested the vulnerability of EVs. While regular vehicles transited flooded stretches, the occasional blue flash signified another Tesla headed for the early grave.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted by Dave9

Fossil fuels are renewable energy. Batteries are not. Finding novel ways to generate electricity, which is only a % of the total power, misses the bigger picture that there is no more effective long term method of keeping a green cycle than using plants to capture solar energy and harvesting the energy from them - with more efficient means than we presently do.

That would be bio fuels, not fossil fuels.

 

[Schmoe]

One other aspect that wasn't covered, life expectancy of the batteries. From what I've read, those battery packs need to be replaced around 100K. That's a lot of waste and nowadays with good maintenance, an ICE can easily go over 100K miles. When that engine does give up the ghost, almost 100% of it can be recycled. For those of us that have a garage and a place to charge it, some of his points were valid. However, the vast majority of people are forced to park in the streets or outside so charging is not feasible.

 

[Rmay635703]

Originally Posted by PimTac

The latest flooding here in the PNW tested the vulnerability of EVs. While regular vehicles transited flooded stretches, the occasional blue flash signified another Tesla headed for the early grave.

Sounds like bad design, I had my 81 Comutacar with water halfway up the door and it kept going while gas cars stalled out or flew off the road trying to fly through the water. I did have to power wash and drain the diff but that's minor. Car still runs today 10 years later

 

[cjcride]

Originally Posted by Dinoburner

Those of us ho travel in cold hilly mountanous areas will most likely wait until the electrics are better sorted out.

Yes, cold temperatures lower available battery power quite a bit.

 

[Rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Schmoe

From what I've read, those battery packs need to be replaced around 100K. That's a lot of waste and nowadays with good maintenance, an ICE can easily go over 100K miles. When that engine does give up the ghost, almost 100% of it can be recycled.

Lol, you are thinking of a Prius with its little Rc car battery EV batteries are warranted through 150,000 miles in all carb states. Sparkie the 2012 Volt has close to 500,000 miles on its original battery. The only cars that suck because the battery looses capacity (but still works) is the early Nissan Leaf . Further there is a VERY STRONG OVERPRICED aftermarket for junk EV batteries and yes they are recyclable

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted by Rmay635703

Maybe he gets more subs by creating drama where there is none?... In any event His content as Of late seems to be following an agenda as opposed to things of actual interest. Quality has gone downward here.

I think that ultimately, people talk about what they know. His area of interest seems to be combustion engines, so that's what he talks about--and clearly there are some biases running deep that stops him from objectively looking at EV's. Often times there's a believe that trained engineers are somehow immune to cognitive biases, but the reality is the old rubric is often true: the biggest obstacle to discovery is the illusion of knowledge. This guy seems like a prime example of that tenant.

 

[Sayjac]

Originally Posted by JOD

....Often times there's a believe that trained engineers are somehow immune to cognitive biases, but the reality is the old rubric is often true: the biggest obstacle to discovery is the illusion of knowledge...…..

I like that! Food for thought.

 

[fdcg27]

The best EVs currently available have the equivalent of 5-6 gallons of gas with a fully charged battery pack as compared to my nearly 48 mpg average HAH, so not so awful. Most of us drive routes wear an EV would make perfect sense and most of us also own more than one car, so an EV could serve as one member of a family fleet. The grid problem is real and if EVs are to reach the market penetration that many forecast over the next couple of decades, we're going to need radical increases in generating capacity as well as a considerable upgauging of the distribution grid down to the residential street level. Most of us don't live in areas where solar would be practical. Certainly not here where we may not see the sun for weeks at a time over the winter, the upside of this being that when we do get clear weather over the winter, it's typically accompanied with extreme cold. The only real way of achieving the generating capacity needed would involve lots of new nuclear capacity with ground being broken now. We're seeing this where?