Originally Posted By: Garak
Things change, given enough time. I'm not some big fan of electric racing or proponent of electric cars, but I'm sure many horse racing enthusiasts found it hard to get excited about automobile racing.
Yes they do. I think when it comes to racing and performance, electric cars are fun, and even exciting to some degree. (We've all seen the videos of the stripped down Tesla beating the Hellcat). But from a practical standpoint of powering private vehicles across the country in a timely fashion. And on a daily, practical, cost effective basis, we're decades away..... If it ever even happens at all. Battery technology, along with recharge distance and times are no where near where they need to be at this point.
Off in the distant future it may be. But right now these thing are nothing but overpriced toys for the guy who has everything. And simply wants the technology, because he likes and believes in it. And that's just fine. But it's not going to take gasoline powered vehicles off new car lots anytime soon.
I think the problem is people tend to take this Pikes Peak, Formula-E, and Tesla stuff, and run with it too quickly. All in an attempt to connect the dots to a world full of electric cars they want to believe are just around the corner. It will take a worldwide diminished petroleum supply, to drive the cost of development of these things, to where they need to be in order to succeed in the marketplace. And that could be over a century away, or even longer. It won't happen on it's own because there simply isn't enough need at the moment.
Even Tesla wouldn't be where it is today based on it's own sales. It has received billions of dollars from the government to help it along. And I won't even get into the whole Solyndra financial debacle. This type of technology cannot be legislated by a "green" government. It has to be developed in the private business sector. In a market climate that will support it with good, solid profitability. That just doesn't exist at the moment. Will it in the future? Perhaps. Then again, who knows what might come along in the future that leaves batteries and electric cars in the dust.
And when you add in the fact gasoline powered vehicles are getting cleaner and more fuel efficient every year, it will slow down the desire and the need for development of electric vehicles even more. Along with the batteries they require, to be anywhere near as long lasting as they need to be, to directly compete with the gasoline powered cars of today, and the future. But I agree, it is fun to watch all the tinkering and experimentation.
Things change, given enough time. I'm not some big fan of electric racing or proponent of electric cars, but I'm sure many horse racing enthusiasts found it hard to get excited about automobile racing.
Yes they do. I think when it comes to racing and performance, electric cars are fun, and even exciting to some degree. (We've all seen the videos of the stripped down Tesla beating the Hellcat). But from a practical standpoint of powering private vehicles across the country in a timely fashion. And on a daily, practical, cost effective basis, we're decades away..... If it ever even happens at all. Battery technology, along with recharge distance and times are no where near where they need to be at this point.
Off in the distant future it may be. But right now these thing are nothing but overpriced toys for the guy who has everything. And simply wants the technology, because he likes and believes in it. And that's just fine. But it's not going to take gasoline powered vehicles off new car lots anytime soon.
I think the problem is people tend to take this Pikes Peak, Formula-E, and Tesla stuff, and run with it too quickly. All in an attempt to connect the dots to a world full of electric cars they want to believe are just around the corner. It will take a worldwide diminished petroleum supply, to drive the cost of development of these things, to where they need to be in order to succeed in the marketplace. And that could be over a century away, or even longer. It won't happen on it's own because there simply isn't enough need at the moment.
Even Tesla wouldn't be where it is today based on it's own sales. It has received billions of dollars from the government to help it along. And I won't even get into the whole Solyndra financial debacle. This type of technology cannot be legislated by a "green" government. It has to be developed in the private business sector. In a market climate that will support it with good, solid profitability. That just doesn't exist at the moment. Will it in the future? Perhaps. Then again, who knows what might come along in the future that leaves batteries and electric cars in the dust.
And when you add in the fact gasoline powered vehicles are getting cleaner and more fuel efficient every year, it will slow down the desire and the need for development of electric vehicles even more. Along with the batteries they require, to be anywhere near as long lasting as they need to be, to directly compete with the gasoline powered cars of today, and the future. But I agree, it is fun to watch all the tinkering and experimentation.
