The ultimate TOAD...but you'll have to trailer it. Tesla

rk911 wrote:
we'll look into an electric car when re-charging or replacing the batteries takes about the same amount of time as filling up the tank and I can get 400-miles on a charge with some charge left over. did the Tesla dealer give you any insight into when that might be achieved?

good luck with your search.

I will reconsider a gasoline car when:

I can refuel at home for half the price.
Service intervals are 100,000+ miles.
The shifting and engine noise are reduced 90%.
Fuel economy is increased to 100+ mpg.

Has the GM, Ford, Toyota dealers given any insight into when this might be achieved?

800+ miles... I am probably in an airplane.

dodge guy wrote:
I read an article years ago on how the Hybrid cars have a bigger carbon foot print than a big gas guzzler (like my Excursion).

It went like this, the materials needed for the batteries needs to be mined from the earth, those materials then get shipped by freighter to get turned into a battery, then those batteries get shipped back to the supplier to be sent yet again to the needed manuf.

there is a lot of other steps I left out, but the general idea is shown. Hybrids are not as clean as they are made out to be!

And yes I believe the article.

I'm also not a fan of hybrids. I've driven a few and checked them out. Lots of moving parts and although reasonable mileage there is still oil to change, hoses, belts spark plugs filters etc etc etc. If I needed that kind of range I would probably stick with something a little simpler and more conventional.

Thats the nice thing about an electric. Not much to them. :)

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Strange thing is that 'hydro-power' isn't available come winter.......fossil plants in US supply the needed power in winter and then come summer the extra power from hydro is sent south.

That is how the WSCC functions in US/Canada.

The transmission grid is 'overloaded' ......has already been 'upgraded' (really nothing physically done just pushing more power across lines and resetting upper limits)

Wind turbines are failing.....already reaching their life expectancy
(Drive by Palm Springs.......majority aren't working)
Huge acres of solar arrays only produce 15MW

The 'GRID' is antiquated and NOBODY wants to invest due to environmental costs, land acquisitions, construction costs without a guaranteed rate of return

When the grid collapses CHAOS (simple as major transmission line go down at peak demand then rolling brown out turns into black out)

YEP.....more electric is the future.

Good morning.

It may depend on where you are but hydro power is avaiable all year where we are. Curious where you live where hydro stops in the winter.

Interesting comment on wind. Wind power continues to grow by 30 to 40 percent per year and the price to produce power through wind is now a quarter of what it was 30 years ago. China continues to be the leader in output growth although northern europe as a group continues to have large output increases. North America as well has strong growth.

Yes they require maintenance and yes they wear out but as they wear out they are replaced by better installations. A single turbine of today replaces dozens of the older types you see in the Palm Springs area. Upgrading is ongoing of course. Go for a tour of a winf farm. Interesting stuff.

Thanks.

I read an article years ago on how the Hybrid cars have a bigger carbon foot print than a big gas guzzler (like my Excursion).

It went like this, the materials needed for the batteries needs to be mined from the earth, those materials then get shipped by freighter to get turned into a battery, then those batteries get shipped back to the supplier to be sent yet again to the needed manuf.

there is a lot of other steps I left out, but the general idea is shown. Hybrids are not as clean as they are made out to be!

And yes I believe the article.

Strange thing is that 'hydro-power' isn't available come winter.......fossil plants in US supply the needed power in winter and then come summer the extra power from hydro is sent south.

That is how the WSCC functions in US/Canada.

The transmission grid is 'overloaded' ......has already been 'upgraded' (really nothing physically done just pushing more power across lines and resetting upper limits)

Wind turbines are failing.....already reaching their life expectancy
(Drive by Palm Springs.......majority aren't working)
Huge acres of solar arrays only produce 15MW

The 'GRID' is antiquated and NOBODY wants to invest due to environmental costs, land acquisitions, construction costs without a guaranteed rate of return

When the grid collapses CHAOS (simple as major transmission line go down at peak demand then rolling brown out turns into black out)

YEP.....more electric is the future.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
As a former 'power plant' operator I get a chuckle out of folks that 'swap' to electric cars as a means of lessening their 'carbon footprint'
(not saying that is what you have done)

Electricity has to be produced by some means..it comes at a price.

Electric cars are cool...neat innovation (course they have been around since electricity was industrialized).
They have come a long way.


BUT still use a resource that has to be replaced and the majority of that replacement is via fossil fuels. Which will continue to be the means for decades to come.

Can't disagree with anything there as of course the information is very regional. But change is needed and coming and the R and D has to be driven by something other than just whats the cheapest way. Otherwise we may as well just shut down agencies like the EPA in the US and all the similar organisations in the world. Go back to the smog of the 70's.

Interesting tidbit of info on the province where we live. If every vehicle in the province were to change tomorrow to electric, the total demand on the grid would go up 19 percent. The reserve through hydro power is actually quite a bit more than that and more is coming on line every year. So, like anything else, yah, it depends on the circumstances.

Being an EV owner I would have to say that without a doubt the reason for switching to an electric vehicle is usually not environmentally driven but rather performance, maintenance, convenience, comfort, never having to fill up a tank, change oil, filters, belts, hoses. Plug it in over night and every morning the tank is full. Not the right car for everybody and certainly not a truck but for many it is a huge improvement over a tail pipe and a gas tank. Your mileage may vary. :)

I recommend anyone and everyone take an electric vehicle for a test drive. It is a very cool experience. Not everyone is suitable to an electric as they have limitations but many are perfect fits for a car with a 100 mile range. Like the WHO said, If you switch a city of vehicles over to electric power, it doesn't matter where the power comes from, the air will be cleaner by a large margin the next day.

As a former 'power plant' operator I get a chuckle out of folks that 'swap' to electric cars as a means of lessening their 'carbon footprint'
(not saying that is what you have done)

Electricity has to be produced by some means..it comes at a price.

Electric cars are cool...neat innovation (course they have been around since electricity was industrialized).
They have come a long way.


BUT still use a resource that has to be replaced and the majority of that replacement is via fossil fuels. Which will continue to be the means for decades to come.

dodge guy wrote:

John & Angela wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
If it can`t be towed....its not a Toad!

Still nice cars though!

Meh, Lots of people tow on or in a trailer. We have a choice of towing 4 down or on a trailer and we always choose trailer. To each his own.

Here is our toad setup with our our little diesel smart. And the one below is Angelas Electric. Its bigger than the other smart but fits on the trailer.





I'm still coming to grips with the fact that it says ED on the side. sigh....

I meant that in it`s truest definition! ;) nothing against trailering anything. when the time comes and we get a MH, I`ll probably put the minivan on a trailer or dolly.

Advantages to both ways. We love the ability to back up. But Ya, i get what you are saying.

John & Angela wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
If it can`t be towed....its not a Toad!

Still nice cars though!

Meh, Lots of people tow on or in a trailer. We have a choice of towing 4 down or on a trailer and we always choose trailer. To each his own.

Here is our toad setup with our our little diesel smart. And the one below is Angelas Electric. Its bigger than the other smart but fits on the trailer.





I'm still coming to grips with the fact that it says ED on the side. sigh....

I meant that in it`s truest definition! ;) nothing against trailering anything. when the time comes and we get a MH, I`ll probably put the minivan on a trailer or dolly.

dodge guy wrote:
If it can`t be towed....its not a Toad!

Still nice cars though!

Meh, Lots of people tow on or in a trailer. We have a choice of towing 4 down or on a trailer and we always choose trailer. To each his own.

Here is our toad setup with our our little diesel smart. And the one below is Angelas Electric. Its bigger than the other smart but fits on the trailer.





I'm still coming to grips with the fact that it says ED on the side. sigh....