Thread: Electric Cars

Originally Posted by zedcars

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The pitfall of these cars including the lack of range added to the cost kerb side weight of the early motor vehicles was their downfall, either by electric or ICE. Built to withstand the state of roads, or lack of them, they were heavy cumbersome and expensive to build & maintain.
Then:-

Along came Henry Ford and his model T.
Lightweight in construction, easy to build on a production line, with compliant suspension it was also cheap to buy for the masses! In fact bloody marvelous for the time!

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As you say, the problem with early electric cars was the same as today - cost and range mainly.

But electric starters were earlier than you suggest - Kettering's patent was 1911, Cadillacs were fitting them in 1912, and even Ford in 1919. Electric cars were essentially done by 1914 - anyone who could afford an electric car could afford a Cadillac (or other luxury cars that quickly followed Cadillac in fitting starters).

Contrary to popular thought, the Ford T was not designed for mass production - Introduced in 1908, like all its competitors, it was hand built. But sales were so good that mass production on a moving assembly line was introduced from 1910 in a new purpose designed factory.

The reason for its success? It was well designed, and advanced for its time. Just about the first car with a detachable cylinder head, the first to use high alloy steel for all critical components (Ford had to bully the US steel industry into catching up with Europe to supply the steel), the first to incorporate the crankcase with the cylinder block in a single casting. These and other features added up to a car that performed well, mainly because it was tough and light, and because of its relatively low cost, the result of good design (cost of manufacture was carefully thought about - Ford was making a car for the middle class, not like almost all other manufacturers, who were making cars for the wealthy. As assembly line production was introduced, cost and price came down, bringing it eventually into the price range of lower middle class, and, because of its durability, second hand to the lower class).

John

There is progress being made in other forms of electric transport too.

The FXSuperbike Championship includes races for electric bikes. Last year they reduced their lap times by 10 seconds and reduced them by a further 5 second this year.

More information is available here:
Formula Xtreme News Item

evmotorcycle | Electrify your ride!

http://www.egrandprix.com/

The Australian teams don't have the financial backing of US and UK electric bike teams. An indication of what is possible with a bit of financial support is the the fact that a bike has recently completed a lap of the Isle of Man at an average speed of 104mph (167km/h). Apart from the fact that you have to be certifiably insane to ride a motorcycle around that course at that speed, it is interesting to note that the 100mph barrier wasn't broken by petrol powered bikes until 1957.

Electrifying stuff on the Isle of Man | Autocar

Thanks to you two blokes JDNSW1 & VNX205--useful posts

VNX's post on the bikes was very interesting and I will have something to really natter about the next time I pick up the phone and talk to an old mate in Perth WA.

We grew up in Gloucester UK, our fathers were raised in the same slum like neighbourhood, we shared the same name, "Williams"!
We went to opposing grammar schools and fought it out on the rugger field.
He went into electrical stuff in the same tech college as me doing motor vehicle. We chased the same girls hanging about with us biker types, he married one of them I was his best man. I am on my third--a keeper from the USA.
He went to your side & I went to this side but we have always kept in touch 'cos mates is mates!

One thing though we have always had a keen interest in electric cars, so much of our time is spent talking about them, and we have done so for more than 30 bloody years. I can hear the comment before phone-Here they bloody go again lecky cars leckie bikes!
Cheers Dennis
zedcars

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Would be nice to think so (assuming electric vehicles, not hybrids), and it may happen. But there are severe hurdles to overcome. The first one is range - barring serious breakthroughs, this means they cannot be used for long distance travel, which may suit many urban dwellers who never travel anywhere except locally or where public transport is available. But most of Australia's minor towns and villages have poor or no public transport. This implies that urban dwellers need one electric and one other, perhaps hybrid, which may work for many people, but not for many others. It would help if fixed costs (registration, insurance etc) could be moved to usage costs, to encourage ownership of special purpose vehicles.

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There is a concept/patent (and last I heard a trial in Israel) of a standard sized swappable battery pack. That would mean that instead of stopping at a servo to refuel, you would stop and swap battery packs in much the same way as you swap BBQ gas bottles now.

Its all lightweight stuff, towny cars.
No one ton , 4wd or light truck motorhome etc stuff thats made to work.

Originally Posted by 123rover50

Electric cars crushed. Not heard of this before.

everyone please refer to slide 26 and everyone say it with me..

Oh FFS...

it was almost not quite credible till that slide then it was, as is the rest of it, hogwash.

Originally Posted by 123rover50

Its all lightweight stuff, towny cars.
No one ton , 4wd or light truck motorhome etc stuff thats made to work.

I dunno about that.

These are electric (sort of).



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Originally Posted by isuzurover

There is a concept/patent (and last I heard a trial in Israel) of a standard sized swappable battery pack. That would mean that instead of stopping at a servo to refuel, you would stop and swap battery packs in much the same way as you swap BBQ gas bottles now.

based on mobile phone system.Israel organisation has permision to set up system in OZ.At a presentation last year they gave the example that it works in small countries like europe.but to get into the USA they have to prove it can work in OZ.the presentation called australia 6 island with conections.operating in th city close to recharge points or battery swaps on open road.

range is 150Km between stationscharge lasts up to 200Km.charge the car from a home [smart grid] and the car sends a bill to your account--not the point of charge.

taxi are operating with the system in japanchanging battery at end of shift in automated process.

Why do you think that smart grid/smart meters are being rolled out in bizare trial areas like upper hunter[new england hyway]????.