LiveWire LiveWire Price
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,460
Likes: 3,554
From: Idaho
Yes, you are correct. The leadership on the future of 100% electric is falling squarely in the wheelhouse of the auto industry right now. The 'ultimate' vision is the hydrogen 'fuel cell' to provide the electricity for the drive motor. The big battery and available charge station that this stage represents is actually just a station stop on the tracks to some other place in time. Honda may be first to market with a fuel cell/EV drive vehicle and that may actually be not too far off...time will tell but this has already been demonstrated in prototype. The public's distrust of hydrogen as a fuel may cause a few hiccups but together with the fuel stations needing to provide the infrastructure the goal is to have a situation as near to today's mode of transport as possible. You drive your EV vehicle until it needs fuel and you pull into the fuel station and take on a load of hydrogen and then leave on your way.
Whoooosh! Done!
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,460
Likes: 3,554
From: Idaho
I'm just lovin this 
.
Electric cars, trucks and bikes, windmills and solar panels are all falling on their **** for want of a common component which the technology of the day can barely conceive of let alone build; super-capacity storage ! Until the super-capacitor or battery, made from some new element or material yet to be discovered, is brought on line, all this **** will fail. Con Man Musk and governments around the world bet blindly that this crucial element in the renewable energy picture would be in existence by now. Snake eyes !
Son of Ethanol, episode II. The Force Ain't With You.
.Electric cars, trucks and bikes, windmills and solar panels are all falling on their **** for want of a common component which the technology of the day can barely conceive of let alone build; super-capacity storage ! Until the super-capacitor or battery, made from some new element or material yet to be discovered, is brought on line, all this **** will fail. Con Man Musk and governments around the world bet blindly that this crucial element in the renewable energy picture would be in existence by now. Snake eyes !
Son of Ethanol, episode II. The Force Ain't With You.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6,174
Likes: 1,960
From: Great State of Canada
I'm only laughing on the outside and out of frustration at that. I've gotta pay for this debacle, just like you and everyone else, just like we all did for ethanol, which did SFA for the environment and never will. I have no doubt that renewable energy is in the future but a more dumb-assed way to develop the thing is difficult to imagine. Would Henry Ford have mass produced Model T chassis & bodies on a grand scale before an engine for his car was even conceived ? Thats the gist of what we're up to with this panic race to electrify the world via windmills. Check out the results they're having in Germany and Australia if you think the idea and its timing are so goddamn **** hot.
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,460
Likes: 3,554
From: Idaho
You're assuming I believe things I do not believe.
There's a major problem with electric vehicles in the US, and it's not a small one: If a large portion of the US driving population bought electric vehicles in the very near future, there is not enough electrical generating and distribution capacity to charge them.
Let that sink in.
There will have to be, eventually, an enormous increase in the amount of electric power to charge millions of electric vehicles.
It's like the rolling brownouts in major metropolitan areas during hot spells, when everybody has their home air conditioners cranked up to "11" and the power grid can't handle it. Now add a few hundred thousand electric cars on top of that during July and August.
It's not a pretty picture.
There's a major problem with electric vehicles in the US, and it's not a small one: If a large portion of the US driving population bought electric vehicles in the very near future, there is not enough electrical generating and distribution capacity to charge them.
Let that sink in.
There will have to be, eventually, an enormous increase in the amount of electric power to charge millions of electric vehicles.
It's like the rolling brownouts in major metropolitan areas during hot spells, when everybody has their home air conditioners cranked up to "11" and the power grid can't handle it. Now add a few hundred thousand electric cars on top of that during July and August.
It's not a pretty picture.
Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 4,310
Likes: 1,079
You're assuming I believe things I do not believe.
There's a major problem with electric vehicles in the US, and it's not a small one: If a large portion of the US driving population bought electric vehicles in the very near future, there is not enough electrical generating and distribution capacity to charge them.
Let that sink in.
There will have to be, eventually, an enormous increase in the amount of electric power to charge millions of electric vehicles.
It's like the rolling brownouts in major metropolitan areas during hot spells, when everybody has their home air conditioners cranked up to "11" and the power grid can't handle it. Now add a few hundred thousand electric cars on top of that during July and August.
It's not a pretty picture.
There's a major problem with electric vehicles in the US, and it's not a small one: If a large portion of the US driving population bought electric vehicles in the very near future, there is not enough electrical generating and distribution capacity to charge them.
Let that sink in.
There will have to be, eventually, an enormous increase in the amount of electric power to charge millions of electric vehicles.
It's like the rolling brownouts in major metropolitan areas during hot spells, when everybody has their home air conditioners cranked up to "11" and the power grid can't handle it. Now add a few hundred thousand electric cars on top of that during July and August.
It's not a pretty picture.
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,460
Likes: 3,554
From: Idaho
Yes and No. I have numerous family members in both power generation and distribution at Utility companies. Most utilities are salivating over electric vehicles because the vast majority of those vehicles would be charging up at night. Most utilities currently need to cycle down their gas/coal/nuclear turbines as the electric grid powers down each night. It would be far more efficient for power generators and distributors to keep power up through the night. But they need somewhere for the power to go. If electric vehicle batteries were soaking up those electrons at night, most utilities would be operating even more efficiently than they do today.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 230
From: United States
If they can get electric vehicles, motorcycles too, with a 250+ mile range and 20 min recharge rate a long trip is pretty doable if you have the fast charging infrastructure (and its not a busy holiday weekend). That's drive for 3 hours (about 200 miles), stop for 15-20 min while you do all the things you listed as the vehicle is recharging, then get back on the road. Tesla is getting their charging infrastructure in place pretty well. There are people doing cross country trips and it doesn't take too much longer than a gasoline vehicle.
I'd like to try planning and taking a trip on a Livewire using Harley fast charging stations. Plan the trip on back roads, not interstates, to maximize range, stop at a Harley dealership every 100 miles or so for half an hour to quick charge.
Not saying I want to give up my petrol powered motorcycles, not saying I want to travel that way on every trip, I'd just like to do it as a challenge.
I'd like to try planning and taking a trip on a Livewire using Harley fast charging stations. Plan the trip on back roads, not interstates, to maximize range, stop at a Harley dealership every 100 miles or so for half an hour to quick charge.
Not saying I want to give up my petrol powered motorcycles, not saying I want to travel that way on every trip, I'd just like to do it as a challenge.
These things @ a reasonable cost would be good to have for short trips and to bug around/ back and forth to work. But I did the same thing on a 79 Yamaha RX125.
Not the same power output But not the same cost either, I got mine for $600 AUS after the Lerner rider took his first tumble and came to the rude awaking that falling off hurts.
Fuel cells have been round for years and its not until Mr John public gets used to accepting the idea, itll never get off the ground in the US.
Wiz 🇦🇺
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 230
From: United States
Yes, you are correct. The leadership on the future of 100% electric is falling squarely in the wheelhouse of the auto industry right now. The 'ultimate' vision is the hydrogen 'fuel cell' to provide the electricity for the drive motor. The big battery and available charge station that this stage represents is actually just a station stop on the tracks to some other place in time. Honda may be first to market with a fuel cell/EV drive vehicle and that may actually be not too far off...time will tell but this has already been demonstrated in prototype. The public's distrust of hydrogen as a fuel may cause a few hiccups but together with the fuel stations needing to provide the infrastructure the goal is to have a situation as near to today's mode of transport as possible. You drive your EV vehicle until it needs fuel and you pull into the fuel station and take on a load of hydrogen and then leave on your way.
NiCad / Lithium ion batteries are so full of heavy metals, the mere thought of having to recycle them is something left to those that have the capability and / or the process to make the effort profitable.
Or or they may as well just dig another hole out in Arizona and burry it out there.
If You look at a 6 year old prius, The batteries are just about shagged and to replace them just aint worth the value of the car.
Wiz 🍺
Last edited by Wizardofaus; Jan 31, 2019 at 02:10 AM.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 230
From: United States
I'm only laughing on the outside and out of frustration at that. I've gotta pay for this debacle, just like you and everyone else, just like we all did for ethanol, which did SFA for the environment and never will. I have no doubt that renewable energy is in the future but a more dumb-assed way to develop the thing is difficult to imagine. Would Henry Ford have mass produced Model T chassis & bodies on a grand scale before an engine for his car was even conceived ? Thats the gist of what we're up to with this panic race to electrify the world via windmills. Check out the results they're having in Germany and Australia if you think the idea and its timing are so goddamn **** hot.
Wiz Out 🇦🇺
