WilliamH
Elio Addict
Do you ever go outside of the 1604 loop?
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Possible Futures Of Ev's And-or Fuel Cells.
- Thread starter AriLea
- Start date
Do you ever go outside of the 1604 loop?
Anyone ever see the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car"?
Here's a link to the article about it, and an explanation of the movie
It's long: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car?
Seems that GM has a lot of technology that they have buried over time.
Here's a link to the article about it, and an explanation of the movie
It's long: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car?
Seems that GM has a lot of technology that they have buried over time.
Exceptionally controversial subject. One of the cars was actually given to my old school at the institute where I had worked, with the agreement it could never be sold elsewhere for street use.
GM realized that at the time you would have ot get Tesla level pricing and profits to make money at this, and that Elio level sales weren't indicated. Combine that with the fact that batteries were the only repairs likely to make a profit, it just got scary to them. And yes they wanted it shelved such that nobody would see just how low the maintenance was.
So at this point (and a little later) Elon realized he could could create the upscale product that GM was not willing to risk doing.
You have to understand Tesla doesn't compete with thier own products like GM does. Of course GM never considered that since they left an un exploited product venue, someone else might fill that and still compete with GM.
So then they HAD to get back in the game, hence the Volt. It was a hugh gamble, that kind of depended on the availablity of low priced batteries. And that hasn't really happenend yet.
Anyway, what's inarguable, it's all a bit more complex than the movie can show you.
Tesla Motors is far ahead in the EV game. Tesla will probably be selling Gigafactory batteries to their EV competitiors in the near future and providing a majority of the quick charging stations they are currently in the process of building across the country. I anxiously await to test drive both the 2017 Tesla Model 3 and the Elio.
A cool move would be a partnership, for Tesla to finsh-build EE's, Electric Elio's. This would not likely compete directly with GE (Gas Elios) since the sales price would be maybe 30k? EE for the city and GE for everything else.
WilliamH
Elio Addict
Why would anyone buy an Electric Elio unless they wanted to use it to drive from their Gulf Stream hanger to their 30 room mansion where all of the lights were turned on and the temperature was maintained at 72 in an environmentally responsible manner.
Hmmmmm........ Al Gore maybe?
Maybe the same people who bought SmartCars at 30k a pop a few years back. Not to my reasoning, but neither are EV-Motorcycles selling now at 2x-3x the price of already expensive sports bikes.
The fact is, if you are hell-bent on getting an EV-something why not a very efficient and lower priced one. It's a niche that Elio could fill. The key-word here is niche.
A similar effect happened with the Razer scooter. The EV versions are 3x-4x the price of a unpowered scoot, but a brisk sale rate is out there, smaller volume but a better profit margin.
Does it make utilitarian sense to spend that kind of money? no. Tell your kid that, will they agree?
The fact is, if you are hell-bent on getting an EV-something why not a very efficient and lower priced one. It's a niche that Elio could fill. The key-word here is niche.
A similar effect happened with the Razer scooter. The EV versions are 3x-4x the price of a unpowered scoot, but a brisk sale rate is out there, smaller volume but a better profit margin.
Does it make utilitarian sense to spend that kind of money? no. Tell your kid that, will they agree?
I don't get your persistent connection of one's interest in or purchase of an EV to the rich and or elite crowd. There seems to be an adequate supply of ICE luxury or high performance sports cars for that demographic that goes way beyond electric. EVs will come down in price as they gain in popularity by those having interest in alternative energy vehicles.
Electric vehicles and their development deserve as much opportunity for ATVM low interest loan funding, and or any other government tax incentives as does any alternative energy or technically advanced vehicle class like the Elio. EM has it's fair share of local, state, and hopefully federal DOE involvement to assist in getting the Elio to production. Al Gore would have a genuine interest and support the effort to get the Elio in the hands of the average family that needs it irregardless of what he can personally afford to drive, fly, sail, or live in. Multiple choice question: which vehicle would your defined elite class more likely have parked in their driveways:
(A).
(B). 
(C). 
(D). 
Or this company that converts Classic VWs to all electric. My first car was a VW Bug which I wish I had back for the ev conversion. These guys are very talented in what they do cranking out some classic much higher performance VWs. I could see them converting an Elio soon after the production start.
http://www.zelectricmotors.com
And Electric Blue un in Flagstaff AZ was a good one too. As soon as I got my Elio, I was going to get a conversion estimate, just so I at least knew what it would cost. One could always do a lower cost Lead-Acid conversion to start, then upgrade later to the Li-Ion or what ever battery was available later.
Just a thought.
One interesting thought about the popularity of EV sport motorcycles. That drive train power would be perfect for a Elio eccono-box.
The EV's tend to be efficient, even when totally over powered. This one white S10-EV pickup that was drag-raced against full fuelie dragsters, he'd just pop on his street tires and drive it into downtown Phoenix, nobody the wiser. Pretty awesome when he popped his hood up. No engine, no tranny, just this big 16inch can of a motor in there and a controller, battery pack in back under the truck-bed. You can look that S10 up online.
High-end dragsters get about half a dozen races out of a $16k engine build. The electrics cost about 17c to recharge, 2000 recharges to a $12k battery pack. Which can you afford?