Electric Drive?

[Sethodine]

Quite a few free stations in my area, usually around shopping centers. The business considers it worth the expense to pay for a couple kw/h to get you to wander around their stores for a few hours. But what I really want to see is the local Drive In Theater to put in some stations!

There is also an online community of people willing to share their home charging stations at www.plugshare.com. It's pretty cool.

 

[Coss]

Quite a few free stations in my area, usually around shopping centers. The business considers it worth the expense to pay for a couple kw/h to get you to wander around their stores for a few hours. But what I really want to see is the local Drive In Theater to put in some stations!

There is also an online community of people willing to share their home charging stations at www.plugshare.com. It's pretty cool.

You still have Drive In Theaters up there?

 

[Sethodine]

You still have Drive In Theaters up there?

Yeah, there is one in Oak Harbor, a little city just beyond the halfway range of my Leaf. We usually go at least once a summer; we have to take the gas car, or else sit around the charging station in town for a couple hours as the Leaf recharges. And in reality we could probably make it all the way there and back without needing a charge, but I don't like cutting it that close if I can help it. If they had a charge station or two at the theater though, then watching a movie with the nice sound system and heated seats of the Leaf would be much preferred over the cramped, drafty '96 Rav4.

 

[ddufon]

Twin front wheel drive motors on the EVElio. Electricpoweredawesome.

It may not work for all, but an electric three wheeler commuter will be functional for many commuters. Arcimoto may prove that to be the case.

I prefer electric as a second car. I was considering the Arcimoto. As a commuter car the range didn't bother me, however the lack of permanant shell and no operable side windows is a deal breaker.

 

[Rickb]

I prefer electric as a second car. I was considering the Arcimoto. As a commuter car the range didn't bother me, however the lack of permanant shell and no operable side windows is a deal breaker.

The SRK Alpha design should be released soon to include the finalized enclosure design which could be permanent if you leave it on. I believe the windows will be operable. I have a reservation in case it beats the Elio to production.

 

[Frim]

The grid isn't an infinite capacity battery. If everyone (or even worse, a lot of people but not most) hooks into it with solar PV systems that vary in production throughout the day and then plug in to charge their EV at night, the current predictable electric power demand cycle goes out the window. Grid balancing is a major issue now and will only get worse as PV systems start becoming more cost effective.

I've made a habit of looking into solar PV systems about once a year and they're only cost effective right now if you either use a lot of electricity or live in high electric rate areas. Right now I'm only paying about $1200/year in electricity total, so even if the system eliminated my bill entirely, it likely wouldn't pay for itself in under 10 years.

I believe that if everyone had a solar panel or two feeding the hot water tank they could save about $30 per month on electricity. They would store their energy as hot water. No grid, no batteries.

 

[XanWolf]

If the grid were used to transport the electricity, then they could have the PV panels at home and plug their cars in while at work. Do the primary charging during the day and just "as in excess" power charging during the overnight.

 

[slinches]

Frim, I have a gas water heater and the total gas bill is usually less than $30/month, so I personally couldn't save that much.

I'd be better off offsetting my AC usage with solar, but I think a more efficient AC unit would still be a better investment.

 

[Sethodine]

At our old apartment, we offset the electricity consumtion of our electric car when our landlord installed double-pane windows.

I think some people over-estimate just how much electricity an EV draws. Sure, it is a lot. But a lot is also wasted to heat or cool spaces that are insufficently insulated.

 

[AriLea]

I thought this new battery product line was interesting. It's not just conjecture at this point....

https://newatlas.com/nawa-technologies-carbon-ultra-capacitor/54972/

If you want to take that a little further, you could imagine having ultra-capacitors buried under the road surface," says Grape. "And when a bus passes over, it could charge very rapidly. And the ultra-capacitor itself could charge more slowly off the grid while the next bus is coming

It does make me wonder if such high rate amps are flowing just under your seat, if it wouldn't fry your nuts, err ovaries(or whatever) .. lol.