Anyone who drives less than 30 miles to work every day (which is the majority of Americans) is a potential EV owner.
Don't you drive anywhere else?
When you compare EVs to similarly-tricked-out gas cars, the prices are close
No, my VW Jetta TDI was considerably cheaper and is much less of a hassle.
and when you include fuel and maintenance savings the EV wins outright
No, how much gas and maintenance (are we including replacing the batteries here?) can you get for $50k?
I don't know about you, but my personal driving habits don't include spontaneous trips of more than 100 miles without at least stopping to trade cars with a relative for the weekend.
Really? Do you live in the future, or perhaps a parallel universe?
The marginally-reduced flexibility is totally worth the savings, moral satisfaction, and pedal-flooring fun of driving a clean electric vehicle.
I'm glad you like it. I can't afford it, though. Plus, I don't want one.
You know, if they would just ditch the desktop in favor of the typewriter, they could save SO much money. I suppose NCSA Mosaic could be a compromise, though, so you could still get your random vacation notifications from coworkers that you don't know via OWA.
I do want to synchronize my devices. That's why I chose to buy a Google branded phone (a Nexus S), with a Google OS (Android), and use Gmail, Chrome, and other Google products. I'm long past wanting to spend half my life fiddling with technology - I just want my stuff handy, and I don't want to worry about it being on the wrong machine.
I'm confused. Why would you need to synchronize all of your devices if you can pull that information real-time?
Most of your points sound rather in favour of syncronization [sic].
True, but I'm talking about the computer definition of "synchronization", not the literal definition, like plugging your iPod into a computer with iTunes to merge changes between the two devices. Why should I have to plug my iPhone into my laptop to download a damn song from the marketplace? Why can't I just download it directly?
Ok, so we've established that coal power is more efficient/healthy per mile (according to the coal industry) than a combustion engine. I shall integrate that into my factors on whether to purchase an EV during my next vehicle purchase.
Granted, with your attention span I would recommend not driving a vehicle at all. If you can't hold attention long enough before hitting reply with quote to read through the entire thing you're going to quote, you must be one hell of a risk factor to both yourself and other drivers when behind the wheel on long rides.
Wait, I'm really confused (probably due to my short attention span)...
Electric engines are in fact cheaper to maintain, can do distance runs and hauling far better then internal combustion engines.
(emphasis mine)
The problem of energy storage is not yet solved, as stated in the last paragraph of the post you quoted. Therefore, none.
So do I want an EV, or should I stick with my fuel-efficient diesel?
Hard to tell what "consensus" is, but I've got a pretty long commute -- it's about 45 miles in each direction.
Well, that's not too shabby, but there are times when I want to visit family or drive somewhere for a staycation.
Right now, we have 3 gas vehicle -- going to 2 EVs, 1 gas would be delightful. Replacing Prius batteries is either a $1000 job if you want to do it yourself and get it from eBay or about $2300 for the new battery pack (plus some dealer work -- figure on a total of about $3000).
That doesn't sound too fiscally friendly to me, but if you are a handy person and your main concern is the environment, I say kudos. Do you feel that the emissions on a higher-efficiency gas/diesel powered vehicle are lower than a vehicle charged by coal power plants (which is the primary source of power generation in my area, sadly)? I have no clue as I haven't read any studies.
Some people say ethanol is cleaner burning, too. Others would disagree when you take into account the emissions created in production.
Electric engines are in fact cheaper to maintain, can do distance runs and hauling far better then internal combustion engines. They have far better range of high torque, far higher torque, far simpler engine designs resulting in having a lot less points of failure and cheap maintenance.
The only problem they have right now is energy storage density. Everything else, electric engines demolish ICE:s on. That is why those huge mining haulers actually run on electric engines which are powered by diesel generators rather then hooking those diesels directly to the wheels.
So which EVs do you recommend a person like me purchase that needs one vehicle for mileage (I generally would want to make a 200 mile trip without stopping to plug it in) and one work vehicle (capable of pulling a boat, trailer full of stuff, or maybe a piece of furniture that I've impulsively purchased)? I'd rather not be limited in what I can do by the capabilities of my vehicles.
Unlike the pollutants spewing out the back-end of your Jetta. Those are just going to pollute the air.
Oh, I forgot to ask - Does driving an electric vehicle (power largely by coal plants where I am) have a net benefit in terms of pollution? Again, I am genuinely curious.
Most people drive short distances most of the time, they don't take long trips, they don't need to tow, they don't need to go a hundred miles at a time. And no, they don't need to haul hundreds of pounds of stuff. Sorry, but the reality is most people need a lot less car than you think.
I'm curious, is this the Slashdot consensus? Anybody else want to chime in, because it certainly isn't true for me or really most of the people I know.
As for maintenance, an electric motor IS a lot simpler than an internal combustion one. They're not expensive to maintain at all
Oh, how much does it cost for a set of new batteries? (I'm genuinely curious as I have no clue)
Except that most people don't want an electric vehicle. Expensive (especially Tesla!), batteries that need (expensive) replacement, can't tow anything, can't drive long distances.
My VW Jetta TDI is cheaper, doesn't run on batteries, gets great mileage, and can drive anywhere. It can't tow stuff, though, but could you imagine an electric truck? You'd be lucky if the thing had enough to power itself, much less haul anything.
Families need an economic distance vehicle with great mileage for commutes and trips, and a working vehicle that can tow/move things. Electric vehicles are lousy at all of this: they're expensive to buy and maintain, can't do distance runs, and can't haul anything. You'd think the green people would have a problem with throwing away all those batteries, too.
I do not want to 'synchronize' my devices. Ever. It's a primary reason why I went with an Android phone over an iPhone originally (though since then, I have amassed more reasons - I like the Android interface). It's also why I would never buy an Apple TV device. I never have to plug my Roku into my computer. I want my media and data real-time. Are we still using POP mail too?
iTunes is a pile of shit. I just want to download my content directly to my device. I should never have to plug it in to a computer, and I don't ever need to synchronize. Duplicate files are duplicate files. Why is it even an app that you have to install on a computer, unlike Google Play? You'd think in the age of cloud storage my devices could be completely autonomous. It's like we're in the dark ages of PDAs without wireless connectivity.
Apple and Microsoft have this wrong, and Google has it right.
You take a laptop into class, and aside from being a social pariah, you're going to be annoying the hell out of everyone else in class with the typing. That may not bother you, though.
A tablet at least wouldn't bother others, but you'd still look like a dork.
If dvd by mail were to end I would just use streaming.
Yes, but where are you going to stream from? If Netflix initiates the requirement that you must have a cable subscription in order to use it, what's left? Crackle and Amazon Instant I suppose.
The future is piracy, which is unfortunately, because I'd prefer a legal model.
Slashdot Mirror
Anyone who drives less than 30 miles to work every day (which is the majority of Americans) is a potential EV owner.
Don't you drive anywhere else?
When you compare EVs to similarly-tricked-out gas cars, the prices are close
No, my VW Jetta TDI was considerably cheaper and is much less of a hassle.
and when you include fuel and maintenance savings the EV wins outright
No, how much gas and maintenance (are we including replacing the batteries here?) can you get for $50k?
I don't know about you, but my personal driving habits don't include spontaneous trips of more than 100 miles without at least stopping to trade cars with a relative for the weekend.
Really? Do you live in the future, or perhaps a parallel universe?
The marginally-reduced flexibility is totally worth the savings, moral satisfaction, and pedal-flooring fun of driving a clean electric vehicle.
I'm glad you like it. I can't afford it, though. Plus, I don't want one.
I don't think that it's ugly, but I would never buy one for the price. Ever.
You know, if they would just ditch the desktop in favor of the typewriter, they could save SO much money. I suppose NCSA Mosaic could be a compromise, though, so you could still get your random vacation notifications from coworkers that you don't know via OWA.
Your machine must be old as fuck then. Snow Leopard runs well on my 2008-model MBP, and Mountain Lion is blazingly fast on my 11-inch Air.
That's pretty optimistic, IMO. I'm thinking more like 2.6 years.
I want to see this parody. Jared Polis in similar garb with mascara running, balling to the FTC via YouTube to just leave Google alone!
I think somebody accidentally a word.
But if it's real-time I shouldn't have to sync...
I do want to synchronize my devices. That's why I chose to buy a Google branded phone (a Nexus S), with a Google OS (Android), and use Gmail, Chrome, and other Google products. I'm long past wanting to spend half my life fiddling with technology - I just want my stuff handy, and I don't want to worry about it being on the wrong machine.
I'm confused. Why would you need to synchronize all of your devices if you can pull that information real-time?
Most of your points sound rather in favour of syncronization [sic].
True, but I'm talking about the computer definition of "synchronization", not the literal definition, like plugging your iPod into a computer with iTunes to merge changes between the two devices. Why should I have to plug my iPhone into my laptop to download a damn song from the marketplace? Why can't I just download it directly?
Ok, so we've established that coal power is more efficient/healthy per mile (according to the coal industry) than a combustion engine. I shall integrate that into my factors on whether to purchase an EV during my next vehicle purchase.
Thank you.
Tesla sells cars with 300 miles of range. If that isn't enough what is?
To answer your question, Mr. Bourgeois:
The only issue IMO is that these cars are still too expensive.
I'm not made of money. I wish I was. :(
Granted, with your attention span I would recommend not driving a vehicle at all. If you can't hold attention long enough before hitting reply with quote to read through the entire thing you're going to quote, you must be one hell of a risk factor to both yourself and other drivers when behind the wheel on long rides.
Wait, I'm really confused (probably due to my short attention span)...
Electric engines are in fact cheaper to maintain, can do distance runs and hauling far better then internal combustion engines.
(emphasis mine)
The problem of energy storage is not yet solved, as stated in the last paragraph of the post you quoted. Therefore, none.
So do I want an EV, or should I stick with my fuel-efficient diesel?
Wow, I stand corrected. I'm amazed that the average trip length is only 10 miles. We folks in Wisconsin must be busy folks!
I drive more than 10 miles to get my mail. Do you people ever go anywhere? We road trip to the cities all the time.
Hard to tell what "consensus" is, but I've got a pretty long commute -- it's about 45 miles in each direction.
Well, that's not too shabby, but there are times when I want to visit family or drive somewhere for a staycation.
Right now, we have 3 gas vehicle -- going to 2 EVs, 1 gas would be delightful. Replacing Prius batteries is either a $1000 job if you want to do it yourself and get it from eBay or about $2300 for the new battery pack (plus some dealer work -- figure on a total of about $3000).
That doesn't sound too fiscally friendly to me, but if you are a handy person and your main concern is the environment, I say kudos. Do you feel that the emissions on a higher-efficiency gas/diesel powered vehicle are lower than a vehicle charged by coal power plants (which is the primary source of power generation in my area, sadly)? I have no clue as I haven't read any studies.
Some people say ethanol is cleaner burning, too. Others would disagree when you take into account the emissions created in production.
Electric engines are in fact cheaper to maintain, can do distance runs and hauling far better then internal combustion engines. They have far better range of high torque, far higher torque, far simpler engine designs resulting in having a lot less points of failure and cheap maintenance.
The only problem they have right now is energy storage density. Everything else, electric engines demolish ICE:s on. That is why those huge mining haulers actually run on electric engines which are powered by diesel generators rather then hooking those diesels directly to the wheels.
So which EVs do you recommend a person like me purchase that needs one vehicle for mileage (I generally would want to make a 200 mile trip without stopping to plug it in) and one work vehicle (capable of pulling a boat, trailer full of stuff, or maybe a piece of furniture that I've impulsively purchased)? I'd rather not be limited in what I can do by the capabilities of my vehicles.
Unlike the pollutants spewing out the back-end of your Jetta. Those are just going to pollute the air.
Oh, I forgot to ask - Does driving an electric vehicle (power largely by coal plants where I am) have a net benefit in terms of pollution? Again, I am genuinely curious.
Most people drive short distances most of the time, they don't take long trips, they don't need to tow, they don't need to go a hundred miles at a time. And no, they don't need to haul hundreds of pounds of stuff. Sorry, but the reality is most people need a lot less car than you think.
I'm curious, is this the Slashdot consensus? Anybody else want to chime in, because it certainly isn't true for me or really most of the people I know.
As for maintenance, an electric motor IS a lot simpler than an internal combustion one. They're not expensive to maintain at all
Oh, how much does it cost for a set of new batteries? (I'm genuinely curious as I have no clue)
And yes, there ARE electric trucks. And Tractors.
Indeed, but I'm concerned that it won't pull my boat. :/
Microsoft is evil and the government sues them. Microsoft pays their dues and the government backs off.
Google is giving citizens products that we actually want and the government sues them. They, too, will eventually pay their dues and move on.
Except that most people don't want an electric vehicle. Expensive (especially Tesla!), batteries that need (expensive) replacement, can't tow anything, can't drive long distances.
My VW Jetta TDI is cheaper, doesn't run on batteries, gets great mileage, and can drive anywhere. It can't tow stuff, though, but could you imagine an electric truck? You'd be lucky if the thing had enough to power itself, much less haul anything.
Families need an economic distance vehicle with great mileage for commutes and trips, and a working vehicle that can tow/move things. Electric vehicles are lousy at all of this: they're expensive to buy and maintain, can't do distance runs, and can't haul anything. You'd think the green people would have a problem with throwing away all those batteries, too.
I do not want to 'synchronize' my devices. Ever. It's a primary reason why I went with an Android phone over an iPhone originally (though since then, I have amassed more reasons - I like the Android interface). It's also why I would never buy an Apple TV device. I never have to plug my Roku into my computer. I want my media and data real-time. Are we still using POP mail too?
iTunes is a pile of shit. I just want to download my content directly to my device. I should never have to plug it in to a computer, and I don't ever need to synchronize. Duplicate files are duplicate files. Why is it even an app that you have to install on a computer, unlike Google Play? You'd think in the age of cloud storage my devices could be completely autonomous. It's like we're in the dark ages of PDAs without wireless connectivity.
Apple and Microsoft have this wrong, and Google has it right.
You take a laptop into class, and aside from being a social pariah, you're going to be annoying the hell out of everyone else in class with the typing. That may not bother you, though.
A tablet at least wouldn't bother others, but you'd still look like a dork.
Has this been suggested? That's a requirement for HBO Go, but I've never seen that suggested for Netflix.
Oops, that was a typo. I meant Hulu Plus.
If dvd by mail were to end I would just use streaming.
Yes, but where are you going to stream from? If Netflix initiates the requirement that you must have a cable subscription in order to use it, what's left? Crackle and Amazon Instant I suppose.
The future is piracy, which is unfortunately, because I'd prefer a legal model.
For the same reason you'd eat at a McDonald's elsewhere: You hate decent food.
I love decent food, however, I eat at McDonalds occasionally because decent food costs money and I'm broke.