In amazingly underreported news, the patch for this went out via windows update this morning. I was automatically alerted, and it took me a whole mouse click to apply. Boy, this M$ software is a real pain in the ass.
And note that I got the patch from windows update this morning. Total effort required by me: one mouse click.
Wait! what am I saying! this is slashdot, quick, ignore the facts: "Micro$oft will probably patch this in a year, and then no one will get it cuz it requires 34 reboots to install"
Not to give credit to your other points but:
1. Batteries: Batteries are severely limited in their range. Often they can only go 80km before having to be re-fueled, and this range decreases drastically as speed increases. Don't expect to go highway driving on a pure electric car. At least, not for a long drive.
80km is an unrealistically low number you made up. Other than that, this point is pretty much valid. On the other hand, the vast majority of driving people do is commuting that is well within the range of a pure electric car. As a non-purist however, my hybrid will go 5 times as far as your SUV on the same gas.
2. Batteries: Batteries are heavy. When trying to lug around the weight of the batteries as well as the car, the less car, the longer the batteries last. The more car, the more batteries you need just to move it. Since the longer the batteries last, the better it is for your range, well, you get smaller cars. Smaller cars mean less passenger room and cargo space, and most people don't like that.
I suppose you don't need a bigger gas engine for a bigger car?
3. Batteries: Batteries often don't have enough torque to be able to get a car out of a "stuck" situation. So in climates with snow, or if you have to go off-road, an electric car can be a real problem.
Actually, exactly the reverse is true. Gas engines will quickly redline if you ask for lots of torque, so they must be made bigger to provide it. Electric motors will dump out as much power as you like. This is why my Prius (hybrid) uses battery power for acceleration; electric is BETTER for torque. Pulling away from a stoplight next a car with twice as big an engine, all they'll see is my bumper sticker ("Eat My Amps")
4. Batteries: Batteries don't like the cold. Not a problem in a lot of places in the world, but in those where it is a problem, it's a major one. In a cold climate, you can cut the range of an electric car in half or worse.
It's true, modern batteries don't work well below about -30 degrees. If this is a problem for you, you already know that gas engines don't either.
5. Batteries: They're expensive, and when they're dead, they can't just be turfed as they generally have a lot of nasty chemicals in them we don't want leeching into the ground - after all, cutting pollution was the reason we're looking at electric in the first place, right?
Large modern batteries are far more recyclable than they once were. Besides, with batteries the bad stuff is in one containable package, as oposed to released into the air.
The real problem with pure electrics is distribution. You lose a lot of power getting it from the plant to you, whereas a tanker truck rarely spills any. Also, there aren't electric-recharge stations on every corner, and recharging takes too long. This is why hybrids are the answer, at least for now.
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In amazingly underreported news, the patch for this went out via windows update this morning. I was automatically alerted, and it took me a whole mouse click to apply. Boy, this M$ software is a real pain in the ass.
"when the fix becomes ready from MS (weeks or months, "
or this morning. Your larger point is well put though.
And note that I got the patch from windows update this morning. Total effort required by me: one mouse click.
Wait! what am I saying! this is slashdot, quick, ignore the facts:
"Micro$oft will probably patch this in a year, and then no one will get it cuz it requires 34 reboots to install"
Not to give credit to your other points but: 1. Batteries: Batteries are severely limited in their range. Often they can only go 80km before having to be re-fueled, and this range decreases drastically as speed increases. Don't expect to go highway driving on a pure electric car. At least, not for a long drive. 80km is an unrealistically low number you made up. Other than that, this point is pretty much valid. On the other hand, the vast majority of driving people do is commuting that is well within the range of a pure electric car. As a non-purist however, my hybrid will go 5 times as far as your SUV on the same gas. 2. Batteries: Batteries are heavy. When trying to lug around the weight of the batteries as well as the car, the less car, the longer the batteries last. The more car, the more batteries you need just to move it. Since the longer the batteries last, the better it is for your range, well, you get smaller cars. Smaller cars mean less passenger room and cargo space, and most people don't like that. I suppose you don't need a bigger gas engine for a bigger car? 3. Batteries: Batteries often don't have enough torque to be able to get a car out of a "stuck" situation. So in climates with snow, or if you have to go off-road, an electric car can be a real problem. Actually, exactly the reverse is true. Gas engines will quickly redline if you ask for lots of torque, so they must be made bigger to provide it. Electric motors will dump out as much power as you like. This is why my Prius (hybrid) uses battery power for acceleration; electric is BETTER for torque. Pulling away from a stoplight next a car with twice as big an engine, all they'll see is my bumper sticker ("Eat My Amps") 4. Batteries: Batteries don't like the cold. Not a problem in a lot of places in the world, but in those where it is a problem, it's a major one. In a cold climate, you can cut the range of an electric car in half or worse. It's true, modern batteries don't work well below about -30 degrees. If this is a problem for you, you already know that gas engines don't either. 5. Batteries: They're expensive, and when they're dead, they can't just be turfed as they generally have a lot of nasty chemicals in them we don't want leeching into the ground - after all, cutting pollution was the reason we're looking at electric in the first place, right? Large modern batteries are far more recyclable than they once were. Besides, with batteries the bad stuff is in one containable package, as oposed to released into the air. The real problem with pure electrics is distribution. You lose a lot of power getting it from the plant to you, whereas a tanker truck rarely spills any. Also, there aren't electric-recharge stations on every corner, and recharging takes too long. This is why hybrids are the answer, at least for now.