He said today, some cars have up to a dozen computers to control their systems: air conditioners, power steering and the like.
The modern mechanic often has the equipment and know-how to work with them, so electric cars shouldn't be too much harder.
"This is something that all the technicians are going to have to move into," he says. "If you want to repair cars, you're going to have to be able to know how to do this."
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500
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13 Comments
Add CommentAt least electricity can be produced cleanly. Just like gas autos, we need to get rid of dirty power plants, or we're just transferring pollution up the chain. All soot technology needs to be in our past.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wish these guys luck because as far as I am concerned, the more the better on electric cars. But, this does not sound like a great idea. A gas car was built around a gas engine, transmission, drive train, fuel tank, air filter system, and standard brakes. Trying to convert this into an electric vehicle (which needs none of these items) is comparable to converting a horse drawn wagon into a gas powered car. It could be done, but much better to design the car for the power source to be used.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wish these guys luck because as far as I am concerned, the more the better on electric cars. But, this does not sound like a great idea. A gas car was built around a gas engine, transmission, drive train, fuel tank, air filter system, and standard brakes. Trying to convert this into an electric vehicle (which needs none of these items) is comparable to converting a horse drawn wagon into a gas powered car. It could be done, but much better to design the car for the power source to be used.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wish these guys luck because as far as I am concerned, the more the better on electric cars. But, this does not sound like a great idea. A gas car was built around a gas engine, transmission, drive train, fuel tank, air filter system, and standard brakes. Trying to convert this into an electric vehicle (which needs none of these items) is comparable to converting a horse drawn wagon into a gas powered car. It could be done, but much better to design the car for the power source to be used.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@ Neptunerover
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSince the majority of our current electricity is produced by burning COAL -- What is so clean about it?
@Quinn the Eskimo
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou're misinterpreting his statement. Neptunerover said that "electricity CAN be produced cleanly" by methods such as wind turbines, solar, etc., this doesn't mean that electricity [in general] is produced cleanly...
I always liked the idea of a nuclear powered car with a trusty steam engine. Now, that's reliability!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisConverted ICE cars can be done but only if lightweight to begin with as EV drives, battery packs size, cost are directly proportional to weight. Sadly lightweight in US cars is rare.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is no need for for supercaps as they just add weight, expense. There are good batteries available either lead or Lithium that work fine without supercaps.
But by far the best way to built great, affordable EV's is design, build them from scratch as EV's with lightweight chassis/bodies, preferably all composite and aerodynamic. Such an EV with the same battery pack as a conversion, would go 2-3x's as far.
My present custom built EV's get 600 and 250mpg equivalent for a Harley size MC trike and a 2 seat EV sportswagon. They can be built at a profit $5k and $12k
GM built a great EV which could swap it's EV drivetrain with an ICE one in a couple minutes built in composites called the GM Ultra-Lite. This built in medium tech composites would be an excellent 4 seat EV.
EPA has studied and says even power by a coal plant, EV's are both cleaner and far more eff than gas cars.
This guy needs to bone up on his physics. There is no way electric can compete with gasoline. Unless he is hoping to get subsidies from a bankrupt government staggering toward economic collapse. Oh. Wait. That's stupid, too.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisfrgough,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe all need to clean up as best we can for the future or our children and all life on earth.
It's common sense, people get sick when it's too polluted.
Sometimes, we all have to work for FREE to help out a bit.
Honestly, look around...you can make some small changes to help. It's not that much work.
frgough, you forget the huge subsidies oil gets from your income taxes, health care costs. ect.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNext it's you who needs a physics lesson as EV's are 3-6x's as eff than gas cars are. Tell me as gas prices rise how we can afford ICE's when EV costs are far lower?
The new Nissan Leaf EV will pay for itself in 10 yrs from gas savings making it far less expensive than a similar ICE.
Or do you want to keep us in oil wars forever?
One of the writers at Mapawatt Blog is converting a Porsche Boxster to an electric vehicle. The next post is going to be on installing 220V service in his garage so he can power up faster!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://blog.mapawatt.com/2010/02/05/preparing-a-home-for-electric-car/
So you are saying frgough that burning gasoline, which is 20-30% efficient, is much better than having a battery powered car which receives charging from a nuclear power plant which is 50-60% efficient? Or maybe a solar or wind power plant which produces no waste products? I think you might be a bit stupid...
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