Switched-On Highways

Electric car was conceptualized many years ago that even some automakers had produced several units of it. However, despite the efficiency, accuracy and friendly of this car to our environment, it hasn???t really reach its most peaked status that even GM pulled out their electric car units out of the road. Now the Chrysler put down their cards and bet on their new invented electric car called the <a rev="vote for" title="Peapod Car Makes a Splash on Earth Day" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/04/22/peapod-car-splash-earth-day/">peapod car</a> hoping that this could at least lessen CO2 and using of non-renewable petroleum.

Electric car was conceptualized many years ago that even some automakers had produced several units of it. However, despite the efficiency, accuracy and friendly of this car to our environment, it hasn???t really reach its most peaked status that even GM pulled out their electric car units out of the road. Now the Chrysler put down their cards and bet on their new invented electric car called the <a rev="vote for" title="Peapod Car Makes a Splash on Earth Day" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/04/22/peapod-car-splash-earth-day/">peapod car</a> hoping that this could at least lessen CO2 and using of non-renewable petroleum.

I like the potential for the electric car where the envronmentally speaking. However, I fear that the American people are still going to get screwed over by greedy electric companies who see this as an opportunity to heighten profits, just as the oil barrons have done and continue to do.

It really boils down to who we want to get screwed by: foreign and domestic oil companies or the electric companies. Either way, we get stuck as I see every day electric companies gearing and ramping up energy prices.

But how can we produce the electricity required to supply a lot of electric cars?

There is no question that the electric car is the answer. 98% efficiency, zero emmisions etc. I'm preaching to the choir. BUt if we are going to re-thing our infrastructure, we should take the opportunity to think or revolutionarly solutions instead of evolutionaly ones.

The main draw back with the electric car is how to carry or create the electricity. Batteries and fuel cells are still in their infancy. They also represent evolutionay change. How do we make electicity behave like fossil fuel. What if it doesn't have to? The fact is, we solved this problem decades ago. It's called the electric train.

The TRAIN you say? Yes. As soon as you realize that the car doesn't need to carry the electricity, your options become nearly limitless. Here is a scenario for how this could look.

Trains run on tracks and get their electricity from either a third rail or Catenary wires overhead. Now that doesn't really work. Cars need to change lanes so third rails are out. They would also be a hazzard to people who need to walk on road. Catenary wires also don't work. A Kenworth truck and a Honda Civic vary greatly in heigh. But.. why have a connection at all. Technology already exists for electricity to be transmitted without contact. Does anyone have a cordless toothbruch? Here is how it works.

Into every interstate highway and State road, transimision coils are imbeded in the road surface. Cars have a duel power system. When you leave your home in the morning, you car runs on batteries, a small generator, a fuel cell. When you get to a main road the car would switch it's power source the "the grid". It's the exact opposite of a hybrid. You now have virtually unlimited range while on the major roads. When you pull off the main road to go to the mall or office, you switch back to internal power, which was paoosibly recharging the whole time you were on the grid.

It is a win/win for everyone. We can create jobs in order to build the infrastructure. Car companies will have a huge demand for new cars that can have some pretty radical designes. Consumers win since we get lower cost transportation. Since the roads will still be drivable by conventional cars, they don't have to upgrade until they are ready or able. The enviornment wins since the production of electricity at a plant can be controlled more readily than at a tail pipe With the availavility of WiFi technology and GPS, it would be simple enough for power companies to bill for electricity used no matter where you traveled.

We need a revolution in the way we travel not an evolution. This idea, while expensive, merges the best of public transportation with the freedom we have all come to expect from the car. John F Kennedy once challange us to send a man to the moon and return them safely to earth by the end of the decade. No one knew how. Why let that stop us now.

There is no question that the electric car is the answer. 98% efficiency, zero emmisions etc. I'm preaching to the choir. BUt if we are going to re-thing our infrastructure, we should take the opportunity to think or revolutionarly solutions instead of evolutionaly ones.

The main draw back with the electric car is how to carry or create the electricity. Batteries and fuel cells are still in their infancy. They also represent evolutionay change. How do we make electicity behave like fossil fuel. What if it doesn't have to? The fact is, we solved this problem decades ago. It's called the electric train.

The TRAIN you say? Yes. As soon as you realize that the car doesn't need to carry the electricity, your options become nearly limitless. Here is a scenario for how this could look.

Trains run on tracks and get their electricity from either a third rail or Catenary wires overhead. Now that doesn't really work. Cars need to change lanes so third rails are out. They would also be a hazzard to people who need to walk on road. Catenary wires also don't work. A Kenworth truck and a Honda Civic vary greatly in heigh. But.. why have a connection at all. Technology already exists for electricity to be transmitted without contact. Does anyone have a cordless toothbruch? Here is how it works.

Into every interstate highway and State road, transimision coils are imbeded in the road surface. Cars have a duel power system. When you leave your home in the morning, you car runs on batteries, a small generator, a fuel cell. When you get to a main road the car would switch it's power source the "the grid". It's the exact opposite of a hybrid. You now have virtually unlimited range while on the major roads. When you pull off the main road to go to the mall or office, you switch back to internal power, which was paoosibly recharging the whole time you were on the grid.

It is a win/win for everyone. We can create jobs in order to build the infrastructure. Car companies will have a huge demand for new cars that can have some pretty radical designes. Consumers win since we get lower cost transportation. Since the roads will still be drivable by conventional cars, they don't have to upgrade until they are ready or able. The enviornment wins since the production of electricity at a plant can be controlled more readily than at a tail pipe With the availavility of WiFi technology and GPS, it would be simple enough for power companies to bill for electricity used no matter where you traveled.

We need a revolution in the way we travel not an evolution. This idea, while expensive, merges the best of public transportation with the freedom we have all come to expect from the car. John F Kennedy once challange us to send a man to the moon and return them safely to earth by the end of the decade. No one knew how. Why let that stop us now.

Sorry people, your thing is just not a viable solution for Canada or US. Just be realistic, if you want things to happen, use the existing infrastrucures and adapt to your local environment.
The PHEV is the solution for cold and large contries, commute on batteries from home to work (70% of your travel are < 100km) and keep your autonomy (700km) and passenger heating for winter.

Go_PHEV

There is more than one player in the electric vehicle infrastructure development business in the US, here's a list of companies and groups working to build a sustainable recharging infrastructure http://EVtransPortal.com/cerip.html

The reason we don't have advanced battery manufacturing in the US is that it has been cheaper to produce cell phone, laptop, and power tool batteries overseas. Without volume in this market, and higher material and labor costs it will be difficult for any US manufacturer to compete on price with Asia in building advanced batteries for electric cars.

Answers:

In the Better Place electric vehicle recharge grid, the power is supplied by renewable clean resources, like wind, solar and geothermal. It is Better Place's goal to relieve the world's dependence on oil while promoting non-polluting renewable energy sources.

The reason why Better Place owns the batteries of the cars that are on their grid and non the consumer is that: A) the battery is an expensive part and this gives them a way to take that cost out of owning a vehicle, making electric vehicles more affordable on their system. B) Battery technology is still rapidly changing and evolving and this allows Better Place to provide up-to-date battery technology at their swap stations, so a consumer can easily go swap out their battery for a the new one. C) Since consumers will be swapping out their batteries every so often, this also will ensure that the consumer constantly has a properly maintained battery.

If you'd like to know more about Better Place, their website is very informative: http://www.betterplace.com/ as is their community site: http://planet.betterplace.com/

Personally, I think our best hope is an internal combustion engine that burns stuff other than, or in addition to oil-based products, like hydrogen for instance. Something that's plentiful.

It may be expensive now but when you factor in the economies of scale the price will inevitably come down. Remember when a VCR, the original Betamax, cost between $1,000 and $1,500?

What I want to know is where will the electricity come from?

We have all experienced "brown-outs", usually in the summer time, when the electric utilities beg us to turn down our air conditioners and use our dishwashers and washing machines in the evening. What will be the unanticipated consequence of having so many people plug their cars into an already over-taxed electricity grid?

In addition, most electricity generating plants burn something to produce their electricity. Usually they burn oil. If we all go electric, will we really be using less oil? In this regard, coal and nuclear seem the way to go.

Show of hands: How many of you want the new nuclear plant built in your backyard?

Who would own the batteries? The gas companies? Where would the electricity come from? Gas powered generating stations? In this case, if you don't own the battery, you are subject to the whimsal pricing policies now used by the oil companies. Can you eliminate greed from the system, I think not. I would not support any program that you do not own the battery. Then you have the range limits on an all electric car. Then you are looking at other problems since you have limited range because to go from LA to Reno, or El Paso, you would either fly or take a train which is not bargin.

This guy is a FRUITCAKE ! Why do you give them a voice ??? While he has some interesting ideas his solutions are fraught with problems. A more elegant solution to this would be to use PHEV's or EREV's that have a small internal combustion section to make more energy when needed. Much like the GM Volt. These type of vehicles could be put into use without a any change to infrastructure and realize a HUGE reduction in fossil fuel useage and carbon emissions.

I can see a problem or two with the plan. In the current system, once the care loan is paid off, the only costs are fuel, maintenance and insurance. I have a sense that in this model, the car is never "paid off." Also, I notice that nothing was said about the size of the car. The trick is have a pickup truck or minivan that effectively uses this system. Finally, look around you. Most vehicles on the road use gasoline. It will take at least 20 years to clear those cars out of the economy to be replaced by electric cars.

I live 20Km from work, and 99% of my travel is less than 150Km. An all electic runabout for the city would be ideal for me. And if there was infrastructure in place to make charging as fast as filling up. Anyway, Parallel Hybrid like Toyota is not a good idea as it still uses gas even for commute. In fact it's only real saving comes from regenerative braking. But a Serial Hybrid like Chevy Volt, now that is good as you can drive to/from work without using any gas.

Can batteries be disposed in an environmentally friendly way or will they be more harmful to the environment when everyone gets one?? What costs are we trading in?

Electric cars are cheaper and faster than any hybrid on the market.....are there any full electric cars on the market today?

Electric cars are cheaper and faster than any hybrid on the market...... are there any electric cars on the Market right now?