Just about every big auto maker is planning to release electric vehicles by 2010. GM is whinging about cancelling the EV1 and planning an all electric car called the Chevy Volt and a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid called the Opel Flextreme, Toyota is making the Prius plug-in able for the first time, Daimler is already making electric Smart Cars, even Dodge want to put out a electric car.

Are people actually going to buy plug in cars, or will the whole thing be a huge flop? I reckon you guys would know.

They tried it over 100 years ago (electric cars have always been around, these new ones really arent remarkable).

The cool concept of EVs is the tunability. A 10kwh battery puts out 10 kw for an hour. Or....

60 kw for 10 mins
or 600 kw for 1 minute

**Given drivetrain and wiring supports such retarded drain rates.

But theoretically, tuning an EV could be as easy as reprogramming an ecu.

Nevertheless, they are not the messiah of the auto world, but they should contribute a bit to the green movement or whatever the fuck it's called.

Nevertheless, they are not the messiah of the auto world, but they should contribute a bit to the green movement or whatever the fuck it's called.

More fuel for me, right?

GM seems to be going all out over hybrid and electric vehicles since they started making a loss - is this a con to get government cash or a real plan to make cash?

:confused:

here's what i dont get about plug in cars being "green"

i get they dont burn any fossil fuel themselves, but what about the fossil fuel burned by the power plant that generates the electricity to charge the plug in cars.

here's what i dont get about plug in cars being "green"

i get they dont burn any fossil fuel themselves, but what about the fossil fuel burned by the power plant that generates the electricity to charge the plug in cars.

A) Significant amounts of grid power comes from nuclear, or other greener sources.

B) Power stations, given their constant load and operating conditions, can be optimized for greater efficiency. Coincidentally, the point of non-plug in hybrids was to have the engine (when it did operate) operating at similarly constant load and conditions, and thus allowing ti to be optimized for greater efficency.

A) Significant amounts of grid power comes from nuclear, or other greener sources.

B) Power stations, given their constant load and operating conditions, can be optimized for greater efficiency. Coincidentally, the point of non-plug in hybrids was to have the engine (when it did operate) operating at similarly constant load and conditions, and thus allowing ti to be optimized for greater efficency.
This.

Power stations are about 60-70% efficient, whereas a car engine is only 20% at best.

More chemical energy (oil, coal etc.) gets turned into useful energy with an electric car.