Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Technology => Topic started by: paul.fr on 23/01/2009 19:10:42

Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: paul.fr on 23/01/2009 19:10:42
http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg/videos/view/56-Electric-Drag-Racing
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Make it Lady on 23/01/2009 19:15:10
I never thought they were slow. It is the need to be constantly re-charged that is the problem. They are great for short journeys but as a family car that could take you long distances....no chance.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 23/01/2009 19:25:27
Have you seen this (http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/2007/05/stories/11/1.html)?
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Pumblechook on 23/01/2009 21:07:15
They are slow.  They crawl along.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: LeeE on 23/01/2009 23:06:01
Have you heard about this? (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/01/23/ssc_pledges_ev_aero/)

Although the ten minute charge stuff must be nonsense - the current required would be silly.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Chemistry4me on 23/01/2009 23:07:42
That looks like a nice car. Really nice.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Pumblechook on 23/01/2009 23:09:02
A real electric car which real people drive on real roads...

It crawls along and has a poor range.

http://www.goingreen.co.uk/store
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 23/01/2009 23:09:56
Quote from the article on the SSC Aero:-

Quote
Now we at Vulture Central don't claim to be top-flight electrical engineers but that claim sounds like bollo... er... suspicious to us.

Very likely.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 23/01/2009 23:11:04
A real electric car which real people drive on real roads...

It crawls along and has a poor range.

http://www.goingreen.co.uk/store

Did you see Clarkson driving 1 of those?
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Pumblechook on 24/01/2009 20:29:06
No.

Did he nearly turn it over?

Hammond drove a small elec and found it to be rubbish.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Karsten on 24/01/2009 21:40:37
I rode along in a Twike once. Swiss made electric three-wheeler with human power option. We got the wheels squealing in the parking lot. It was quite fun!

(Of course you have to consider that I am the most boring driver ever. If you want traditional driving performance in any vehicle you sacrifice fuel efficiency.)
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: lyner on 25/01/2009 13:06:18
I can't believe the claim in the original link about recharging in ten minutes on a standard 110V outlet. We've been into the kWh needed on several occasions and, even overnight, is a bit of a problem.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 25/01/2009 13:25:15
I can't believe the claim in the original link about recharging in ten minutes on a standard 110V outlet. We've been into the kWh needed on several occasions and, even overnight, is a bit of a problem.

That was revised to 240v. But even so, I don't see that it's possible from a domestic supply.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: LeeE on 25/01/2009 13:43:33
Nope, like I said, the current required would be silly.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Pumblechook on 25/01/2009 13:45:09
The Tech Director of Lotus, Simon Wood, (Lotus/Tesla cars) reckons for electric cars to be viable the battery pack would need to be 100 kWh which unless there is a significant breakthough in batteries will be pretty heavy.  

You would need something like 130+ kWh of mains energy to charge a 100 kWh pack as the charger (AC-DC converter) is not 100% efficient and the charging process is not 100% efficient.

So a one hour charge would require a 130 kW supply which is nearly 10 times that of a domestic supply.

A ten minute charge would require a 780 kW supply which is ONLY 56 times a domestic supply.  High voltage and high currnet would be needed...I doubt it would even be allowed on saftety grounds even if it could be done technically.  Current battery technology would not allow it on battery life considerations.

I think 3 hours would be the minimum you could ever get away with.   240 Volts at 180 Amps x 3 hours.   Not a domestic supply though.  12 hour min on a domestic supply and even then no cooker or shower etc while charging.

Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: teragram on 25/01/2009 19:15:58
Paul (original posting):-
Now you’ve rattled some cages!!

Carefull!! To imply that electric cars have other than milk float performance is a serious heresy on a technology forum, sorry, on THIS technology forum.
 
The drag racing movie (there are others) proves the superiority of electric motors as vehicle movers most convincingly.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: paul.fr on 26/01/2009 15:04:04
Paul (original posting):-
Now you’ve rattled some cages!!

Sorry but other than four wheels and a steering wheel, I know nothing about cars. I just thought the link was interesting and that others may also find it interesting.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Make it Lady on 26/01/2009 17:24:01
A real electric car which real people drive on real roads...

It crawls along and has a poor range.

http://www.goingreen.co.uk/store

Did you see Clarkson driving 1 of those?
I saw Clarkson test this and although he actually loved it, it proved not to have the battery life the manufacturer claimed. Surprise, surprise.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: teragram on 26/01/2009 18:02:35
Paul (original posting):-
Now you’ve rattled some cages!!

Sorry but other than four wheels and a steering wheel, I know nothing about cars. I just thought the link was interesting and that others may also find it interesting.

Paul, Pardon my sarcasm, no need to apologise. It was to me a very interesting link. I love to see high performance electric cars in action
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Pumblechook on 26/01/2009 18:36:00
I haven't seen Clarkson driving a G-Wizz which he seems to have nothing but contempt for (love it???) but he did drive a Tesla and was quite impressed but it a was big thumbs down after concluding the batteries would be flat pretty quickly driving it flat out and a drive to Scotland from London would take over three days with all the (slow) charging stops required.

Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: paul.fr on 28/01/2009 12:28:39
Paul, Pardon my sarcasm, no need to apologise. It was to me a very interesting link. I love to see high performance electric cars in action

Phew, for one moment there I had the impression that people thought I know something about...anything!
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 28/01/2009 17:54:59
Paul, Pardon my sarcasm, no need to apologise. It was to me a very interesting link. I love to see high performance electric cars in action

Phew, for one moment there I had the impression that people thought I know something about...anything!

Don't be silly  [::)]
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: Chemistry4me on 29/01/2009 04:25:27
Paul, Pardon my sarcasm, no need to apologise. It was to me a very interesting link. I love to see high performance electric cars in action

Phew, for one moment there I had the impression that people thought I know something about...anything!
But I did (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fsad%2F9.gif&hash=fd9cd3843beba81d62515d046452b56d)(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fsad%2F9.gif&hash=fd9cd3843beba81d62515d046452b56d)
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: teragram on 30/01/2009 17:14:05
Re:- the problems of charging battery powered cars:-

Referring once more to the “Top Gear” feature on the “Tesla”, (the only “real” data that I have) Mr. Clarkson admitted that the Tesla would manage 55 miles on a full charge. I understand that there is some dispute with the makers about this, but let’s not forget that this was the range whilst driving at RACING CAR SPEEDS. I think the average speed was about 110 mph. At more practical speeds a much greater range could be expected, maybe 165 miles to use easy figures, which, with 53KWh battery, means 0.3Kwh per mile.
Let’s say the average commuter journey in the UK is 50miles return (I think it’s actually less than this). After returning home from a day’s work then the car will have consumed about 17 KWh of energy. Allowing 70% for battery and charger, it will need 24.3 KWh to return to full charge. If the only outlet available was a 13Amp socket (3KW max) the battery could be charged in just over 8 hours. This could be comfortably accommodated overnight whilst the car is idle, and without going to a “filling” station. If an occasional trip exceeds normal usage, the next overnight charge, without necessarily completely replenishing the battery, would supply enough charge for the next day’s commute. In my case,  the overnight charge for such usage would be 7 hours at 5.2pence/unit, and say 2 hours at 16pence/unit, or about 70 pence. Don’t forget that a dedicated circuit could be installed which could achieve shorter charge times (although still a number of hours).
In the (I hope not too distant) future, if the battery becomes severely discharged, or long journeys are necessary, charging stations will be available for fast and complete charging, or maybe for an automatic battery change (perhaps batteries will be leased). Such recharging stations will need to supply huge amounts of current, but such demands are not unusual even today.
A further advantage for idlers like me (retired) is that it is technically possible that when my car is not being used in the daytime, it’s battery (charged at overnight rate cost), could supply some of my domestic electricity usage, at a cost of one third of normal day rate. If this practice became common, it would also help support national grid fluctuations caused by variability of renewable generation, or perhaps participate in micro-generation schemes.   

Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: teragram on 31/01/2009 09:39:03
Addendum:-
My mistake, the price should 3 times 70 pence, about £2.1. I thought that was cheap. Still cheaper than Diesel though.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: erickejah on 06/02/2009 16:40:09
http://www.elektor.com/news/fastest-electric-car-in-the-world.831448.lynkx?utm_source=UK&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news (http://www.elektor.com/news/fastest-electric-car-in-the-world.831448.lynkx?utm_source=UK&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news) this is fast.
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elektor.com%2FUploads%2FCache%2FSSC.resized.200x0.jpg&hash=09d93fe9d05a1fd1959e9a0cd186d431)
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: LeeE on 06/02/2009 19:05:34
Ah yes - that's the one I linked to on the first page of this thread.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: erickejah on 06/02/2009 22:28:43
i dont think they are exactly the same
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fregmedia.co.uk%2F2009%2F01%2F23%2Fssc_1.jpg&hash=53a2a5ebc5d92ca1830fb8881f7f8d68)
 [;D] [;D]
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: LeeE on 07/02/2009 16:34:21
Nope, you're right, they're different colours.

If you'd read the article I linked to, which was about the electric version, you'd have learned that it used the body shell and suspension from the IC version, which was illustrated, and clearly identified as such.
Title: So, you think electric cars are slow do you?
Post by: erickejah on 09/02/2009 00:13:56
I wish a have a revolutionary $invention$ to buy two. [:-\]