The future of motoring?
Posted by: George J on 08 November 2014
I assume the materials for these Tesla batteries just turn up at the factory with out any ill effects to the environment?
Just like how to dispose of the old ones?
Good point BigH - An oft-neglected aspect of "green" vehicles - my understanding is that battery production is a fairly "dirty" process.
And the range would be prohibitive; I would not want to have to plan my activities around the range or re-charging time of my vehicle. Heck, when I am on a long trip, I don't even like to stop to take a dump, so I combine refueling & that at once. If I had an electric car, I would always want a conventional ride available to me as well for those times when it is just not practical...even apart from a long trip, I have had hectic periods in my life where I could not afford to be tethered by my vehicle.
But the technology is in its infancy, and will undoubtedly become more practical and cost effective as time goes by. And that is a good thing. It's just like the people who paid $8K for plasma TVs when they came out - now you can get as good or better for a fraction of the cost.
But I sure as s**t wouldn't pay Tesla money for what it provides. But I am sure someone will come out with an affordable electric commuter car eventually.
Building any car is a dirty business. A quick and effective way to significantly reduce global pollution caused my motor vehicles is to stop building them. To say that one car is dirtier to produce than another is to miss the point. The point about EVs is that they produce zero tailpipe emissions. Many people only care about tailpipe emissions because that's what they get taxed on.
Because I need a minimum of 450 miles to get to a client/meeting/pitch and get home again. This while running air con/heating, sat nav and lights much of the time. And having the full performance available for high average speeds (where possible) and overtaking at will (when safe). For trundling into town or to nearby cities for shopping, errands and so forth I don't need high performance or more than 100 miles range between charges. But I wouldn't run a Model S if that's all I used it for. I am waiting, in a positive frame of mind for the electric/hybrid solution for my needs at a price which is attractive to me. The Model S can't go onto my list because of its range and time between charges. The charging infrastructure in the UK is not good enough and people appear to be buying EVs faster than the infrastructure is developing. Which if true suggests that we're all charging at home. Which is fine, I just need a 450+ mile range to make it practical.
You're very much in the minority spending that much time driving. So yes, for you, 400km is limiting. For our family and many like them, 400km would be more than enough. It is not "limited".
The OP's question is about the "future" of motoring.This range will increase over time and in my view, will become enough for everyone (or more sensibly, we will change our lifestyles so we aren't spending so much time in our bloody cars).
I assume the materials for these Tesla batteries just turn up at the factory with out any ill effects to the environment?
Just like how to dispose of the old ones?
The batteries, being made from metals are pretty much 100% recyclable. The materials are mined, just like everything else that isn't grown. Some stuff even comes from petroleum! But you knew that, didn't you? Nothing much materialises out of thin air.