05-30-2007, 07:05 PM
You'll get no disagreement from me, if you read my original posting. Especially the Lithium link and afterwards.
No offense, but the quote you used make it seems as if I said current EVs are a perfect solution that is ready now, which is not what I wrote at all. Let's not take my words out of context, I don't remember doing that to you so I'd appreciate the same courtesy extended back.
Maybe I didn't write it clearly, but the main reason I put up that lithium link was -NOT- to tout EVs as a perfect and ready for prime time solution. Let's get that clear here and now.
And things like hybrids, to tell you the truth I personally believe they're only a start at best, and a temporary short term solution at worst.
Which is why I did not mention hybrids specifically at all in the first place.
My family actually did looked at some hybrids and some EVs a year ago. And we decided that the technology, the infrastructure, and the dealership in where we are was simply not that serious and commited about it yet. (Actually for the very same reasons you mention, which is why I'm confused as to why we're 'arguing' if we're basically agreeing.)
Which is really a shame, since I -do- want to see an affordable, reliable and flexible EV platform that simply leapfrogs all this stop gap solutions.
Not because I'm sort of green worshipping hippie, but because I'm tired of oil changes and other things that's associated with an internal combustion engine.
That Zebra battery mentioned looks to be very promising, though I want to see more 'on the field' performance report on it.
ps. I don't really want to get into too much discussion about energy generation, because I think that is a subject big enough to warrant it's own thread. But I've wondered not so recently and I know this sounds somewhat outlandish at first. But considering someone put up a possibly 'shopped pic of people using the escalator to a gym. I think it's fair game.;)
Why not combine the two. This is not my own idea but I've been giving it some thoughts. There's all this ads for things like Bowflex and home gyms etc. Why not combine burning fat with storing energy? All those weights lifted and stairs mastered and cycle spinned, where does all those potential human locomotion goes? More often than not, nowhere! They're not truly harnessed at all!
I blame the Matrix movie for giving the scheme a bad name, but it doesn't have to be an image of a human hamster chained to a wheel overseen by cruel robot masters. Take away the cruel robot masters, and you get a positive image! Burn the fat, get healthier, and run your home's energy needs all at the same time.
Reduce your energy requirement from the grid, or for those more physically ambitious get off it completely. Not only are you more self reliant AND self empowered, you might even get some killer pipes and some killer abs with it.
It doesn't even have to be super high tech, actually it would be better if it's not high tech overload at all. I'm imagining something of an oversized gravity based system like grandfather clock mechanisms, adapted to a bowflex like gyms hooked to a battery system. It should be made to be scalable for both personal usage to bigger community based applications.