Would Gray Pony Tail Hippie Guy Drive This

[Free to be ME (imported)]

Moi well sometimes its due to certification the old vw bus would not meet todays safety rules anywhere except maybe china india and some of south america.

Case in point the retro mustang while at a glance looks like the old 70's one it shares NOTHING but the name with it. Think of it a 1980 150 hp 4 2.3 L 140 cid Turbo stang like I had got barely 19 mpg on the highway with a manual while new v-6 with 305 hp and a/c and all the stuff we expect as standard got 48 mpg in a test at Bristol. over twice the power and over twice the mpg!

[streetglide (imported)]

The VW Bus looked good with paisley curtains.

It got us there.

For all the fond memories I think I would find it a slow, noisy cumbersome vehicle to drive today.

Y'see, I LUV my Ford Expedition, 4WD.

I'll bet Streetglide might have some insights.

I'm gonna PM him to link him here and we will see.

Moi

never owned a VW minivan

It sure ain't my old air cooled V Dubs! Remember guys, it's a CONCEPT. Of course that means it might not work...or ever see production.

The basic outer structure isn't that bad...what are you supposed to do with the design of a van? It's just a box with wheels. If they can make use of space to compare with my MINI and make the electrics function well, and make the price within reason...that's alot of "if's", they might have something!

Remember it's German, if they say it'll work, it'll work!

[Arab Nights (imported)]

I suppose, but anything too big to fit in the backseat of a 1963 Pontiac Bonneville was just NOT worth pursuing...

QUOTE]

There you go bringing up the castration goddess again.

[A-1 (imported)]

I suppose, but anything too big to fit in the backseat of a 1963 Pontiac Bonn

eville was just NOT worth pursuing...

QUOTE]

There you go bringing up the castration goddess again.

Worst than that is the TESTICLE VAMPIRE...

She keeps you captive and drains your testicles on a regular basis...

Well, I suppose I DO have the Stockholm Syndrome....

[A-1 (imported)]

Just keep in mind before you rant about the Dodge Zeo a few things.

Most concept cars NEVER make it into production even fewer end up in the hands of a collector like the Zeo appears to have. Remember the Pontiac Sunfire? The concept car and the production car shared onlly two things the name and pontiac badge.

Concept cars mostly are used to test reactions to design stylings or to highlight engineering concepts then under development. Mercedes did a thing like this teamed with GM of a standard chassis you would buy different bodies for that would plug in and through electronics change how the platform handled etc. Out of this came magnetic dampned suspensions, driver adjustable ride and traction control very little ese did.

The lead time from concept on paper to a concept car then to production is around 6 years sometimes more sometimes less.

O.K.

Can YOU explain 98 YEARS? (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/autom ... BAKER.html)

...AND STILL NO VIABLE ELECTRIC CARS...

Who killed the electric car? (http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/)

BOMB DETROIT!

[fhunter]

Can YOU explain 98 YEARS?[/URL]

...AND STILL NO VIABLE ELECTRIC CARS...

Who killed the electric car? (http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/)

Surely I can... two words: BATTERY TECHNOLOGY.

And obvious laws of physics + increased road speeds, and thus increased air drag.

One more thing - time of recharge, and available energy (and power) from the grid.

You can refuel car in, say, 20 minutes top. It is difficult to recharge a battery that fast. I have seen the discussion about interchangeable batteries, but being a significant part of electric car, I can not see, how they can be easily and reliably exchanged.

[moi621 (imported)]

It sure ain't my old air cooled V Dubs! Remember guys, it's a CONCEPT. Of course that means it might not work...or ever see production.

The basic outer structure isn't that bad...what are you supposed to do with the design of a van? It's just a box with wheels. If they can make use of space to compare with my MINI and make the electrics function well, and make the price within reason...that's alot of "if's", they might have something!

Remember it's German, if they say it'll work, it'll work!

Thanks Streetglide.

For those of you who don't know, he is one knowledgeable mechanic dude.

It is not the BOX that bothers me.

It is the size of the BOX.

As well said, "not even a place for a mattress".

Or a kitchenette. Remember those?

Six passengers. Wow!

Hardly deserving of a claim to continuity with the ole VW Hippie Minibus as stated in the initial article.

Moi

Streetglide

[moi621 (imported)]

Surely I can... two words: BATTERY TECHNOLOGY.

And obvious laws of physics + increased road speeds, and thus increased air drag.

One more thing - time of recharge, and available energy (and power) from the grid.

You can refuel car in, say, 20 minutes top. It is difficult to recharge a battery that fast. I have seen the discussion about interchangeable batteries, but being a significant part of electric car, I can not see, how they can be easily and reliably exchanged.

Moi covered this in an earlier discussion. <sigh>

The need is for Bureau's of Weights and Measures to establish a standard vehicle battery unit per output and dimensions.

Storage would be left to minimal requirements with open ended considerations for advancements.

Allow MOI to drive his electric vehicle from LA to San Francisco, stopping and quickly exchanging Moi's power drained battery pack for a charged one plus a charge fee.

Even if THEY hide some battery components in door panels, a central exchangeable battery pack is the only way to beat the problem of range, fast charge and unhappiness over the prospect of purchasing a new battery after five or eight years.

Moi

Hi fhunter, I know you are going to ridicule this idea with your practicality. I can take it.

Recent evidence with Brain PET Scans as subject were imaged next to a cell phone turned off or

turned on and muted

demonstrated clear activity change in the regions of the brain closest to the radio frequency transmitter.

If you are willing to drive a PRIUS I hope you are willing to live under high power lines. There are some less expensive homes there. Good deal for you.

EMF is the smog of the 21st Century!

You heard it at EA first.

[A-1 (imported)]

Surely I can... two words: BATTERY TECHNOLOGY.

And obvious laws of physics + increased road speeds, and thus increased air drag.

One more thing - time of recharge, and available energy (and power) from the grid.

You can refuel car in, say, 20 minutes top. It is difficult to recharge a battery that fast. I have seen the discussion about interchangeable batteries, but being a significant part of electric car, I can not see, how they can be easily and reliably exchanged.

Did you click on the link?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/autom ... BAKER.html?

_r=1

Did you read the article?

O.K. You explain to me how we could NOT have the battery technology IF they did the research...

After all, we went from Einstein's General Theory of Relativity in 1905 to the ATOMIC BOMB within a short 40 years.

Since Jay Leno's electric car STILL works on it's ORIGINAL batteries after 98 years WHY don't we have the technology?

I will tell you why. It is because we never BOMED DETROIT and it stunted automobile production...

The Edison batteries were the result of a research program the inventor conducted at the turn of the century to create lighter, more powerful batteries that would extend the range and speed of electric cars, just as inventors are trying to do today.

Instead of the lead plates and sulfuric acid used in batteries from the mid-19th century on, the Edison batteries used iron and nickelic oxide electrodes, and an alkaline electrolyte of potassium hydroxide. Early tests were promising, but the first production batteries were prone to leaking and electrode failure. Edison closed the factory in 1905 and reworked the batteries, finally resuming production four years later. The effort was obviously effective.

“I have modern lead-acid batteries in the car now, but I can still run the original Edison batteries,” Mr. Leno said. “You can just rinse them out, replace the electrolyte, and they’re ready to go. They still work fine, after almost a hundred years.”

So, fhunter, you were saying about battery technology?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/autom ... BAKER.html?

_r=1&pagewanted=print

Restoring an early electric requires some ingenuity. Electric motors haven’t changed much in the nearly 200 years since they were invented, so a shop that can rebuild an antique ceiling fan should be able to rewind the armature of an electric motor. Modern deep-cycle batteries, like those used in golf carts, electric boats and neighborhood electric vehicles, can be readily substituted for the originals.

Relatively few electric cars have survived, and their appeal is more that of an oddity or museum piece than that of a better-known classic automobile. So their prices have remained reasonable. According to the Web site of the Gold Book, which is published by Manheim Auctions and tracks prices paid at collector-car auctions, a well-maintained 1915 Baker, a very similar Rauch & Lang, or a Detroit Electric should sell for $9,000 to $20,000, depending on its condition.

Collectors are often attracted to the cars owned by their fathers. With one of these electrics, they can drive a machine that might have been driven by their great-grandmothers.

READ the articles...open up your mind...

[fhunter]

Did you click on the link?

http://www.nytimes

.com/2007/08/05/automobiles/05BAKER.html?

_r=1

Did you read the article?

O.K. You explain to me how we could NOT have the battery technology IF they did the research...

So, fhunter, you were saying about battery technology?

]
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/auto

mobiles/05BAKER.html?
[/quote]
_r=1&pagewanted=print

[CENTER]READ the articles...open up your mind...

I have read the article. What it conveniently misses, is that the engine power of that car was only about 0.75hp. Now come modern times and modern speeds. As we know from physics, air drag becomes the prevalent force even at speeds as low as 45-60km/h. Even more so at highway speeds. Power required to overcome air drag is proportional to cube of speed. So, raise the speed twice, required power raises 8 times. What was top speed of that car? 25mph? Now recalculate power requirements and batteries volume for engine power of some 30hp. It is not much, but let's consider that it is enough.

Now let's start with the batteries. Eddison alcaline batteries, are better know now as Nickel-Iron batteries. Yes they have long life. But on the other parameters they suck.

Energy efficiency? 60-80 percent. So on every kW hour you pump into battery, charging it, you get only 0.6-0.8kWh back.

Energy density? Only 30Wh/liter. Compare with 250-620Wh/liter for lithium batteries.

Self discharge? On par with NiMH - about 30% per month.

Oh, one more thing, from what I have found on the net, the demise of Baker cars was.... invention of electric starter .

PS. Tesla motors car looks interesting. But lithium batteries lose about half their capacity in 2 years. And a new battery pack for 36000$ ? Sorry, I'll buy something cheaper, and easier to service. Don't even start me on recharge times. May be in USA, outlets/wiring, which can supply 70A at 240V are common. Here, I even do not know where to charge such thing.