Re:Cost of converting entire U.S. to electric cars? Zero.
by hugh on Tuesday May 27, 2008 @02:27PM
(#201267)
The Aptera, eh? I hadn't heard of it before, but I looked at their website and they have a "Reserve Now" button combined with a FAQ which says "We are currently in the process of setting up our production facility". I think that moves it out of the "already exists" category and into the "vaporware until proven otherwise" category.
Actually you can right now get electric cars from Zap or GEM for less than $20K which are suitable for commuting provided your commute is very short and very slow. I'd be tempted to get one myself if I actually had a garage. But we're nowhere near anything that could be called a replacement for a real car, rather than a supplement to one.
Re:Cost of converting entire U.S. to electric cars? Zero.
by stcredzero on Tuesday May 27, 2008 @07:04PM
(#201524)
There are real working models, so they are not vaporware. They are instantiated-but-not-yet-coming-off-an-assembly-line-ware.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4237853....
Re:Cost of converting entire U.S. to electric cars? Zero.
by hugh on Tuesday May 27, 2008 @07:24PM
(#201547)
Well okay, I'm not sure whether having a working prototype actually makes it officially not-vaporware, but until there's something I can actually buy I remain skeptical about the range and price.
Re:Cost of converting entire U.S. to electric cars? Zero.
by stcredzero on Wednesday May 28, 2008 @01:44AM
(#201818)
Range has been verified, I think. If it hasn't already, the range of the hybrid version will be verified by automotive X-Prize officials.
A more realistic goal would be the incremental replacement of internal combustion cars with electric cars. Something like 30% in 10 years would be a tremendous good and would seem possible. I think the ultimate goal should be 85% electric vehicle use. I suspect that there will be a last 15% of uses for which the IC engine will still be the most cost effective solution.