More Hyundai woes

[Moscow Mule]

Roll on electric cars which will presumably be a lot simpler and easier to fix than the infernal combustion engine and the increasing complexity used to get diminishing returns on fuel economy. Electric motors are circa 90% efficient, compared to petrol engines that probably won't beat 30% or so even if they are packed full with electronic gizmos. Electric motors are lighter too, which means a lighter body which means a smaller and lighter motor...and you get to die in a head-on collision and squished by a juggernaut. The last is not such a good selling point.

Thing about electric motors is that the (currently) have to have batteries attached to them which (currently) weigh a fair bit.

[TykeMerc]

Roll on electric cars which will presumably be a lot simpler and easier to fix than the infernal combustion engine and the increasing complexity used to get diminishing returns on fuel economy. Electric motors are circa 90% efficient, compared to petrol engines that probably won't beat 30% or so even if they are packed full with electronic gizmos. Electric motors are lighter too, which means a lighter body which means a smaller and lighter motor...and you get to die in a head-on collision and squished by a juggernaut. The last is not such a good selling point.

Electric motors are light, batteries however aren't. Hydrocarbon fuels are much lighter than batteries for an equivalent amount of energy and a lot easier to transport and install in a vehicle for refueling purposes.

[TimberWolf]

Electric motors are light, batteries however aren't. Hydrocarbon fuels are much lighter than batteries for an equivalent amount of energy and a lot easier to transport and install in a vehicle for refueling purposes.

Yeah, petrol is hard to beat on energy density. About 10 times what the best batteries currently manage. But petrol engines deliver around 3/4 kW power per kg and an electric motor delivers around 8 times that power by weight, so a slight weight saving there. Electric cars may be practical for shorter distances where the batteries could be quite small and light and charged overnight, or perhaps in a more distant future, for ultra high performance at more modest prices than having a monster engine.

[Moscow Mule]

Yeah, petrol is hard to beat on energy density. About 10 times what the best batteries currently manage. But petrol engines deliver around 3/4 kW power per kg and an electric motor delivers around 8 times that power by weight, so a slight weight saving there. Electric cars may be practical for shorter distances where the batteries could be quite small and light and charged overnight, or perhaps in a more distant future, for ultra high performance at more modest prices than having a monster engine.

I was quite tempted by that electric moped that was launched recently, but you need to charge it under cover so it was impractical for us.

[TykeMerc]

I doubt that electric cars will become truly practical until fuel cells become viable and hydrogen available at fueling stations.

Batteries take hours to charge where as a tank of liquid fuel takes minutes. Plus of course what fuel do you use to generate the electricity in the first place?

[TimberWolf]

I was quite tempted by that electric moped that was launched recently, but you need to charge it under cover so it was impractical for us.

I'm quite tempted by an electric bike, but would feel foolish using it

[sasguru]

Waiting for them to tell me what they'll give me in PX. Still owe £2500 on the finance, so anything less than that and I'm screwed.

Finance! You used finance to buy a Hyundai?

Don't know whether to or

[TimberWolf]

I doubt that electric cars will become truly practical until fuel cells become viable and hydrogen available at fueling stations.

Batteries take hours to charge where as a tank of liquid fuel takes minutes. Plus of course what fuel do you use to generate the electricity in the first place?

The same drawback applies to hydrogen, since it's not a primary energy source and has to be created by some means, or extracted from fossil fuels. Hydrogen has big problems with storage too though so I don't think that's looking like it's on the cards. We may [speculation mode] be entering an electricity age though, where we use less fossil fuels and more electrical energy sources, e.g. nuclear [/speculation mode].

[DimPrawn]

Batteries take hours to charge where as a tank of liquid fuel takes minutes. Plus of course what fuel do you use to generate the electricity in the first place?

Rather than charge batteries would it not be more convenient to swap battery packs and always have one on charge?

Or for liquid batteries, drain the spent electrolyte and refill with charged electrolyte (much like filling with petrol)?

[Bob Dalek]

Pedal-power, like Fred Flintstone, that's the answer.