Hybrid Porsches, One 100 years old and one "new".... Options

[neo914-6]

Electric "hybrid" Porsche


Tesla's comparison to their new roadster, Porschius. Not sure what the aircraft above it represents...

[byndbad914]

If pollution is the issue, electric cars are NOT the answer. Look what it takes to make the electricity... CO still uses coal to generate power, I mean, c'mon. Until this country rethinks power generation and begins converting all power generation to nuclear, I wouldn't waste a dime on an electric car from a pollution standpoint.

Then, cost-wise, they are not worth it either. Let alone run time/distance between charges and how friggin' small the cars are (smaller is better in that arena).

A turbo, high pressure lean-burn diesel hybrid on the other hand... now we are talking. You could make a huge F250 diesel get close to 30mpg pretty easy with a hybrid option for cruising speed. The 4x4 crew cab long bed monsters get 18-20mpg on the highway as is, so working the technology to a leaner mix, or considering a valved 2-stroke with separately compressed charge (technology that is out there in the works that burns very lean and clean), etc with a hybrid setup could really be amazing. Cars averaging 75mpg pretty easily and don't have to be little shit-boxes like the Prius (my friend has one; couldn't give it to me). I am talking the 40mpg Audis and so forth getting around 75mpg.

Then invade and take over Canada (would be an easier fight than in the mid-East) and drill like crazy (Canada has a lot of untapped oil) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[smontanaro]

If pollution is the issue, electric cars are NOT the answer. Look what it takes to make the electricity... CO still uses coal to generate power, I mean, c'mon. Until this country rethinks power generation and begins converting all power generation to nuclear, I wouldn't waste a dime on an electric car from a pollution standpoint.

Maybe in Colorado they use a lot of coal, but it's hardly the only source of energy to create electricity, and in some states, like California, it generates well under half the electricity, according to Tesla's website. In Illinois I think about half the electricity is generated using coal.

While electricity generated from coal isn't the final answer, it's certainly a step in the right direction and you have the option of improving your electricity generation mix as time goes on. That's not likely to happen to a great degree with the internal combustion engine, in diesel or gasoline form.

Skip

[byndbad914]

If pollution is the issue, electric cars are NOT the answer. Look what it takes to make the electricity... CO still uses coal to generate power, I mean, c'mon. Until this country rethinks power generation and begins converting all power generation to nuclear, I wouldn't waste a dime on an electric car from a pollution standpoint.

Maybe in Colorado they use a lot of coal, but it's hardly the only source of energy to create electricity, and in some states, like California, it generates well under half the electricity, according to Tesla's website. In Illinois I think about half the electricity is generated using coal.

While electricity generated from coal isn't the final answer, it's certainly a step in the right direction and you have the option of improving your electricity generation mix as time goes on. That's not likely to happen to a great degree with the internal combustion engine, in diesel or gasoline form.

Skip

Skip, look at that chart and look at the percentage in CA alone created by coal and natural gas. That is just absolutely wrong. Look how little nuclear. Nuclear energy is really the safest and cleanest form of power production period. Even hydro tends to introduce pollutants into the water (oils from bearings and so forth end up in the water).

the fact that ANY energy is created in this modern age from coal and natural gas is proof that we are truly idiots on this subject in this country. People freak out when they think of nuclear power and compare it to a bomb, which are only comparable if you have a system of logic similar to Michael Moore.

[swl]

Nuclear energy is really the safest and cleanest form of power production period.

While I agree whole heartedly with you, nuclear is not the long term answer either. The pollutants from uranium mining are a very real problem with no easy solution. Long term storage of spent fuel rods is not easy either but it is at least managable.

The real problem is that there is a very finite amount of uranium around - we can consume that almost as fast as we consume oil.