InfiniteNow Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Last night, on the PBS program NOVA, the importance and the science of improving our transportation technology was shared in an accessible and entertaining manner. From NPR, Click and Clack from the Saturday morning program "Car Talk" (which has helped people understand, fix, and laugh about problems with their cars for decades) were our guides, with John Lithgow (of 3rd Rock from the Sun and 2010: The Year We Make Contact fame) as the narrator. The site for the episode, with additional information and resources, is here: NOVA | Car of the Future | PBS You can watch the entire program online (split into 6 chapters) at the following: NOVA | Car of the Future | Watch the Program | PBS Please watch the program and tell us what you think (or, if you've seen it already, just jump right into your comments). Which approach do you think will be most fruitful?Which approach do you find most lacking? If you support a combination of approaches, perhaps you can assign a percentage, based on your own opinion, as to the role each approach should (or could) play as we move forward into the future. Above all... watch, enjoy, learn, and hopefully discuss. :shrug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 I just finished watching it. I still like the idea of electric the best. Of course, supplementing this with petro improves the range, but does not solve the foreign dependence issue (unless you use ethanol of course, but that's a whole other quaqmire). I'd have to agree with the guys from GM. We need better battery tech, not only in terms of storage capacity and safety, but also in terms of recharge time and longevity. No cross country trips to grandma's house in the Tesla just yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteNow Posted April 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 What I wondered is, "Why don't we put solar panels on the cars to help recharge the batteries?" Also, there is work being done on solar paints. We could paint the cars with this, and voila! I'm glad you saw it. Hopefully others will as well. :eek_big: :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 What I wondered is, "Why don't we put solar panels on the cars to help recharge the batteries?" Heh, I was thinking the same thing. They made the comment about putting solar panels on the roof of your house and using that to charge your car and I was thinking, "why not keep those panels on the house FOR the house and through some on the roof of the car FOR the car".Also, there is work being done on solar paints. We could paint the cars with this, and voila!I don't recall reading about the solar paint idea, though it does sound familiar. I'll have to go look it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Heh, I was thinking the same thing. They made the comment about putting solar panels on the roof of your house and using that to charge your car and I was thinking, "why not keep those panels on the house FOR the house and through some on the roof of the car FOR the car". I don't recall reading about the solar paint idea, though it does sound familiar. I'll have to go look it up. The energy density of solar panels is far too low to be of any use in charging the volt or any other solar car you drive every day. Even if the entire surface of the car was a solar panel it wouldn't do much in the way of charging the battery or extending the range. If you only drove a couple days a week or a hour or so a day you migth have something but I would rather ride a motorcycle that gets 60 mpg+ than drive a car that will only get me across town twice a week. If the battery problem can be solved and the car doesn't cost more than I'll make in the rest of my life I would buy one for sure. Of course to really help with the CO2 thing you would need to have a sizeable percentage of your eletricity made by nuclear power. and we all know how much the greenie nuts love that:eek_big: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteNow Posted April 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 The energy density of solar panels is far too low to be of any use in charging the volt or any other solar car you drive every day.Not when coupled with regenerative braking, hydrogen fuel cells, high efficiency quick charging batteries, and "plug and drive" technology. It's not about silver bullets. It's about tommy guns. ;) Come on, people! It's time to get off of our asses!!! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Not when coupled with regenerative braking, hydrogen fuel cells, high efficiency quick charging batteries, and "plug and drive" technology. It's not about silver bullets. It's about tommy guns. ;) Come on, people! It's time to get off of our asses!!! ;) I can't believe you said that dude, with fuel cells you don't need the batteries! If they can figure out a way to safely store large amounts of hydrgen then all we need is nuclear power to generate hydrogen! A plug and drive car would be cheaper than a hydrogen fuel cell car, both to make and to drive. Why take the extra step to make hydrogen? Once you get the batteries right there is no need for hydrogen in a short drive vehicle and no need for batteries in a long range hydrogen vehicle. Combining the two only makes it that much more expensive. Like having a diesel engine for long range travel and a gasoline engine for short range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteNow Posted April 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Did you watch the show? What did you think? That was just my opinion. The larger point being that attacking one technology does not imply that some combination of technologies cannot work. We need to make this work, that's realy my larger point in nearly all of my posts here at Hypography. We have the technology.We have the ability.We have the intelligence. Now, we NEED the collective wherewithal to get it done. Man on the moon by the end of the decade... that sort of thing. Except, this is for our collective survival, not just bragging rights over some other nation. Sorry... went off there for a second. Watch the show. Let's talk about that. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Did you watch the show? What did you think? That was just my opinion. The larger point being that attacking one technology does not imply that some combination of technologies cannot work. We need to make this work, that's realy my larger point in nearly all of my posts here at Hypography. We have the technology.We have the ability.We have the intelligence. Now, we NEED the collective wherewithal to get it done. Man on the moon by the end of the decade... that sort of thing. Except, this is for our collective survival, not just bragging rights over some other nation. Sorry... went off there for a second. Watch the show. Let's talk about that. ;) Yes I watched the show, I loved the concept, but it looked a lot like expensive toys for rich boys. I'll be impressed when they come up with a car that someone like me can afford. Until then it's just pie in the sky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Yes I watched the show, I loved the concept, but it looked a lot like expensive toys for rich boys. I'll be impressed when they come up with a car that someone like me can afford. Until then it's just pie in the sky. Wanna go in half and half on a Tesla? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Wanna go in half and half on a Tesla? ;) I have to admit if I had more money than sense I would be all over that car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 I have to admit if I had more money than sense I would be all over that car! Good point. Good thing we have more sense than money. ;) ;) I can't wait to see one on the road, or in person at all for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteNow Posted April 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Yes I watched the show, I loved the concept, but it looked a lot like expensive toys for rich boys. I'll be impressed when they come up with a car that someone like me can afford. Until then it's just pie in the sky.Well, then I can only suggest that you go and build one for yourself, instead of assuming the defeatist attitide that nobody will ever bulid one for you at some impossibly low cost. Build your own street-legal solar-powered electric car - Engadget How to Make a Fuel Cell-Powered Car | Popular Science Converting Your Car To An Electric Vehicle : TreeHugger Clean, Quiet Conversions[on converting gas-powered car to full electric] | relocalize.net The Battery Powered Car Electric Car Conversion Questions (and Answers!) I'll just say... there are many more sites like this chock full of the information you need to get off of your *** and do it... That is, of course, if you really take yourself seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrotex Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 I watched maybe 10% of the show and listened to the other 90% while doing chores in the kitchen. Really enjoyed it. I think the answer for cars will eventually be the high efficiency, linear-DC, pulse-driven electric motor and a combo of high energy density batteries and the methane fuel-cell. They have methane fuel-cells now the size of an A battery that produces several times the current of an A battery. Trouble is the lifespan. The carbon dioxide from the methane eventually clogs the sucker up. But that's a technical problem I believe will be fixed in the next pi/2 decades. The regen-braking is a nice touch, too. But we're all going to have to live with hiway speeds under 60 mph. If you want faster than that, take a bullet train (fueled with H2). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zythryn Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 While not quite the huge step forward many of these idea are, Hymotion has started taking orders for a module for the Prius which will bump the mileage to as much as 150mpg for short trips.I am probably going to get 90-100mpg considering my driving habits.On another front, Th!nk in Norway has announce US distribution (thank you Norway!) About TH!NK North America / Our Company / Home - Think.A much more affordable car than the Tesla;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrotex Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Thanks, Z!Now if they would only come up with a van that I could get my wheelchair into -- that would get just 75 mpg, and cost only US$ 28K, I would be so happy. :) :) :hihi: :hihi: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moontanman Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Well, then I can only suggest that you go and build one for yourself, instead of assuming the defeatist attitide that nobody will ever bulid one for you at some impossibly low cost. Build your own street-legal solar-powered electric car - Engadget How to Make a Fuel Cell-Powered Car | Popular Science Converting Your Car To An Electric Vehicle : TreeHugger Clean, Quiet Conversions[on converting gas-powered car to full electric] | relocalize.net The Battery Powered Car Electric Car Conversion Questions (and Answers!) I'll just say... there are many more sites like this chock full of the information you need to get off of your *** and do it... That is, of course, if you really take yourself seriously. I don't think my current budget restrants will allow me to do any of these things:( maybe i need to raise taxes on my minions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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