4 ms·
The missing second part of that exposition: The $1 gasoline is poured into a horrendously complex, noisy, brittle, contrived piece of technological megadebt.
by interfixus 9y ago
The missing second part of that exposition:
The $1 gasoline is poured into a horrendously complex, noisy, brittle, contrived piece of technological megadebt.
Electricity goes to one motor per wheel it needs to drive. In 1912 and in 2018.
- rdtsc 9y agoSo why didn't the clean and efficient design dominate then?
- jandrese 9y agoBecause the batteries sucked. They take too long to recharge, don't hold enough charge, are heavy, are bulky, and cost too much. As ugly as a gas engine is it does offer quick refueling, long range, and low cost. It's just more practical, especially with turn of the century technology.
- dsfyu404ed 9y ago>. It's just more practical, especially with turn of the century technology. Both 19th/20th and 20th/21st according to the sales numbers
- jandrese 9y agoYep. Fast charging is still an unsolved problem for electric cars (15 minutes for a 85 miles is not fast enough IMHO) although some electric scooters have swappable battery packs which do fit the bill. I do fully expect we will have these problems licked before the next turn of the century.
- mr_overalls 9y agoAlthough Tesla abandoned the idea because of lack of interest (which I do find strange), a swapping station solves this problem. A depleted battery can be swapped for a fresh one in less time than a gasoline fillup requires.
- felipelemos 9y agoTesla uses the battery as a structural part of the chassis. A swappable battery simply would not be possible.
- jandrese 9y agoNot with the current design, but it's not hard to imagine a design that makes it possible.
- mywittyname 9y agoPiston engines are quite simple and can be extremely reliable. There is typically a trade-off between maintenance and replacement. Piston engines require on-going maintenance, but can last a really long time. Electric motors require almost no maintenance but need to be rebuilt/replaced more often.
- Gibbon1 9y agoYour average gasoline engine is kaput after 5,000 hours. Same deal with standard automatic transmissions. Electric motors, power electronics, and simple reduction gears can last 5-10 times longer.