4 ms·

This approach using repurposed Tesla batteries seems more of a proof-of-concept than anything (although that's entirely fair, given they currently produce [prob

by mft_ 7y ago

This approach using repurposed Tesla batteries seems more of a proof-of-concept than anything (although that's entirely fair, given they currently produce [probably] the best examples). However, this is probably the tip of an iceberg to come. There is a huge amount of value worldwide in collectible/exotic/classic cars - values have soared since the '08 financial troubles, to the point of some cars becoming pure investments, rather than something to drive. As we move towards a world where the ICE will become extinct, what will happen to all of this automotive history? A few options: * huge devaluation * exemptions (to the ICE ban) for such cars... but at an increasing cost, as presumably petrol would become increasingly expensive and difficult to source * widespread drive-train conversions, allowing such cars to be enjoyed in perpetuity

akadruid1 7y ago
For high value collectables "reversable conversion" is likely to become common. Aston Martin offers a service to replace the ICE with a electric power unit with equivalent power. The ICE gets packed into a flight case in case you want to swap back in the future. Here's an account of £1.3 million DB6 Volante conversion: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/why-heck-would-you-convert-ps13m-aston-electric-power https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/why-heck-would-you...
rbf 7y ago
Or synthetically generated fuels (eg audi e-diesel, which is a diesel, but I think a petrol equivalent can be generated), which can be done today, but are very costly for general use. I don't think the cost of fuel for a classic car will be a huge issue even if it is very high (10x of todays cost).
- mft_ 7y ago
  > I don't think the cost of fuel for a classic car will be a huge issue even if it is very high (10x of todays cost). Not sure about that. Let's consider a generic classic car that delivers 25 miles per (UK Imperial) gallon, which is 5.5 miles per liter of petrol. At the moment, petrol is ~1.3-1.5 EUR/liter in central Europe. Taking a mean of 1.4 EUR/L, that's ~25 cents/mile, or 4 miles/EUR. A 200 mile trip (say, a weekend away) would cost ~51 EUR - not too bad. 3000 miles in a year would cost ~764 EUR. --- Now, consider 10x the cost. 510 EUR in fuel, just for a weekend away? 7640 EUR for a year's occasional cruising around? Accepted that's no problem for the super-rich, but it starts to be punitive for a hobbyist owner. What about if you're into American classics that deliver 10 MPG? Further, with that cost for fuel, the economics of a conversion make a lot more sense, before you even consider other possible incentives.

by mft_ 7y ago

akadruid1 7y ago

For high value collectables "reversable conversion" is likely to become common. Aston Martin offers a service to replace the ICE with a electric power unit with equivalent power. The ICE gets packed into a flight case in case you want to swap back in the future. Here's an account of £1.3 million DB6 Volante conversion: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/why-heck-would-you-convert-ps13m-aston-electric-power https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/why-heck-would-you...

rbf 7y ago

Or synthetically generated fuels (eg audi e-diesel, which is a diesel, but I think a petrol equivalent can be generated), which can be done today, but are very costly for general use. I don't think the cost of fuel for a classic car will be a huge issue even if it is very high (10x of todays cost).

mft_ 7y ago
> I don't think the cost of fuel for a classic car will be a huge issue even if it is very high (10x of todays cost). Not sure about that. Let's consider a generic classic car that delivers 25 miles per (UK Imperial) gallon, which is 5.5 miles per liter of petrol. At the moment, petrol is ~1.3-1.5 EUR/liter in central Europe. Taking a mean of 1.4 EUR/L, that's ~25 cents/mile, or 4 miles/EUR. A 200 mile trip (say, a weekend away) would cost ~51 EUR - not too bad. 3000 miles in a year would cost ~764 EUR. --- Now, consider 10x the cost. 510 EUR in fuel, just for a weekend away? 7640 EUR for a year's occasional cruising around? Accepted that's no problem for the super-rich, but it starts to be punitive for a hobbyist owner. What about if you're into American classics that deliver 10 MPG? Further, with that cost for fuel, the economics of a conversion make a lot more sense, before you even consider other possible incentives.