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I think more to the point, the computer explosion came from them being useful to the vast majority of people, not just technical people. My old apple 2 or Amig

by abruzzi 13y ago

I think more to the point, the computer explosion came from them being useful to the vast majority of people, not just technical people. My old apple 2 or Amiga was not that. Electric cars will explode when they are as useful as gas cars for equivalent costs. If they retain tradeoffs, like range, they will have to be tradeoffs that impact very few people. I do think that people in metro areas like NY, LA, SF, don't realize what it's like to like in the more sparsely populated parts of the country, and that is still the biggest limitation in my part of the world. 150 miles might be barely adequate _IF_ there were near instant recharges. If I want to test drive a new Ducati, I have to drive 500 miles round trip (and have done it in a single day multiple times)

ams6110 13y ago
The computer explosion happened not because of computers per-se but because of the internet. Email and the web, and later Facebook, Twitter, etc. made computers able to do useful things. If that had never happened, the majority of the public would have little use for computers. So you're right, the electric car will become practical for people not because of any capability of the car itself, they are already more than adequate in that regard. It's the batteries. When we have some way to get similar range and speed and ease of recharging as pumping 10 or 20 gallons of gasoline, they will be practical for most people. Not really before and until that happens.
- epicgon 13y ago
  The PC revolution was still occurring even for people who didn't have Internet Access.
mncolinlee 13y ago
The recharges and station availability are more the problem. The Tesla Model S has longer range than a good number of popular gas cars including several Ford Mustang models. The solutions already exist if we find a way to deploy them. We even have the technology today to recharge your car wirelessly while it's driving. With wireless induction charging, you won't have to stop driving until it's time to rotate your tires or use the restroom. http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/green-tech/advanced-cars/korean-bus-charges-itself-while-driving http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/green-tech/advanced-cars/...

by abruzzi 13y ago

ams6110 13y ago

The computer explosion happened not because of computers per-se but because of the internet. Email and the web, and later Facebook, Twitter, etc. made computers able to do useful things. If that had never happened, the majority of the public would have little use for computers. So you're right, the electric car will become practical for people not because of any capability of the car itself, they are already more than adequate in that regard. It's the batteries. When we have some way to get similar range and speed and ease of recharging as pumping 10 or 20 gallons of gasoline, they will be practical for most people. Not really before and until that happens.

epicgon 13y ago
The PC revolution was still occurring even for people who didn't have Internet Access.

mncolinlee 13y ago

The recharges and station availability are more the problem. The Tesla Model S has longer range than a good number of popular gas cars including several Ford Mustang models. The solutions already exist if we find a way to deploy them. We even have the technology today to recharge your car wirelessly while it's driving. With wireless induction charging, you won't have to stop driving until it's time to rotate your tires or use the restroom. http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/green-tech/advanced-cars/korean-bus-charges-itself-while-driving http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/green-tech/advanced-cars/...