Moderately Confused by Jeff Stahler for April 30, 2021

  1. 20150712 095628
    LookingGlass Premium Member over 3 years ago

    Real world problems — NOT!!

     •  Reply
  2. Grandbudapesthotel cr alamy
    Imagine  over 3 years ago

    Beats finding a gas station and standing in line to fill up. A bigger waste of time than letting your car charge itself while it is parked. Besides, the car’s apps show where the charing points are.

     •  Reply
  3. Img 1505
    mywifeslover  over 3 years ago

    We can’t even provide enough power to keep the lights on all summer in California without rolling brownouts… how are we going to charge millions of cars?

     •  Reply
  4. 654px red eyed tree frog   litoria chloris edit1
    Superfrog  over 3 years ago

    Once upon a time, people would say the those new automobiles were smart although you’d never be able to buy petrol in the country but you could always get hay for your horse.

     •  Reply
  5. Grandpa hef
    Jeff0811  over 3 years ago

    On vacation a couple of years ago we rented a hybrid that was self-charging. It used a combination of fuel and electricity to operate. We drove about 300 miles and paid $20.00 for gas before returning it. The car got just over 50 MPG. Not all hybrids need an outside power source.

     •  Reply
  6. Missing large
    knittyditty  over 3 years ago

    Question? The charging points…..do you still have to pay like a gas station?

     •  Reply
  7. Missing large
    dflak  over 3 years ago

    Electric cars are the future, but we aren’t there yet.

    Mostly it has to do with battery technology. We’ve made great strides in the past couple decades, but have a ways to go.

    What does it cost to replace a battery? ($4K for a hybrid, but I don’t know how much of that goes into a disposal fee for the toxic waste it contains).

    Batteries are not necessarily carbonless – many are charged by coal-burning electric plants. The plants need to be converted to alternative fuel.

    I can hit a gas station, pump gas, and be back on the road in under 10 minutes (except in 1973). Can I charge the battery in under 10 minutes? However, this inconvenience could be offset by the fact that I would never have to stop to get gas on my way to work.

    My current car gets tremendous gas mileage and has a large tank. In theory, I can go 750 miles on a full tank under ideal conditions. In practice I did 650 miles and still had a couple gallons left. What is the range of an electric car?

    As another reader pointed out, we are having enough issues meeting power demands for home and industry continuously. We are going to have to beef up the electric grid for this and other reasons.

    None of these limitations mean much if you never intend to use your car other than locally and let’s face it, most of us do 95% of our driving locally. You’ll just need another car (or rent one) to visit Aunt Matilda two states over or take the kiddies to the beach.

    In spite of all these limitations, I support the development of electric cars. The theory is good, the engineering still needs to catch up.

     •  Reply
  8. Picture
    RickMcdermott  over 3 years ago

    I haven’t wait in line for gad in about 45yrs now,not sure where you live

     •  Reply
  9. Missing large
    davanden  over 3 years ago

    That’s we decided on a plug-in hybrid.

     •  Reply
  10. Gocomic avatar
    sandpiper  over 3 years ago

    Having read the developments and the arguments about electric vs hybrid/electric, my vote for the most cost effective transitional type is the latter. 50+ mpg equivalent in nothing to ignore. Neither is the fact that the overall config requires fewer replacement parts and less general maintenance and thus lowers costs of operation. But my vote won’t count anyway. Meanwhile, I’ll just continue on with my old pick-up. Not that many years left for either of us.

     •  Reply
  11. Irish  1
    Zen-of-Zinfandel  over 3 years ago

    Their dashboard must not have Alexa integration.

     •  Reply
  12. Can flag
    Alberta Oil Premium Member over 3 years ago

    But.. feel happy about not polluting as you drive around in circles.. while watching that gauge approach zero charge left.

     •  Reply
  13. Kirby close up with poppies behind   close cropped
    mistercatworks  over 3 years ago

    Note that there are stiff fines for using a charging station as a parking space, if you do not have an electric charging vehicle.

     •  Reply
  14. Erikeye
    tabby  over 3 years ago

    With a travel distance of over 250 per charge, we never go looking for charging stations when out. Someday we might go traveling longer distances again. Was looking at cars coming out soon with over 400 miles per charge which would work for us in our leisurely travels.

     •  Reply
  15. Img 0448
    queenoftut  over 3 years ago

    I hope I live long enough to never have an electric vehicle! If one is involved in a wreck, it usually catches fire. That is a horrible way to die or live with the scars and medical conditions that go with it for the rest of your life. My brother survived a plane crash in 1981 with 3rd degree burns over 30% of his body, the other 40% were 2nd degree burns. It was touch and go for several days. Not to mention all the debridement, skin grafts, and infections. He is very blessed to be alive and living a normal life.

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From Moderately Confused