Reality check on electric cars

Into the Night said:
I have driven a Tesla. They have poorer handling due to the extra weight of the battery. The vehicle weighs more than my truck!
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That with the acceleration chews up roads and tires.

I saw a report the other day that there is zero chance the world can rape the planet enough to produce the planned EV's using current tech....the plan is pure fantasy on that point alone....and several others as well.
 
Nordberg said:
Drive a Tesla and get back to us. Another thing EVs have is they are fun to drive.
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Everyone would walk by and pay it no attention. Tesla doesn't win any awards at car shows.
Tesla doesn't command attention when it fires up. No Tesla is as fun to drive as my Cobra.
 
RB 60 said:
Everyone would walk by and pay it no attention. Tesla doesn't win any awards at car shows.
Tesla doesn't command attention when it fires up. No Tesla is as fun to drive as my Cobra.
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Unless your idea of fun is for the car to drive itself, or driving from point A to B in relative comfort and boredom, then a Tesla isn't for you. Teslas are boring cars.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
Unless your idea of fun is for the car to drive itself, or driving from point A to B in relative comfort and boredom, then a Tesla isn't for you. Teslas are boring cars.
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Ain't no Tesla any more comfortable to drive than the Lincoln Mark VII LSC I had.
I'm not looking for comfort in a sports car. I want the sound and feel of a sports car
 
A review lesson for "greenies" ... maybe @Nordberg will pay attention this time? :rofl2:

A current model Chevy Bolt (an EV) has an advertised "range" of roughly 250 miles. The actual/realized "range" is actually much less than that (could even be 100 miles or less). Why is this? Let's review a few truths about EVs:

It is recommended that EV batteries only be charged up to 80% and only used down to 20%. That recommended battery care effectively eliminates 2/5th's of the advertised "electricity tank" right off the bat. The aforementioned advertised "250 mile range" is now effectively only 150 miles.

Weather is never perfect. If temperatures are "too hot" or "too cold", then range decreases. Daytime will eventually become nighttime. Usage of headlights (and interior lights) requires using "fuel" from the "electricity tank", thus decreasing "range". Just the mere existence of temperatures that are "too hot" or "too cold" will reduce said "range", let alone turning on the heat or the A/C, which additionally reduces "range". The usage of various other gadgets within the vehicle likewise reduces "range".

All of this will reduce an EV's "range" by roughly 30-50% of the already reduced number due to proper battery care procedure. Let's use the lower 30% number just to be generous towards EV users. At this point, the aforementioned advertised "range" of 250 miles has now been reduced all the way down to a mere 105 miles.

This list isn't all inclusive, nor have I even gotten into the issue of rather slow charging times (and that's under perfect conditions, let alone under bad conditions such as winter in Shitcago) nor all the other issues with EVs.


A Chevy Volt is effectively an overweight ICE vehicle. It has a teeny weeny battery that is advertised at 38-53 miles of "range" depending on model year. Basically, one is just using the ICE while driving (and every time I look at a "hybrid" vehicle in front of me, I always see exhaust coming out of the tailpipe). Ergo, it is effectively just an overweight ICE vehicle.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
Going fast in a curve, like down a winding mountain road is more to my liking. That's why I prefer a Lotus.
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You seem to forget I own a Cobra. I also owned a Mustang with nearly 600 hp that was fast in a straight line.
So I am familiar with cars built for both straight line and road course set-ups. Neither are easy to drive,
especially for the inexperienced driver. Oh, and the shorter wheelbase of the Cobra makes it even more difficult
to drive in a straight line, or on the nice winding back country roads which is where it thrives.
 
RB 60 said:
You seem to forget I own a Cobra. I also owned a Mustang with nearly 600 hp that was fast in a straight line.
So I am familiar with cars built for both straight line and road course set-ups. Neither are easy to drive,
especially for the inexperienced driver. Oh, and the shorter wheelbase of the Cobra makes it even more difficult
to drive in a straight line, or on the nice winding back country roads which is where it thrives.
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With a Cobra you have to steer with the throttle, and that's harder to do well than having a car that handles well to begin with.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
With a Cobra you have to steer with the throttle, and that's harder to do well than having a car that handles well to begin with.
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Are you saying the Cobra doesn't handle well to begin with? Rack and pinion steering coupled with a fully independent suspension makes it handle like it's on rails.
 
RB 60 said:
Are you saying the Cobra doesn't handle well to begin with? Rack and pinion steering coupled with a fully independent suspension makes it handle like it's on rails.
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The weight distribution is all forward, like most US cars. You control the understeer with the throttle. That is, to get the most out of a corner, you let the rear end drift out as you go into it, then use the throttle to shift the center of gravity towards the rear of the vehicle and straighten it out and stop the drift.

And then there's this:


 
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Nordberg said:
Again, you do not have a clue.
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You are describing yourself again, Sybil. EVs are heavy, reducing the handling ability. The road is not a drag strip.
They take a long time to charge. They have limited range. Thes cost 2-3 times what an equivalent gasoline car costs. They are much more expensive to insure, since a single damaged battery means replacing the entire pack (at $25,000!). They have more recalls than any other car, usually to software problems. They are fire hazards, particularly when charging them, putting your home at risk.

The EV market is dying (again!) for a reason.
 
Into the Night said:
You are describing yourself again, Sybil. EVs are heavy, reducing the handling ability. The road is not a drag strip.
They take a long time to charge. They have limited range. Thes cost 2-3 times what an equivalent gasoline car costs. They are much more expensive to insure, since a single damaged battery means replacing the entire pack (at $25,000!). They have more recalls than any other car, usually to software problems. They are fire hazards, particularly when charging them, putting your home at risk.

The EV market is dying (again!) for a reason.
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Tend to not be able to accomplish the mission.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
The weight distribution is all forward, like most US cars. You control the understeer with the throttle. That is, to get the most out of a corner, you let the rear end drift out as you go into it, then use the throttle to shift the center of gravity towards the rear of the vehicle and straighten it out and stop the drift.

And then there's this:


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ROFL! That "cobra" is a go cart. I'm not too familiar with the FFR Cobras, but I've never seen one that small. As for weight distribution, the engine in my Cobra is set back far enough a Chevy engine's distributor would replace my rear view mirror. Again, even with the big block, it still handles like it's on rails.

BTW, isn't that Lotus a mid or rear engine car? And, can you afford that Lotus??
 
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On my Sailing Youtubes I get a lot of "I really want to love eclectic motors, but they dont get the job done....I am going back to diesel...hate me if U must".
 
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