PBS Nova clip about Telsa electric sports car Car Talk

[bonds911]

tesla power

[Dipstikk]

John Lithgow?

[jessestiller]

"...and become less ignorant!"

Ever think of taking your own advice?

[super271144]

ford and chevrolet have announced electric saloon cars in showrooms in the UK end of 2009

[theprofessor172]

Yeah, but both of them are more hybrid-esque than fully electric cars. They are powered by electricity (and I assume you're referring to the Chevrolet Volt) for the first 40 miles - as a company study found that that's within the distance of most daily commutes. After the 40 miles, it's no different than the hybrids of today.

[dual85]

Wrong. After 40 mile BEV range the cars generator starts. Electricity is produced and the electric motor continues operating. The engine in a HEV contributes by directly moving the wheels in unison with an electric motor. The vehicles electric feel stays since its brushless 100 + Kw motor is the only thing moving you along.

[theprofessor172]

I stand corrected.

[CamiloSanchez1979]

i dont know i am still skeptical on a full electrical car..i dont think the problem is the car, the problem is the infrastructure so you can charge your car anywhere you want...

[joebro32]

The 110v edison outlet already is an infrastructure. It would be incredibly easy to retrofit garages and such with standard power outlets since chances are it is near by

The old paddle style charging stations that you see once and a while are from the EV-1 and electric RAV-4 days. That was/is a infrastructure problem - but a standard 110v - not a problem.

[CamiloSanchez1979]

rrriiight...but,it's not like anyone is letting you just plug anywhere you want..there would have to be a deployed system of outlets for either public access free or paid. Of course here I mean for a long trip to remote places.

[joebro32]

Fair enough but it's not having to create an infrastructure, like say hydrogen filling stations, it's already there. Perhaps ethanol filling stations present a similar situation, distribution is there the details just need to be sorted out

[super271144]

this is all very well, but why didnt they produce a four door saloon first and market that? surly finance wouldnt then be a problem as the the whole world would want to get in on the ground floor!

[joebro32]

Actually the idea was to do the high end sports car that has a higher premium and mark up and let the technology trickle down to a lower cost car. This was mentioned in the full 60 minute program as they plan on releasing a sedan in 2010

[Odziz]

The majority of cars on the road in the early 1900's were powered by batteries alone. Why do people think this is new technology ?

[dontforgetthis12]

Most of them didn't do 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds.