On something as sophisticated as a Tesla, it will have built in surge protection.
On vehicles that were converted to EV’s that’s a good question.
Lots of info about Ford and Tesla EV batteries here:
No way, as @MikeInNH said. I doubt that any commercial products are made using graphene. It’s a very new and expensive material, but it does have a number of uses. We might eventually see graphene molded with body panels, making much of the car body a storage device. It’s a fascinating material. It’s sheets of carbon one atom thick. Amazing, and very useful. It will take a while to devise cost effective manufacturing processes for both the graphene and energy storage devices made with them.
I did make the statement that I doubt I’ll own one. And…I doubt I will. I’m pushing 50, and I don’t trade cars regularly and when I do, I rarely buy new.
I also made the statement that by the time I get an EV, charging options will be a given. I’m a late adopter and cautious by nature.
If they can manufacture one that charges in the time it takes to fill your petrol tank and has similar range to a gas powered car…sure, what’s the downside? But that’s the wait and see part, agreed.
I was not the one to take it down a notch (“strikes me as a personal problem,” my a$$)…
For your edification, I’ll elaborate a bit more and I’ll bet your “stable electrical grid” still has all of these problems. The person at the pump in front of you did not pull up far enough for the pump nozzle to reach the gas cap and on top of that, they pulled in on the wrong side (even though the other side of the gas pump was open). They then get back in their car to pull it forward, they get out, grab the pump nozzle and drag the hose over the roof of their car and stare at the still closed gas cap cover. They put the nozzle back, get back in the car, pop the trunk, then they realized the pulled the wrong lever, they get out and slam the trunk closed and they grab the fuel nozzle again. Now they realize the gas cap in still on, they have to switch hands to unscrew the gas cap, and shove the nozzle in. They press the nozzle and nothing happens, they then poke and jab the fuel selection button (regular or premium), and then they curse, get back in their car and grab their wallet for the credit card. And now they curse again since they now have to select the fuel selection button again since they had not entered the payment method previously. While the gas in pumping, the pull out their cell phone and make a call and complain to the recipient that they are late because of all the crowds. After the call fills, they decide they need to clean their windshield. When they are done, they throw the window washer/squeegee at the tank, it misses and lands on the ground. Without a second thought, they tear off, leaving their credit card receipt and the pump shuddering as the fuel hose is ripped from the pump.
No sir, it isn’t a personal problem…
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Spot on. I’ve said from time to time that the current “debate” over whether or not EVs will replace ICEs makes me wonder what people were talking about a little over a century ago. There was doubtless a debate on whether or not the car would replace the horse. And I’d bet there were a lot of dismissive people proclaiming that the horse would forever reign supreme. Gas is rare and expensive. Hay is plentiful and cheap. You don’t have to change the oil in a horse. Tack and buggies are mechanically simple and can be maintained by the owner. Cars are much harder to repair. There aren’t enough roads that cars can traverse. And so on.
Fast forward to today and almost no one outside of Amish colonies owns a horse for anything but recreation. We built the gasoline infrastructure, improved the roads, and changing the oil in a car is a lot cheaper than feeding a horse.
For EVs, we will build the charging infrastructure, improve charge times and battery technology, and charging an EV is cheaper than filling a gas tank.
I also find the argument that EVs pollute if they’re charged by electricity generated from coal to be short-sighted. That EV may be charged on environmentally unsound power today, but if next week the power company shuts the coal plant down and replaces it with a greener alternative, the EV is suddenly a lot more environmentally friendly whereas the ICE car will never improve its environmental impact.
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Might be a little off Topic. The addition we live in has 52 homes and a Home Owners Assn. run by idiots . One home has had their application for Solar Panels denied . For crying out loud. The people who are against it are mostly under the age of 40 . You would think that group would indorse the system . We have electric power outages a lot so maybe the solar panels might reduce some of that as more people get EV’s ( we have 2 now and 3 electric motorcycles ).
That’s an angle I hadn’t thought of. Lot of folks in Texas considering adding very expensive ($5,000 - $10.000) emergency generators, they’d get much of that benefit plus generate power 365 days a year with a solar/battery setup.
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I mean, that’s always a given. I can’t remember the last time I’ve heard of a well-run one. My aunt and uncle have had so many problems with their (over absolutely stupid stuff!) that I will absolutely never move into a house governed by a HOA.
That doesn’t make sense at all…around here it’s opposite. Younger people approve of solar, older people don’t (And I think a lot of that has to do with them worrying about ROI as they get older)
That is an excellent point, especially looking at folks in Texas. Not only is that area of the country a great spot to put solar panels on roofs, but it would help with their current power grid issues.
Graphene batteries have been built, but not readily available. Mainly due to cost. The raw material isn’t that expensive (actually very very cheap). It’s just not easy to strip one layer of the carbon atom off.
Did you know some Amish people use tractors? I had no idea.
they will put a station every 50 miles. They will be powered by gasoline, diesel, coal and natural gas. The CO2 rate will be 100X that of gas cars. They also will start making electric cars that weigh less than 100 lbs so that you all can get out and push them when the batteries die.
I did! I used to live near Amish country. The broad stereotype that they all reject all modern technology is completely inaccurate. Some colonies enjoy even more tech than that, but sometimes have to almost lawyer their way around the rules. For instance, you aren’t supposed to rely on outside power, but if you get a car battery and a DC/AC converter you can still power a small appliance. The Beachy Amish even own personal cars.
Lots of differences in the analogy, though. Cars are faster than horses. Cars have a better range. The opposite (on range) is currently true for EV’s. EV’s take a much longer time to refuel (recharge). Speed is governed by speed limits, of course, so that part doesn’t matter. If EV’s can overcome the two downfalls they have to gas engines (have to wait and see), I can see them replacing gas engines. Even if they can’t, I can see them as a viable alternative in urban areas, city fleets, etc.
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Were those things true back when cars were first introduced, and most people who drove were driving Model T Fords? Because that’s the stage we’re at now, where EVs are new.
It depends on which sect they’re in. Go to PA Amish country. Some will use tractors, and some will plow their fields with horses or Mules.
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They weren’t at the time. When the car first came out, you were more likely to get to your destination on a horse. Cars were still slow. The Benz Patent Motorcar had a top speed of a little under 10mph, far slower than a galloping horse. Its range was terrible - to go 60 miles you had to refuel 3 times, and of course there weren’t exactly filling stations on every corner pre-1900.
And cars in general, even moving forward into the Model-T era of much higher vehicular convenience, still found themselves largely driving on dirt cart tracks which were uncomfortable, slow, and flat tires or broken wheels were expected elements of trips, rather than rare occurrences.
If you’re a guy in the late 1800’s who has a good horse and maybe a buggy, and you look at this:
there’s almost no way you’re going to conclude that these stupid little contraptions are going to overtake the horse. Yet they did, because we built the necessary support systems, and improved the technology to the point that the horse couldn’t possibly compete.
It’s a similar story now, only more weighted in favor of the replacement tech. After all, moving from a buggy to that thing required lots of sacrifices. You’re going to get dirty. You’re going to have to figure out where to “feed” it. You’re going to have to fix it all the time. You’re even going to have to get wet if it rains because unlike your buggy, there’s no roof to pull over your head.
Meanwhile today, to move from an ICE car to an EV involves… Driving a normal car. It’s enclosed, air conditioned, has all the modern conveniences and luxuries - you can even get heated leather seats in them. Some of them are far faster than any ICE car that isn’t a supercar. The only real sacrifice asked is that if you’re going to take a road trip, you have to pre-plan where your charge stops will be.
And in most areas that’s taken care of too. Stop for a charge after 4 hours of driving. Conveniently, the charger is located outside a restaurant, where you have lunch and drive on afterward.
If you’re not on a long road trip, you charge at home, at night, and rarely if ever have to worry about finding a place to charge. Your “tank” is full every morning. Maintenance is better. No oil changes, no spark plug changes, much more rare brake jobs, you never have exhaust work to do. Tire rotations and filling the washer fluid is about all you need to do for most of the car’s life.
In short, the main barrier to EV adoption right now comes down to cost. They’re expensive. But once you own one, unless you’re an edge case there are a lot of conveniences to make up for the few inconveniences.
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And the cost difference between EV and ICE is closing. You can buy a EV Hyundai for under $35,000. Or a Mini Cooper for about $30,000.
Cheapest Electric Cars - Most Affordable EVs for 2021 | Edmunds
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Understand and agree. I imagine cars had to overcome their shortcomings compared to horses and buggies before they replaced them. As will EV’s (range, charge time, and as you mentioned-cost) before they replace internal combustion engines. Whether they can overcome those shortfalls, remains to be seen. I know it’s in the works, might or might not pan out. I don’t think anyone can predict that one way or the other with any real certainty. The fact that 97% or so of the autos being produced now are not EV’s makes me think it might be a little early to make a prediction that they’ll one day be the replacement for the ICE, unless it’s mandated by the government, of course. Which would not be the correct plan of action for several reasons, in my opinion, but I digress.
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