Seen in Print

[webenda]

Was this the '64 Alaska quake?

Yes.

[HONDO74]

[HONDO74]

[Rufus T. Firefly]

While the people want the government to do something they don't want to pay the price to do it.

This applies to so many topics that I need days of millions of monkeys typing at keyboards to list them all.

The people are in for a big shock as to what it is going to take and what it is going to cost to stop using fossil fuels.

It's somewhat ironic given that France is ~80% nuclear for generating electricity - seems an obvious country to lead the way on electric vehicles.

Murph, are you ready to give up your luxury car and get an electric econ box to help out.

"electric econ box"?? You mean a Tesla, Porsche, Volvo, etc.?

[HONDO74]

It's somewhat ironic given that France is ~80% nuclear for generating electricity - seems an obvious country to lead the way on electric vehicles.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s election campaign included a promise to cut nuclear power generation from 72% to 50% by 2025. “It’s not good to have 75% of our energy come from nuclear,” argued Macron, and added, “I will keep the energy transition programme and hence I will keep the 50% cap [by 2025].”

The French embraced Diesel vehicles as their main source of transportation. It will be a costly transition for the French and now they are protesting their taxes are to high along with the cost of living.

If the French are going to be the leaders in combating global warming they are going to have to swallow the expensive pill.

And while they are at it see if they can get India and China to cut back on using coal.

The Nio will probably be Murphs new electric car. Made in China, bought from Amazon and delivered by an electric self driving truck. Half the price of a Tesla......

[Rufus T. Firefly]

It's somewhat ironic given that France is ~80% nuclear for generating electricity - seems an obvious country to lead the way on electric vehicles.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s election campaign included a promise to cut nuclear power generation from 72% to 50% by 2025. “It’s not good to have 75% of our energy come from nuclear,” argued Macron, and added, “I will keep the energy transition programme and hence I will keep the 50% cap [by 2025].”

Makes no sense and just sets up a nasty backlash. France doesn't have any other energy resources that can be used as replacement.

The French embraced Diesel vehicles as their main source of transportation. It will be a costly transition for the French and now they are protesting their taxes are to high along with the cost of living.

News to me - last time I was in France no one drove a diesel vehicle. Everyone complains about taxes being too high but that would never be true here, Also, France has a pretty decent rail system that lets one get around what is in reality a small country vs. the US.

If the French are going to be the leaders in combating global warming they are going to have to swallow the expensive pill.

Or stay with the nuclear power

And while they are at it see if they can get India and China to cut back on using coal.

India is a pretty decent % nuclear now and China is already cutting back on coal - they know long term it's not viable - going big on all alternative power.... Unlike the West, they look forward with the long view while the West just looks no further than the next election.

The Nio will probably be Murphs new electric car. Made in China, bought from Amazon and delivered by an electric self driving truck. Half the price of a Tesla......

Probably better than the majority of the average non-electric crap that gets pawned off on the US market that gets marketed on the basis of its internet capability. Amazon would have to get licensed as a car dealership in every state individually and would also probably have to have a brick & mortar presence as well to get such a license. There are some very interesting and very restrictive laws about selling cars in the US. 1/2 the price of the new Tesla would make it close to disposable!

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...Murph, are you ready to give up your luxury car and get an electric econ box to help out.

Absolutely not (but you knew my answer before I typed it here,) not until the time it takes for battery charging (should be not one minute longer than it takes to have a filler-up of gasoline), battery life, miles available on one charge to a driver, and availability of charging stations to drivers all becomes as convenient and safe as it takes nowadays to find a gas station and travel on a full tank.

They figured out the whole gas station phenomenon for those first car drivers in the USA, figured out they did not need buggy whips and stashes of horse-feed here-n-there, so let's get cracking on the electric battery thing. Eh? Huh? Yup. I'll bet that, even as we "speak," there are inventors with millions/billions$$$$ in their minds' eyes getting ready to announce the next break-thru. In fact, I've begun to hear rumblings that Mercedes Benz is making aggressive moves in the direction of having the whole fleet move away from gasoline-powered vehicles. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

P.S. And don't forget the truckers. Their requirements for gas are huge, per truck and per run, and I cannot imagine them only being able to travel a couple hundred miles and then having to stay for many hours until the charge is effected for their rigs, even including a consideration for elec-gas vehicles, as has been mentioned previously on this forum.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Cute. But I believe this evidence, instead...of changes in the Arctic as well as Antarctica...

[Roy]

Even in the old days (early 1900s) they figured out it's faster to physically replace dead batteries with fresh-charged ones. It was only when they developed the electric starter for internal combustion engines, that they blew out the electrics of the day.

The difference today, is that batteries are much larger, and more integrated into modern cars. It's not like pulling out a lead acid battery, which is just a small box, by comparison.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...Murph, are you ready to give up your luxury car and get an electric econ box to help out.

Absolutely not (but you knew my answer before I typed it here,) not until the time it takes for battery charging (should be not one minute longer than it takes to have a filler-up of gasoline), battery life, miles available on one charge to a driver, and availability of charging stations to drivers all becomes as convenient and safe as it takes nowadays to find a gas station and travel on a full tank.

You must have been a lot of fun back when they were bringing out the 1st automobiles clinging to your horse drawn buggy,

They figured out the whole gas station phenomenon for those first car drivers in the USA, figured out they did not need buggy whips and stashes of horse-feed here-n-there, so let's get cracking on the electric battery thing. Eh? Huh? Yup. I'll bet that, even as we "speak," there are inventors with millions/billions$$$$ in their minds' eyes getting ready to announce the next break-thru.

I suspect that what's holding that back is the development of the economics - how does one make money on this activity akin to the gas station model. I suspect that the gas station model does not extrapolate well to the electric car recharging business. I can see however how parking garages might actually lead this evolution in the larger cities where you commute in, park, and charge while at work.

In fact, I've begun to hear rumblings that Mercedes Benz is making aggressive moves in the direction of having the whole fleet move away from gasoline-powered vehicles. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Ok, so Volvo already announced that they are going 100% electric in the few years, Porsche has announced 2 lines of electric cars, Jaguar is talking electrics, so I'm betting that Benz already has their plans well in motion.

P.S. And don't forget the truckers. Their requirements for gas are huge, per truck and per run, and I cannot imagine them only being able to travel a couple hundred miles and then having to stay for many hours until the charge is effected for their rigs, even including a consideration for elec-gas vehicles, as has been mentioned previously on this forum.

So, have you ever noticed that those trucks have huge gas tanks? Think about scaling the battery space from cars to trucks - you know that Volvo is already well ahead of this even as I type. And, you might also know (or not) that after x hours truck drivers are required to stop driving and must rest y hours -- along with parking garages, truck stops might also lead the way on recharging stations.

a couple hundred miles --- just how far does your Benz go on a tank of gas - ~16 gallons -- electric cars are going mile comparable to my Outback - ~450 miles. Scale the battery capacity to truck space and you get want you need.

[HONDO74]

Tesla’s Autonomous Semi Truck Has Its First Official Mission
https://futurism.com/teslas-autonomous- ... ia-highway

Tesla’s all-electric semi truck isn’t supposed to go into production until 2019, but multiple prototypes have already been spotted driving around California. Earlier sightings sparked predictions over where the vehicle might be traveling.

And today, Elon Musk confirmed via Twitter that the Tesla Semi will be completing its first cargo trip transporting battery packs from Gigafactory 1 in Nevada to Tesla’s Fremont factory in California.

The autonomous rigs have already been spotted on the road. Driver Vlad Fed recorded his recent encounter with the semi truck in Sacramento, approximately 102.9 miles away from the Fremont facility and 157.3 miles away from G1, according to Teslarati. Considering the semi truck is said to have a range of 500 miles, it should be able to make the trip between the two destinations quite easily.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... Zs6wHAnD9g

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Tesla’s all-electric semi truck isn’t supposed to go into production until 2019.....

That's under 3 weeks from now,

[rogruth]

A few probably unrelated and un-needed comments but I can't stop myself.

I thought until recently that the 1963 DeSoto was probably the ugliest car ever made.
IMHO all cars today look basically alike from the side and all are very ugly from the front.
Although that DeSoto was ugly you could tell from any angle what it was. This was true with
all vehicles until recently.

The concern that I have heard expressed most often about electric vehicles is the refueling/
recharging time. If one could pull into the station and recharge in the few minutes it takes
with an internal combustion engine I think resistance would disappear very quickly.
My son has one of those autos with both gas and electric power and is very pleased with it.
Maybe those are part of the answer.

[Roy]

My son has one of those autos with both gas and electric power and is very pleased with it. Maybe those are part of the answer.

Are you speaking of a Chevy Volt? (They've just recently been discontinued, God damn Chevy!) They were a great hybrid idea. A true electric, they also had an internal combustion engine coupled to a generator or alternator. This could power the traction motors on the wheels directly, like in a diesel/electric locomotive, and also recharge the onboard batteries. I don't know if the i-c engine could run on alternate fuels like pure ethanol.

[HONDO74]

My son has one of those autos with both gas and electric power and is very pleased with it. Maybe those are part of the answer.

Are you speaking of a Chevy Volt? (They've just recently been discontinued, God damn Chevy!) They were a great hybrid idea. A true electric, they also had an internal combustion engine coupled to a generator or alternator. This could power the traction motors on the wheels directly, like in a diesel/electric locomotive, and also recharge the onboard batteries. I don't know if the i-c engine could run on alternate fuels like pure ethanol.

The Chevy Volt was cancelled because of lack of sales and GM is shifting over to all electric like the Bolt.

All flex fuel cars (since 2007) can run on E85 which is 85% ethanol and is 104 octane. Higher compression motor and more power but less fuel mileage. Don't know if you can get in Calif. Cars that require 91 octane can use E85. E85 is about 80 to 90 cents cheaper that 91 octane so the loss of fuel mileage is compensated by less expensive fuel. Kind of a trade off.