----- Original Message ----- From: "Adam Kuehn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2002 7:22 AM Subject: RE: Cross country charging challenge/Opinion
> Humphrey, Timothy wrote: > > >The ICE chase vehicle or anybody else's for that matter couldn't make it > >across country either, except for the fact that there is a (500kw? or more?) > >recharging station every 3.6 miles. > > > >Like Pete says, give me a 45kw recharge station every 100 miles and it can > >be done alone. Since the infrastructure doesn't exist (I mean isn't tapped > >yet) we'll have to bring our own. > > Yes, but that multi-kilowatt "recharge" that the ICE gets takes five > minutes, including the time it takes to fork over the money (at least > on any modern credit-based pump). Your 100-mile range EV will > typically take 4-8 hours for its recharge. The country is about 2800 > miles across, depending on exactly where you are crossing it, so > you've just added a minimum of about 100 hours - which is to say, > more than 4 full days - to your cross-country trip. Seems to me that > this is not going to convince anyone that an EV is terribly useful > invention. > > The way to "prove" EVs to people who may otherwise have doubts is to > use them in everyday applications that maximize their strengths and > minimize their weaknesses. Commuting is perfect for this. EVs waste > no energy at stops or in traffic jams, the range limitation is > minimized (particularly if charging can be done during the day at the > office), the environmental benefits are maximized, and a > purpose-built EV can be optimized for this use. One things battery > EVs are unlikely ever to be is the sole vehicle for a one-car family. > So design and marketing efforts should stress their use as a > special-purpose "errand" vehicle for a two-or-more-car family. In > that niche market, I think battery EVs could eventually be a > significant success. > > Efforts to convince doubters should be specifically targeted at that > use group, in my view. > > -- > > -Adam Kuehn > >
