Do You Guys See An Electric Car In Your Future?

[Singuy]

I went to a website called Solar Nation where you put your address in and it projects your monthly electric bill savings with solar panels. My electric bill would actually INCREASE 30 bucks a month.

Guess I’m out on that one.

Solar is not for everyone. Some states like Washington has really cheap electricity and poor sunlight hours. Other states like Hawaii charges an arm and a leg for electricity and really good sunlight hours. FL is average..average output and average electric cost. If I live in states like Hawaii, my break even point would be 3 years instead of 8.

[TexasHusker]

Looking at it long term, you have to wonder about the viability of the various alternative energy sources without the $ billions and billions of subsidies from the gubmit (the poor tax payer).

Sure, it makes economic sense to some, but only because the gubmit is artificially making it make sense. That isn’t sustainable unless we move to socialism whole hog.

[Singuy]

Looking at it long term, you have to wonder about the viability of the various alternative energy sources without the $ billions and billions of subsidies from the gubmit (the poor tax payer).

Sure, it makes economic sense to some, but only because the gubmit is artificially making it make sense. That isn’t sustainable unless we move to socialism whole hog.

The massive drop in cost of solar will become economic viable without tax incentives in the near future.

4 years ago, a system I am building would be about 70k...now it's only 40k.

[corn18]

Looking at it long term, you have to wonder about the viability of the various alternative energy sources without the $ billions and billions of subsidies from the gubmit (the poor tax payer).

Sure, it makes economic sense to some, but only because the gubmit is artificially making it make sense. That isn’t sustainable unless we move to socialism whole hog.

You're one of those guys that shoot holes in everything without offering alternatives. What's your answer? Keep burning coal and building ICE?

[greenskeeper]

Keep burning coal and building ICE?

yes. made modern life possible and will continue to power the future for generations. Take away the "freebies" from the government and see how many go for "green" alternatives.

[Nutria]

You're one of those guys that shoot holes in everything without offering alternatives.

If by "everything", you mean "that subset of things which aren't economically viable", then yes, he's shooting holes in "every" thing.

[TexasHusker]

You're one of those guys that shoot holes in everything without offering alternatives. What's your answer? Keep burning coal and building ICE?

In terms of vehicle propulsion, I actually like Hydrogen Cell technology.

Unfortunately, that's not the train Obama jumped on.

I like solar and wind, but at some point it has to make some economic sense. Additionally, they can't ever be 100% of the power, as the sun doesn't shine about half the time, and the wind doesn't always blow.

And I'm not a big believer in fossil fuel global warming. No doubt the globe is warming, but it has been warming since approximately the end of the ice age. I don't think they had coal and petroleum back in those days, and guess what, the world kept warming.

Will we all cook some day? Possible, but I doubt it.

Man way overestimates his importance in nature. He doesn't control nearly as much as he thinks.

[Nutria]

Man way overestimates his importance in nature. He doesn't control nearly as much as he thinks.

Google "Asian brown pollution clouds". It's pretty scary how much "stuff" that a billion industrialized people can pump into the atmosphere, day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after for decades.

[kork13]

Google "Asian brown pollution clouds". It's pretty scary how much "stuff" that a billion industrialized people can pump into the atmosphere, day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after for decades.

I am by no means an environmentalist, but this is legit... I just came back from a 2-week business trip to Seoul, S. Korea with about 40 people, and it was rough for most all of us. While we were flying, our pilots lost visual contact with other aircraft less than 5 miles away due to the pollution haze--as thick as any normal cloud/fog. Anyone with allergies was choked by them going into overdrive. Everyone else came back with no less than red, puffy eyes and a mild cough or sore throat. We had two guys who went for a 45 min run outside...one lost his voice for the rest of the week, the other's throat just felt raw. Sure, maybe we are too used to the clean air of Alaska, so the pollution may have affected us more than usual. But it was shocking to us all how dramatic an effect it had within just a couple weeks of exposure. It definitely changed my mind about wanting to seek an assignment there in the future.

Discussing it with a friend who lives there, we were actually there at a relatively "good" time -- the air quality index (measuring particulate matter in the air) was "only" around 75-100 during our trip. It's not uncommon for it to sit at 200-300, and she's seen it above 600. By comparison, Alaska is normally between 10-30, and most of the U.S. is between 20-40, and the larger metro areas average between 40-80.

[disneysteve]

By comparison, Alaska is normally between 10-30, and most of the U.S. is between 20-40, and the larger metro areas average between 40-80.

That's a neat site. I just looked and the closest reporting station to me is currently a 26. I'm willing to bet my actual location is lower as that site is about 20 miles south of here, not far from Philly International Airport and a lot of industrial sites including refineries.

[snafu]

Texas Husker, if pollution isn't visible in your community, try spending a winter in Beijing, PRC.

[Spiffster]

In terms of vehicle propulsion, I actually like Hydrogen Cell technology.

Unfortunately, that's not the train Obama jumped on.

I like solar and wind, but at some point it has to make some economic sense. Additionally, they can't ever be 100% of the power, as the sun doesn't shine about half the time, and the wind doesn't always blow.

And I'm not a big believer in fossil fuel global warming. No doubt the globe is warming, but it has been warming since approximately the end of the ice age. I don't think they had coal and petroleum back in those days, and guess what, the world kept warming.

Will we all cook some day? Possible, but I doubt it.

Man way overestimates his importance in nature. He doesn't control nearly as much as he thinks.

Ah the classic, "climate is always changing" deflection. Thats not even the question at hand so the point is always DOA. Its the rate of change that is concerning. Try diversifying your source of information as your current source is taking you for a sucker and not giving you a logical leg to stand on. Im not saying tune in to Fake News Network but dang man, try broadening your horizons, just a little bit. No reasonable person has ever argued that the climate has not changed at all until humans came along.

Obama didnt get on the Hydrogen train because it didnt, and still doesnt make sense. EV infrastructure is already good to go... anybody who has a plug can fuel up. It was, and still is far FAR more efficient. Only thing Hydrogen has going for it is you can fuel up in 15 minutes. Heck, it takes me 10 seconds to plug in, and I have aways rented a min-van for road trips anyway. Evs arent for everyone, but hydrogen is for almost nobody IMO.

In regards to subsidies, why the focus on renewables? Fossil fuels are heavily subsidized and not only through ridiculous tax breaks. Why not eliminate subsidies for everything and let the market do its thing? I thought this was a conservative mantra... and NO IM NOT A LIBERAL, I dont consider myself a conservative either though I tend to lean conservative... except on healthcare and climate change.

[amarowsky]

My opinion, based off of the original question. Is yes, I would be interested in an electric car in the future.

In the future, I would imagine solar panels capture rate should continue to trend up. I would like to fit the garage roof with panels, once the price to electricity capture rate makes sense in Michigan.

Although, if ride sharing ever gets below the $0.30 mile cost, then we'll probably go down from a 2-->1 car household, or maybe lose them all together. Maybe I'll just keep an E-bike around the house for quick-low effort travel.

[colby99]

I think the future of electric automobiles looks good. As soon as an efficient battery is developed and a network for quick recharge or exchange of batteries is developed, the electric auto movement should catch on.

[Nutria]

I think the future of electric automobiles looks good.

Not with the current move to drop the EV tax credit.

As soon as an efficient battery is developed and a network for quick recharge or exchange of batteries is developed, the electric auto movement should catch on.

Which is harder than you think, all while gasoline engines are getting incrementally more efficient.