Electric car question

[dacjohns]

Demand versus consumption.

Look about half way down the page in the comments. This isn't what I referred to earlier but the concept is the same.

 

[curly_kate]

I cringe everytime I drive by the schools around here at night as they are lit up like a Christmas tree! What a waste of elec. If businesses & chools would shut everything off at night just think how much elec would be saved every day. I know someone is going to say they do it to knock down theft & damage but if the lights are off & lights are seen inside then I would be suspicious. If the lights are on then it is actually easier for vandals & theives to see what they are doing & trying to break into. And new housing developments have the lights on in the models all night long too!

That drives me NUTS!!! My office is pretty bad, too. Lights that aren't in use are left on and people leave their computers on. I can't remember what it's called, but I know there's a worldwide movement to have cities turn all their lights out one night a year to see how much electricity they can save. Obviously, cities will look less pretty with all the lights off, but man, that's a TON of energy wasted.

 

[FarmerChick]

Why not talk to your company's personnel director. Ask that they start conserving electricity.

It wouldn't be hard to start the ball rolling....most companies bills are huge per month. Putting money in their pocket is a good way to get them to do anything..HA HA

We all should do that. Asking that everything be powered down at night. My old company did that...they sent a memo around asking everyone to turn off everything not needed to remain on and the supervisor did the final check at night. Hey they said they saved close to 1000 per month or something like that.

 

[dacjohns]

I think this is the article I was referring to (thanks Kaycei).

Because large quantities of electricity cant be easily stored, power companies have to build enough capacity for the peak load on the hottest day in August. But even on those hottest days, power demand falls sharply at night. Since most electric car owners will probably charge their vehicles overnight, when power is plentiful and rates are lower, the impact on your electric bill will probably be less than the latest video game player youve got in your den.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28699258/

I might have made too great of a leap and I might be comparing apples with oranges with bananas.

You have demand, consumption, and capacity and then the overall bottom line, the cost. Cost is direct, our pocket book and less direct but equally important, the environment.

This article is real interesting. Compare it with the last paragraph on cars in the above article.

 

[Homesteadmom]

I think this is the article I was referring to (thanks Kaycei).

Because large quantities of electricity cant be easily stored, power companies have to build enough capacity for the peak load on the hottest day in August. But even on those hottest days, power demand falls sharply at night. Since most electric car owners will probably charge their vehicles overnight, when power is plentiful and rates are lower, the impact on your electric bill will probably be less than the latest video game player youve got in your den.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28699258/

I might have made too great of a leap and I might be comparing apples with oranges with bananas.

You have demand, consumption, and capacity and then the overall bottom line, the cost. Cost is direct, our pocket book and less direct but equally important, the environment.

This article is real interesting. Compare it with the last paragraph on cars in the above article.

So you were speaking more of the pocket book effect? Gotcha then & understand your post completely!

 

[FarmerChick]

I think this is the article I was referring to (thanks Kaycei).

Because large quantities of electricity cant be easily stored, power companies have to build enough capacity for the peak load on the hottest day in August. But even on those hottest days, power demand falls sharply at night. Since most electric car owners will probably charge their vehicles overnight, when power is plentiful and rates are lower, the impact on your electric bill will probably be less than the latest video game player youve got in your den.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28699258/

I might have made too great of a leap and I might be comparing apples with oranges with bananas.

You have demand, consumption, and capacity and then the overall bottom line, the cost. Cost is direct, our pocket book and less direct but equally important, the environment.

This article is real interesting. Compare it with the last paragraph on cars in the above article.

Well my wallet would be effected big time. Our power company does not "do the lower rate at night" charge.

My company charges a price for 750 kwh and anything over kwh in summer is higher after......and in winter it is reverse. 750 and higher kwh is billed lower.

So I go off of amt. of kwh used. It just isn't at 10 pm rates drop for me at all.

I am sure alot of people have this type of schedule from their power company. And one thing I know....you can never count on their "lower at night" charges etc. cause they can change that in a heartbeat!!!!

 

[sweetproserpina]

For anyone wanting to check out a cool documentary- watch Who Killed the Electric Car.
Around the late nineties and early 2000s, California had a car called the EV1. A great electric car, had more then enough juice to get you through a day of daily driving (which is really what most people use their cars for, long hauls for most people are not every day) but unfortunately all the cars were on lease and the company decided to take them all back, and get this- crush them! Argh! People begged to keep their perfectly good electric cars- big time celebrities even had them and tried to buy them but no luck.

As for batteries- battery technology is growing by leaps and bounds and as time progresses they'll get smaller, cheaper, and last longer. (Think of laptop batteries and the leaps they've made in the past few years.) According to the EV guys we've talked to, there is some very hush hush stuff happening with capacitors right now too.

In our house we have plans to turn my 1964 Volvo amazon wagon electric. And further down the road get a hybrid. The electric will do fine for me around town, and the hybrid will be perfect for road trips
(As for all the work on the cars, the DH is a mechanic, so it does make it a bit easier and less expensive for us.

 

[Big Daddy]

As with all the alternative energy sources, they need further development. They have come a very long way and will definitely be the car of the future. Right now they are expensive but the price will drop. It already has dropped a lot. Same with wind and solar power. If we wouldv'e seriously pursued wind and solar in the late 70's and early 80's we would be a lot further along. We got a whole lot of catching up to do. Unfortunately it will cost a lot more now than if the effort would've been made 30 years ago. Too bad money is the supreme power.

 

[FarmerChick]

While the power is there for maybe small situations, like in city driving....electric ain't there for farming capabilites etc.

Combines run on power?
Bush hogging and tractors run on power?
Hauling hay wagons from the field on power?
Haul a boat to a lake on a power vehicle?

Hmm....it will have to be a small situation fix (which is needed obviously big time and help tons!!) but not the whole shee-bang.

 

[inchworm]

Another thing I haven't seen mentioned is where a car would plug in. We have 200 amp service, but our breaker box is full. I assume we would need to pay for an electrican to come in and rewire the box, or install the appropriate plug, or worse yet - run additional service to the house We haven't had too much luck with electrcians around here -- and of course in this state, we have to hire one licensed for this County.

My husband always snickered at electric cars until he saw an article on the Tesla. That caught his attention!

Inchy