Are electric cars the future?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Would you care to qualify this statement? Or is it just hysterical tosh?

It was, rather obviously, tongue in cheek mate! :p

It is, of course, fact that pointing at high voltage sources is not a healthy past time however! Just how much the PD needs to be to ground through your little finger from a metre or so away, I don't know .. nor how much it would take to effectively charge a massive battery in a car in a couple of minutes!!
 
It was, rather obviously, tongue in cheek mate! :p

It is, of course, fact that pointing at high voltage sources is not a healthy past time however! Just how much the PD needs to be to ground through your little finger from a metre or so away, I don't know .. nor how much it would take to effectively charge a massive battery in a car in a couple of minutes!!

What sort of voltages do these things run at?
 
Yup .. to bang on about F1 again, look what happens in the pits recently when they suspect a battery fault with KERS. All of the mechanics dress like spacemen to insulate themselves and avoid getting killed! That'll be fun for first responders in roadside accidents ...
Am I missing something here, surely this is because of the risk of a spark igniting fuel vapour?

It was, rather obviously, tongue in cheek mate! :p

It is, of course, fact that pointing at high voltage sources is not a healthy past time however! Just how much the PD needs to be to ground through your little finger from a metre or so away, I don't know .. nor how much it would take to effectively charge a massive battery in a car in a couple of minutes!!
Charging batteries generally requires that the charging source potential is only slightly higher than that of the battery. Current is what does the work.
 
Now, if it were possible to replace the solid mass in the battery with a high density liquid electrolyte which could be pumped, pre-charged, straight into the car... :)
This is the principle that 'flow batteries' work on and is quite a good idea that I believe is already being investigated.
 
How about a hybrid steam/electric car?

Use a little steam engine running on household waste to charge the battery.
 
Am I missing something here, surely this is because of the risk of a spark igniting fuel vapour?

KERS is definitely seen as a separate risk over and above the fire overalls. I assume that it's contact heat and electrical discharge.
 
Current is what does the work.

And squanders energy in heat while requiring massive cabling/connectors. Voltage is where the efficiency is.

Use a little steam engine running on household waste to charge the battery.

Just put the kids on a treadmill hooked up to a genny.

In truth though, you are close to Honda's vision of hydrogen use - rather than an infrastructure to transport it, generate it at home with equipment Honda will happily sell you. It does raise the possibility of localised hydrogen production using small scale renewables though.
 
KERS is definitely seen as a separate risk over and above the fire overalls. I assume that it's contact heat and electrical discharge.

Yes, it's the risk of electrocution. They are all already in full fireproofs .. that goes without saying in F1! They don full insulation gear if a KERS problem is suspected. There are a few in the paddock not too happy with the additional danger ..
 
KERS is definitely seen as a separate risk over and above the fire overalls. I assume that it's contact heat and electrical discharge.

Most KERS systems are actually big flywheels rather than battery packs. Hybrid systems are being developed with smaller flywheel and a battery pack.
 
True, but was really trying to highlight the point of battery danger rather than KERS itself per se. KERS in F1 is the best example of batteries in a "high demand" environment that I can think of :)
 
And squanders energy in heat while requiring massive cabling/connectors. Voltage is where the efficiency is.

You have to strike a balance between a manageable working voltage and current required. You can't have one without the other. The relationship between current and voltage is linear as I'm sure you know. With this in mind your comment doesn't make much sense. The stuff 'is what it is'. After all the IC engine isn't exactly the bastion of efficiency either is it?
 
Last edited:
True, but was really trying to highlight the point of battery danger rather than KERS itself per se. KERS in F1 is the best example of batteries in a "high demand" environment that I can think of :)
Indeed, I'm sure we'd all agree that F1 is certainly a high demand environment where all of the technology is being tested to it's limits. I would expect EV cars in the real world to be a rather less frenetic affair. Let remember that F1 technology often finds its way several years later into mainstream motoring when it has had time to mature.
 
You have to strike a balance between a manageable working voltage and current required. You can't have one without the other. The relationship between current and voltage is linear as I'm sure you know. With this in mind your comment doesn't make much sense. The stuff 'is what it is'. After all the IC engine isn't exactly the bastion of efficiency either is it?

But always the aim is to reduce the current associated losses by upping the voltage and managing the current, eg the national grid.
And the stuff is created - so we can create it in whatever values of voltage and current we choose. And as the losses increase with the square of the current, we will do well to pursue voltage.

Voltage will be what rpm was to IC engines - that that enables downsizing for the same power output. Low voltage high current is the equivalent of a steam engine. Bulky, heavy, inefficient.
 
Last edited:
How about a hybrid steam/electric car?

Use a little steam engine running on household waste to charge the battery.
Seriously we need this! Get up in the morning, put on overalls, shovel the embers of last nights fire out of the fireplace, carry outside to the car's furnace and load it up with some extra wood/coal/paper/recycling. Go back in house and get ready for work. Leave house 30 mins later to see the little boiler steaming away charging the batteries up.

With modern electronics I'm sure you could build a neat little generator which is self-regulating and efficient!

When you get home from work you have some embers ready to go in the open fire to heat your house for the night.

NO downsides at all! :D
 
You have to admit standing alongside a steam loco they are impressive and have a 'certain presence' you could shove lane 2 hoggers and not even notice :D
 
You have to admit standing alongside a steam loco they are impressive and have a 'certain presence' you could shove lane 2 hoggers and not even notice :D

How much fuel and water can you carry with you?
A steam engine is about 10% efficient, so a none starter.
 
True, but was really trying to highlight the point of battery danger rather than KERS itself per se. KERS in F1 is the best example of batteries in a "high demand" environment that I can think of :)

Except, as pointed out, they aren't using batteries...
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom