Fireonice Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Well i just got back from the new york auto show and i saw toyota and hondas hydrogen cars but there didnt seem to be any real push for all electric cars. Why not!! I think its rediculous that car companies for what ever the reason are trying to find a new source when its right in front of them, electricity!! Disscuss Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
romeo55 Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Main reason, battery technology. Capacity, weight, and cost all come to play here. And also, would YOU buy an electric car? Very few Americans would buy an electric car... heck, look at the rotary engine demise of the 70s. It has a mind blowing power to weigh ratio than a traditional reciprocating engine. EX, look at the le mans race of 1991, first car ever introduced that did not have a reciprocating engine... and it won. Right after the race, wankel engines are banned. That and electricity still comes (usually) from dirty/fossil fuel sources IE: Coal. Hydrogen burns extremely clean... I believe it makes water actually... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverfox Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Hydrogen seems to be cheaper to run I believe. Electric cars may be able to generate all their torque instantly, but they are just not as powerful as we would like them to be (whereas hydrogen seems to show more potential). At least, that's what I understand. You can rest assured that if the car manufacturers don't want to use electric, there will be a damned good reason for it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenG Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 (edited) All combustion produces water. hydrogen cars would be cheaper to run, and cleaner for the environment. Also, like unforgiven said, batteries are a horrible way to store energy. Plus with an electric car, the longer you have it, the more, and more often you would need to recharge it. Edited March 27, 2008 by GenG Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DECwakeboarder Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Well i just got back from the new york auto show and i saw toyota and hondas hydrogen cars but there didnt seem to be any real push for all electric cars. Why not!! I think its rediculous that car companies for what ever the reason are trying to find a new source when its right in front of them, electricity!! Disscuss Electricity is not a source of energy, it is a form of energy. Why would you want to have to go from a power plant -> electricity (storage, think batteries) -> powering the car when you can go straight from a mini-power plant -> powering the car? Batteries either weigh a hell of a lot (lead acid) or they have a very short life span (~ 2-3 years for LiPo) Hydrogen power cells can be made fairly light and compact, while putting out a good amount of energy. Plus, water can be found just about everywhere, and is relatively lightweight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireonice Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 All good ideas but i think the real reason is the oil compaines and all the money car manufactures make off of car repairs. Short life span, wrong. The batteries in current hybrids have over a 200,000 mile warrenty or the life of the car. And weight i dont think is an issue. How much more can batteries and electric motors be than a gas engine. I'm not sure but isnt there still no real easy way to make hydrogen cleanly anyways If electric cars where not such a good idea than why did gm and chevon suddently just demolish all of the ev1's. http://www.dailytech.com/Tesla+Motors+Begi...rticle11123.htm Look at the tesla roadster. 200+ miles per a charge 0-60 in 4 seconds. Top speed of 125 mph. lithium lion battery's that are suppost to last over 100,000 miles before degrating. Now how can a hydrogen car beat that? And what about the issue of liquid hydrogen needing air space so after a week of sitting you lose half you tank... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robAP Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 coal produces 54% of our electricity in the USA. if your charging your all-electric car, 54% of that charge was created by burning coal. an entirely electric car right now is dirtier than the hybrids and hydrogen cars by orders of magnitude for that reason. if, like DEC said you have a mini-powerplant in your car using a renewable source such as hydrogen or natural gas even, you would be extremely clean. check out the X-prize foundation. their competition for cars is admirable and very real. (no its not about putting car in orbit) its about not only creating a super efficient car, but one based on actual mass-production capable, low emission to produce, low emission to drive. it pits all attributes into an index. lowest impact wins the money and goes into production. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
airman Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 2H2 + O2 = 2H2O the only product is water Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iKillSteal Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 2H2 + O2 = 2H2O the only product is water That's assuming the environment in which the combustion is taking place is completely devoid of all particles save those two. In reality there are going to be a few oxides and hydrates produced from within the metal engine in which the combustion is taking place but it's an insignificant amount. I'm more concerned with the safety of hydrogen cars than their cleanliness. I'm sure they're working on a safe system for storing all that hydrogen but I'm still a little skeptical as to how safe it would be to drive in a car filled with liquid and gaseous hydrogen. If it is stored in its liquid form(Anybody know if that's the case) it'll require a beefy cooling system to keep it at the required temperature otherwise pressure would build as the hydrogen vaporizes obviously leading to bad things. Last thing I'd want is for a small fender bender to turn my car into the Hindenburg. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrewr05 Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Short life span, wrong. The batteries in current hybrids have over a 200,000 mile warrenty or the life of the car.Life is not measured in distance... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waco Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 I think its rediculous that car companies for what ever the reason are trying to find a new source when its right in front of them, electricity!! Electricity doesn't just magically come out of the walls. Batteries aren't exactly great for the environment either. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iKillSteal Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 Life is not measured in distance... The battery may be good for 100,000 miles but you'll have to charge it more frequently over time as it loses its ability to hold charge. Couple that with the fact that many people don't know how to properly maintain rechargeable batteries and you've got a car whose battery is going to need to be replaced a few years after purchase. Given the size and quantity of batteries needed to power a car, it's gonna cost a pretty penny to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now