Dave Head > wrote in
:

> On 23 May 2007 15:12:02 GMT, Jim Yanik > wrote:
>
>>Dave Head > wrote in
ups.com:
>>
>>> I am thinking about the launch of the Chevy Volt sometime on or
>>> about year 2010. This is an electric car with an internal engine
>>> that is designed to run only when the battery becomes discharged
>>> enough to need it. Otherwise, the car is supposed to run 40 'city'
>>> miles on a charge that requires 6.5 hours to accomplish.
>>>
>>> Now, how many people can get by with <40 miles of driving a day? I
>>> think a whale of a lot of them. With an overnight charge, a huge
>>> number of people could get where they need to go, and back again,
>>> without burning a drop of gasoline/diesel/ethanol/whatever. The
>>> energy could be transferred to sources that the USA has plenty of
>>> within its borders - coal, nuclear, wind, and maybe eventually
>>> solar, geothermal, etc.
>>>
>>> Not only does this seem to me to be a great breakthru, but it should
>>> make economic sense as well. The price of electricity to go the
>>> same distance as the gasoline required to do it is said to be one
>>> quarter as much. For those who don't hit the road for long
>>> distances very much, not buying a drop of gasoline all year would be
>>> a significant savings, especially if they can buy this car for 100%
>>> of their needs. The car should have an unusually high resale value
>>> as there are fewer moving parts that are easier to repair (electric
>>> motors are dead- simple in this respect)
>>
>>you still have a gasoline engine that needs service and repair,PLUS
>>the electrics(including the generator).
>
> When's the last time you actually had an _engine_ repair? Probably
> the most reliable piece in the car. And... it could be a diesel. Even
> more reliable.

My 79 Accord needed a new camshaft,it wiped a lobe.
Damn Honda didn't comp any of the repair,either.Hondas are pretty
reliable.Can't say that for "American" autos,though.Then,I consider the
motor drivetrain,ignition and cooling part of
"repair",too.starter,clutch,hoses....
>
> Electrics are pretty reliable, too. Hardly anything ever goes wrong
> with a motor. Bearings.

and brushes or contacts. DC motors need brushes,AC motors may not,but do
need an inverter to provide the AC from the DC battery.



--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net