Since it's not if but when Lexus gets a 'total' electric vehicle, I found this article in today's online Auto Week rather amusing. http://www.autoweek.com/article/2010...REEN/100809966

 

the building manger is throwing a hissy fit over $0.40 a day?

 

I wonder if the office manager charges employees to use the bathroom, for the water in the fountain, and heat/A/C too

 

Anita
Sounds like your the new CEO of an airline . Sorry, just can't help myself sometimes.

The guy is probably a 1st time manager and hyped with power (Pun intended) . I'm thinking someone will let the air out of his sails

 

Yeah, send him a bill for global warming. That hot air he's blowing out is killing the environment. I hear the glaciers melting.

CEO of an airline? No thank you. I'd rather be the pilot

 

The .40/day is a misnomer. Where I live .40 would buy less than 4 kwh (a 100 watt light bulb burning for 10 hours uses 1 kwh ) It takes energy to run a car. That energy must come from some source. Assuming that the eV car uses regenerative generation in the same way as our hybrids do, then the amount of energy that we now get from the gasoline we use will need to be supplied by the electricity. That electricity will have to be generated somewhere like the present central station plants that produce that electricity today. There is no such thing as a free lunch and the building manager appears to know more about this than the author of the article.

The funniest part for me was when he assumed you just subtract 12 volts from 34,500 volts to somehow equate his usage. That is not the way it works.

The free charging stations that someone mentioned will go away quickly when the providers begin to realize what they are paying to charge vehicles.

 

Tesla has already supplied Lexus with a RX EV and talking with someone in the know at a dealer Lexus will see an electric vehicle soon. I understand Tesla supplied a RAV4 EV along with the RX if I am not mistaken the RAV4 EV is good for 2012.

 

I have a feeling battery power hasn't even reached the cutting edge yet. It will take off like the digital technology and very soon.

 

definately not cutting edge yet, but we are much farther than we were 2 years ago. Tesla is a very promising company, and i believe their Tesla S sedan which is set to come out in 2012 has a range of 300 miles...

good partnership with toyota. At this pace, by 2020, we should all be driving electric

 

The Model S is three milage ranges for $57,000 you get 160 miles then you have the 220 mile and 300 mile battery. I have worked a lot around the batteries used in the Roadster for about 10 or more years never saw an issue or anything these are extremely durable etc.

 

While this car is 'not' a Lexus Hybrid, it does represent issues we'll face when we have one available.

The latest article http://www.autoweek.com/article/2010...REEN/100809957 is an update to the building managers rant over the use of power.

It does seem to point more and more to alternate sources of power.

Personally I'd like to see a massive build up of infrastructure for CNG. All fuel injected cars could be modified to run on it and there is long term availability.

 

He makes an interesting point that parking spaces with charging capabilities will become important. But, yes if you are going to charge your vehicle everyday you do have to pay for it.

 

I'm seriously considering installing a 20 kW wind turbine making an all electric or plug in hybrid a delightful choice. The USDA is offering some nice grants, and the IRS is allowing 30% tax credits -- not buying gasoline will bring the final break even much closer, plus it is just so cool.

 

A lot of research say's that's a good idea. And there are the detractors too. The problem of the precious metals to make the batteries in quantities and the spike on the grids when/if it goes big time. I like the idea of converting to CNG. It's already being done in several states. The car can be tuned to run as well as on gas, better emissions, and almost unlimited (in ours and our kids lifetimes) fuel (and all from inside our own shores). You can get a lease on a machine called 'Phil' for your garage wall that will fill your car up overnight if you have gas heat in the house. I just renewed another year today for .679 per therm. It's getting cheaper all the time. Imagine the equivalent of less than .70 cents a gallon again . And the tax credits will roll in for that in a new car or a conversion too.

I just got this info today http://www.cngnow.com/EN-US/AmericaO...s/default.aspx so it's fresh.

Here's another link and photo of the 'Phil' in a home garage. http://www.cngnow.com/EN-US/Infrastr...uelatHome.aspx

 

When I was in Australia I rode in a CNG powered taxi from the Melbourne airport. Some of the luggage had to be placed in the back seat because the CNG tank took up most of the trunk space. Clearly, this is something they need to work on, but I am sure it is a solveable issue.

Once the state and federal govs. start to lose fuel tax revenue because of people moving to alternative fuels, those fuels will incur additional taxes and the cost advantage will tighten dramatically.