Costco Unplugs

Azrael · Aug 21, 2011

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

Henry Ford built the first Model T in 1908.

http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/model.t.html

The first drive-in filling station opened in 1913.

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-112
Click to expand...

There have been electric cars since the 1800s. It's an idea that is not practical or viable. It wasn't in the 1970s, when the U.S. Postal service tried it, or since the 1990s, with the revival of tries at it, began. We are talking about more than a hundred years, not 5 years, or if you just want to start the time clock in the 1990s, when this all started up again, decades now. There still isn't an electric charging station on every corner, for a reason.

Gas-powered vehicles are more expensive to run with gas prices higher. And they are still cheaper than, and without the limitations, of electric vehicles. When gasoline becomes expensive enough, some other technology will overtake it for running vehicles. We are nowhere near there yet, and when it does happen, it probably isn't going to be electricity, which has failed to do it since about the advent of the auto.
Click to expand...

I posted that to illustrate the lag time between a viable form of transportation and the development of an infrastructure to fuel it.

Costco created an infrastructure before there was a need for it.

The Big Ragu · Aug 21, 2011

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

Henry Ford built the first Model T in 1908.

http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/model.t.html

The first drive-in filling station opened in 1913.

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-112
Click to expand...

There have been electric cars since the 1800s. It's an idea that is not practical or viable. It wasn't in the 1970s, when the U.S. Postal service tried it, or since the 1990s, with the revival of tries at it, began. We are talking about more than a hundred years, not 5 years, or if you just want to start the time clock in the 1990s, when this all started up again, decades now. There still isn't an electric charging station on every corner, for a reason.

Gas-powered vehicles are more expensive to run with gas prices higher. And they are still cheaper than, and without the limitations, of electric vehicles. When gasoline becomes expensive enough, some other technology will overtake it for running vehicles. We are nowhere near there yet, and when it does happen, it probably isn't going to be electricity, which has failed to do it since about the advent of the auto.
Click to expand...

I posted that to illustrate the lag time between a viable form of transportation and the development of an infrastructure to fuel it.

Costco created an infrastructure before there was a need for it.
Click to expand...

OK. Misunderstood. I thought you were saying the need is imminent, it's just a year or two too early. Which seemed odd to me, because electric cars have been around forever. It's an idea without legs. I misunderstood why you posted it.

LongTimeListener · Aug 21, 2011

As hybrids have taken over, I have wondered about the need for an electric car. The standard is reduce your emissions by 20 percent, right? Going from 25 mph to 50, in a cleaner-burning engine besides, more than accomplishes that goal.

Those electric cars aren't cheap, either, and probably won't be anytime soon.

Azrael · Aug 21, 2011

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

Henry Ford built the first Model T in 1908.

http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/model.t.html

The first drive-in filling station opened in 1913.

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-112
Click to expand...

There have been electric cars since the 1800s. It's an idea that is not practical or viable. It wasn't in the 1970s, when the U.S. Postal service tried it, or since the 1990s, with the revival of tries at it, began. We are talking about more than a hundred years, not 5 years, or if you just want to start the time clock in the 1990s, when this all started up again, decades now. There still isn't an electric charging station on every corner, for a reason.

Gas-powered vehicles are more expensive to run with gas prices higher. And they are still cheaper than, and without the limitations, of electric vehicles. When gasoline becomes expensive enough, some other technology will overtake it for running vehicles. We are nowhere near there yet, and when it does happen, it probably isn't going to be electricity, which has failed to do it since about the advent of the auto.
Click to expand...

I posted that to illustrate the lag time between a viable form of transportation and the development of an infrastructure to fuel it.

Costco created an infrastructure before there was a need for it.
Click to expand...

OK. Misunderstood. I thought you were saying the need is imminent, it's just a year or two too early. Which seemed odd to me, because electric cars have been around forever. It's an idea without legs. I misunderstood why you posted it.
Click to expand...

It also illustrates another point - that the lack of a widespread fueling infrastructure doesn't mean a mode of transportation is itself not viable.

The Big Ragu · Aug 21, 2011

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

Henry Ford built the first Model T in 1908.

http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/model.t.html

The first drive-in filling station opened in 1913.

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-112
Click to expand...

There have been electric cars since the 1800s. It's an idea that is not practical or viable. It wasn't in the 1970s, when the U.S. Postal service tried it, or since the 1990s, with the revival of tries at it, began. We are talking about more than a hundred years, not 5 years, or if you just want to start the time clock in the 1990s, when this all started up again, decades now. There still isn't an electric charging station on every corner, for a reason.

Gas-powered vehicles are more expensive to run with gas prices higher. And they are still cheaper than, and without the limitations, of electric vehicles. When gasoline becomes expensive enough, some other technology will overtake it for running vehicles. We are nowhere near there yet, and when it does happen, it probably isn't going to be electricity, which has failed to do it since about the advent of the auto.
Click to expand...

I posted that to illustrate the lag time between a viable form of transportation and the development of an infrastructure to fuel it.

Costco created an infrastructure before there was a need for it.
Click to expand...

OK. Misunderstood. I thought you were saying the need is imminent, it's just a year or two too early. Which seemed odd to me, because electric cars have been around forever. It's an idea without legs. I misunderstood why you posted it.
Click to expand...

It also illustrates another point - that the lack of a widespread fueling infrastructure doesn't mean a mode of transportation is itself not viable.
Click to expand...

In the case of the electric car, it means that there are not chargers all over the place because the car itself is impractical and more expensive than the common option available.

Azrael · Aug 21, 2011

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

Henry Ford built the first Model T in 1908.

http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/model.t.html

The first drive-in filling station opened in 1913.

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-112
Click to expand...

There have been electric cars since the 1800s. It's an idea that is not practical or viable. It wasn't in the 1970s, when the U.S. Postal service tried it, or since the 1990s, with the revival of tries at it, began. We are talking about more than a hundred years, not 5 years, or if you just want to start the time clock in the 1990s, when this all started up again, decades now. There still isn't an electric charging station on every corner, for a reason.

Gas-powered vehicles are more expensive to run with gas prices higher. And they are still cheaper than, and without the limitations, of electric vehicles. When gasoline becomes expensive enough, some other technology will overtake it for running vehicles. We are nowhere near there yet, and when it does happen, it probably isn't going to be electricity, which has failed to do it since about the advent of the auto.
Click to expand...

I posted that to illustrate the lag time between a viable form of transportation and the development of an infrastructure to fuel it.

Costco created an infrastructure before there was a need for it.
Click to expand...

OK. Misunderstood. I thought you were saying the need is imminent, it's just a year or two too early. Which seemed odd to me, because electric cars have been around forever. It's an idea without legs. I misunderstood why you posted it.
Click to expand...

It also illustrates another point - that the lack of a widespread fueling infrastructure doesn't mean a mode of transportation is itself not viable.
Click to expand...

In the case of the electric car, it means that there are not chargers all over the place because the car itself is impractical and more expensive than the common option available.
Click to expand...

As most horse owners would have said to you about the gasoline automobile in 1908. The introduction of a single successful mass-produced version of that technology changed everyone's mind.

The Big Ragu · Aug 21, 2011

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

The Big Ragu said:

Azrael said:

Henry Ford built the first Model T in 1908.

http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/model.t.html

The first drive-in filling station opened in 1913.

http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-112
Click to expand...

There have been electric cars since the 1800s. It's an idea that is not practical or viable. It wasn't in the 1970s, when the U.S. Postal service tried it, or since the 1990s, with the revival of tries at it, began. We are talking about more than a hundred years, not 5 years, or if you just want to start the time clock in the 1990s, when this all started up again, decades now. There still isn't an electric charging station on every corner, for a reason.

Gas-powered vehicles are more expensive to run with gas prices higher. And they are still cheaper than, and without the limitations, of electric vehicles. When gasoline becomes expensive enough, some other technology will overtake it for running vehicles. We are nowhere near there yet, and when it does happen, it probably isn't going to be electricity, which has failed to do it since about the advent of the auto.
Click to expand...

I posted that to illustrate the lag time between a viable form of transportation and the development of an infrastructure to fuel it.

Costco created an infrastructure before there was a need for it.
Click to expand...

OK. Misunderstood. I thought you were saying the need is imminent, it's just a year or two too early. Which seemed odd to me, because electric cars have been around forever. It's an idea without legs. I misunderstood why you posted it.
Click to expand...

It also illustrates another point - that the lack of a widespread fueling infrastructure doesn't mean a mode of transportation is itself not viable.
Click to expand...

In the case of the electric car, it means that there are not chargers all over the place because the car itself is impractical and more expensive than the common option available.
Click to expand...

As most horse owners would have said to you about the gasoline automobile in 1908. The introduction of a single successful mass-produced version of that technology changed everyone's mind.
Click to expand...

There have been lots of attempts at marketing electric cars. This is an idea that goes back to before Henry Ford. There is little demand, because it's not practical (a scaled down car gives you range of less than 200 miles) and it can't be done cheaply.

The difference between the horse-drawn carriage and the mass-produced internal combustion engine vehicle is that the internal combustion engine car was cheaper, and it was way better. Electric vehicles have severe limitations relative to gas-powered engines. It's why no one has been able to market one. It doesn't beat what already exists. MAYBE if gas becomes a lot more expensive, people will look for alternatives, but we aren't anywhere near there yet, and if we reach that point other potential technologies don't have the range limitations.

Dick Whitman · Aug 21, 2011

So if electric cars took off - and most of them need some gas, correct? - wouldn't gas producers just reduce the supply of gas, therefore in the end people would have to spend just as much on gas as they do now? Just more per gallon?

NoOneLikesUs · Aug 21, 2011

Starman said:

Drill baby drill. Let's all buy 1973 Cadillac Eldorados that get 6 mpg. That"ll show "em.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't really understand the point of these "neener neener" posts regarding green energy. Oil won't be around forever, but I guess some people just like to pretend it will.

playthrough · Aug 21, 2011

Until an electric car has a trunk that can hold all my golf crap and not just batteries, no sale.

YankeeFan · Aug 21, 2011

playthrough said:

Until an electric car has a trunk that can hold all my golf crap and not just batteries, no sale.
Click to expand...

Agree. Same thing with compressed natural gas.

Beaker · Aug 21, 2011

NoOneLikesUs said:

Starman said:

Drill baby drill. Let's all buy 1973 Cadillac Eldorados that get 6 mpg. That"ll show "em.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't really understand the point of these "neener neener" posts regarding green energy. Oil won't be around forever, but I guess some people just like to pretend it will.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Electric cars may have viability issues, but it doesn't make sense to me to cheer their difficulties. I guess some people will continue to delude themselves.

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Costco Unplugs

Azrael Well-Known Member

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LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

Azrael Well-Known Member

The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

Azrael Well-Known Member

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Costco Unplugs

Azrael Well-Known Member

The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

Azrael Well-Known Member

The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

Azrael Well-Known Member

The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

Dick Whitman Well-Known Member

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