Take a look first at this link, read the info, then go to the home page to look at the car. The apples to apples cost of electricity to gasoline, puts the car at an equivalent of 135 mpg. With T. Boone Pickens working on harvesting wind power
to make electricity, America needs a lot of these cars. MADE IN AMERICA???? Can you believe it??

If/when they can get the price down, I believe this will be THE way to drive. I saw this on tv 1 1/2 years ago, and have been hearing more about this. This will take the world by storm when they can get the prices down........

http://www.teslamotors.com/efficiency/how_it_works.php

jeff

I hope his family still holds the right to his name.

http://www.neuronet.pitt.edu/~bogdan/tesla/

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I'd prefer the Aptera. It's a lot cheaper to begin with.

http://www.aptera.com/

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

If/when they can get the price down, I believe this will be THE way to overload the power grid.

The Chevy Volt is another work in progress that I'll keep my eye on.

http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/

Electric cars certainly have some limitations though. I don't think I'll ever give up diesel cars completely.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

I've been intrigued by what I've read about the air-powered cars.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=223918

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Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

It bothers me when they soil the potential of these endeavors with:

"While this seems like a step forward, one has to question how the power used to compress the air is produced, and just how scalable such an energy source is. Nonetheless, it sounds like an idea well worth exploring. As the next presidential election cycle starts, perhaps the hot air produced could be put to some good use."

If more effort was put into producing these cars and the populous adhere, big companies and govmt will follow suit. The tech. is certainly there (to be augmented) if many high demand components were converted (i.e. cars). Electricity is a fluid source of energy, easily transported, harnessed and converted.

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I agree. It's tough to find completely unbiased reporting.


IMO it seems that the electricity used to compress the air would be less than the electricity to charge the batteries on an electric car. (Anyone have any info to prove or disprove?) Plus the energy consumed by the manufacture of the batteries needs to be considered ... plus the ramifications of the disposal of the batteries once their life is over.

I'm NOT bashing electric cars at all, just comparing technologies. I think the ZAP cars are wonderful and would consider one myself for quick trips to the store etc.

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Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

Only if people charge them at peak times during the summer. If you charge it after dark, there is no problem.

Also, if I were charging a car, I would get demand pricing. Then not only would I not be overloading the grid, but the electricity used for charging the car would be cheaper than with a fixed pricing plan. And it would be *much* cheaper to charge it in the winter, at any time of day.

I was waiting for someone to point out the obvious! Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it must come from somewhere. I wonder if all the treehugging liberals that will be first in line realise that we will need more coal fired power plants and more nuclear power plants to keep up with demand because solar power is not enough to keep up yet! If everyone has these, then there will be no peak efficient time to do a recharge because of the electrical demand!

I love the link about the air car being 1/3rd as efficient as an electric and how we would need more petroleum to generate more compressed air through electricity and other means that the car is worth, but of course the treehugging liberals will never agree to this.

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Save and enlarge for explanation of financial crisis!

http://www.mobile-phone-solutions.com Advice on cell phone signal antennas and amplifiers.

You need to consider that EVERYONE will be thinking this way if the electric car gains popularity.

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Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

Of course they will, but I doubt that it will be a problem. There is a whole lot of excess capacity at night and during the winter.

I wonder if some non automotive type would call for a jumpstart because he/she forgot to plug the car in...

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

I don't see ever owning a car that only goes 220 miles without an outlet. I drive a greater distance than that... i wont' say the majority of days, but I drive FAR more miles than that often enough for it to be prohibitive.

It also eliminates the possibility of owning one family car that's capable of a vacation road trip.

It also eliminates the possibility of running your car in the winter when the power's out for two weeks at a time after a bad ice storm. The roads dry long before they fix EVERYBODY's power around here if we have a bad one.

It also eliminates the possibility of using the car in an emergency if you weren't fully charged. Imagine getting the call that you needed to evacuate a hurricane at 2 am after draining it the previous day. Or getting home from using 150 miles of it for work that day and getting the call 10 minutes after you walk through the door from one of the kids whose automobile has left them stranded 100 miles away from home (whyever they were out there)...

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Unfortunatly, even it it's theoretical best, an air car will require FAR MORE electricity to compress the air than an electric car needs to charge it's batteries. And an electric motor is more eficient than an air motor.

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Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY