Mythbusters Compares Several EVs to ICEs

xrotaryguy

Mythbusters compared an electric commuter car, an electric ATV, an electric drag bike, and an electric sports car each to it's respective internal combustion powered counterpart. The results were mostly favorable.

Mythbusters
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cipi604

Leaving alongside peak-batteries, how long does it take to refill the tank on ICE, and how long on EV?

heroineworshipper

The Wrightspeed car is actually about average for what you see on Silicon Valley roads every day. Unfortunately, don't have the $28,000 for an electric conversion of anything.
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asdar · Tar Sands Joined: Oct 06, 2006 Posts: 37

I think the Chevy Volt is the car they should have compared it to. That goes pure electric for the 86% of normal driving, and has a small generator that maintains for long trips.

That way there's no loss of convenience, but a large fuel savings and pure electric range that's enough for most if there isn't any fuel.

Pure EV's won't sell yet, but the Volt will I think.

Revi · Fusion Joined: Apr 25, 2005 Posts: 3448 Location: Maine

The Volt isn't scheduled to go into production until 2010. I think it will be coming out in tiny numbers at first. Why didn't they just keep making the EV1? It was a production car that worked perfectly well.

http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com/
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yesplease · Fission Joined: Oct 03, 2006 Posts: 2482

JRP3 · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 23, 2006 Posts: 396

The_Toecutter · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Jun 18, 2005 Posts: 1736

When you plug in at home for an overnight charge, it takes about 15 seconds. No inconvenient trips to the gas station within whatever radius from your home the EV can ndrive without recharging. If that pack allows 300 miles range, most Americans might only see a 'recharge station' once or twice a year in the event that the infrastructure would be developed!

If fast charge infrastructure finally gets built(Southern California Edison tried to do it with Aerovironment's technology in the 1990s but the Western States Petroleum Association found a legal technicality that they used to prevent them from raising the money and going through with it!), EVs could be charged from 'empty' in under 30 minutes. While this is not as convenient as gasoline in terms of 'filling time', 30 minutes is 'close enough' and would make long trips by EVs with even only 100 miles range per charge(doable with primitive lead acid!) quite practical.
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