Taxpayers' Leaf: Four Recharging Stops Needed to Go 180 Miles

National Legal & Policy Center ^ | January 3, 2012 | Paul Chesser

[jazusamo]

What a can of worms. We have become used to heating and air conditioning and driving any kind of terrain in internal combustion engine vehicles, not so now with electric vehicles.

[Responsibility2nd]

Great article from last year.

Nissan Leaf a comfortable, fun car to drive (For 50 Miles - Then it Dies!)

Monday, February 14, 2011 10:28:45 AM · by Responsibility2nd · 126 replies

San Antonio Express News ^ | 02/13/2011 | G. Chambers Williams III

 

 

Williams is a toadie and cannot say anything negative about a car, otherwise automakers will not allow him to test their vehicles. But his experience is driving this fail-bucket is hilarious.

 

 

 

[formosa]

Word to the wise, don’t buy government subsidized products. It will not live up to industry standards simply because they were spending the money of someone else to build it. You will get the minimum in both technology and workmanship.

[Sherman Logan]

It was about 35 degrees in the Volunteer State when Smith departed Knoxville on Monday

Available charge in batteries is drastically affected by cold (or hot) temperatures.

[DonaldC]

I think at the current technology, folks are trying to apply electric vehicles in ways they are not designed.

[RWGinger]

The problem comes from people like this Smith guy( the tenn writer) who think the Gov’t ( us ) SHOULD sibsidize these failures instead of letting the marketplace work.
let private compnaies work the bugs/ clinks out and then offer these vehicles.
but WE should NOT sibsidize the making of these pos and the buying of these POS and the buildong of charging stations.
It is not worth it now.

[American in Israel]

Yeah, like driving them...

[throwback]

Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

The cars will go away first. The made up "green jobs" that accompanied them like Mr. Smith's will follow shortly thereafter.

[smokingfrog]

They must have had a headwind. I’ve heard those electric cars are great.

/s

[thackney]

I think at the current technology, folks are trying to apply electric vehicles in ways they are not designed.

You mean like expecting a vehicle advertised as having a 100 mile range might actually be expected to travel 100 miles without requiring recharging first?

[Zathras]

I rode in a Leaf and the owner likes it quite a bit but he spends every trip longer than 30 miles worrying if he can make it home.

[patton]

Filled up my wife’s car the other day, and just out of curiosity, flipped around the computer gage - “540 miles to empty.”

Only, I have noted that that guage lies - you have 12 gallons of fuel left at “empty.”

[Focault's Pendulum]

Available charge in batteries is drastically affected by cold (or hot) temperatures.

Cold temps shouldn't affect lithium batteries. At least in appliances such as flashlights. They will shine just as brightly but there's no degrading of performance....they then just go out.

[mamelukesabre]

I dont’ know why this was a shock to these people. Anyone who’s ever played around with battery operated toys(or cell phones for that matter) knows all claims about batteries are lies. And on top of the lies regarding how long the batteries last, every little thing you do differently will alter the battery life. Put more than one person it the car...battery gets sucked down faster. drive up hills...battery sucks down faster. run air conditioner or heater...battery sucks down faster. Headwind...battery sucks down faster.

Also, time to charge up a battery is a lie. It always takes longer than what they claim.

That said, I know they can make electric cars better than the LEAF...but at what price, is the question. It would be nice if 440/480 volt 3 phase service was readily available but it isn’t . That’s just the way it is right now. Maybe someday 480 volt service will be standard in every neighborhood, every garage, and every commercial building. But at the moment, 480 volts is extremely rare. you are lucky to have 240 volt service. Lots of locations don’t even have that.

[jazusamo]

Exactly...No way we should be subsidizing production and sales of these green cars. The market should determine both and if it was the market these companies wouldn’t be manufacturing them.

[oh8eleven]

If the specs promised by Nissan and Leaf advocates were to be believed ...

[WayneS]

“It’s good knowing we didn’t use a drop of oil getting down here,” he said.

Isn't that nice.

By the way, how much coal did you use?

[IamConservative]

“It’s good knowing we didn’t use a drop of oil getting down here,” he said.

In case anyone was wondering whether he is as stupid as we all think he is.

[doorgunner69]

Damn thing sounds like an oversize golf cart.

Imagine a nice humid summer day when you have to run the A/C constantly.

[mamelukesabre]

Cold temps shouldn’t affect lithium batteries
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

boy are you thinking inside the box!

How about running an electric heater to keep an uninsulated metal box(a car) heated to comfortable temps when zipping down a highway at 60MPH(windchill effect)? Ya think that might suck down a battery?

Figure on AT LEAST a 3000 watt heater plus a circulating fan. Now look up how many watts it takes to push a LEAF down the road at 60MPH and I think you will be amazed what a joke this idea is.