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Ola posted:If you crash, flip over and catch fire - how will someone outside trying to save you get in? I love the way Mercedes solved this problem with the gullwing doors on the SLS. By using explosive bolts 
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Nov 26, 2012 14:25
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Acethomas posted:I just heard about the Spark, what's everyone's thoughts on that as a commuter? It's a pretty decent little car. Personally I don't like the styling, and you may find that 85hp is too little, but there's nothing really wrong with the car as such.
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Nov 28, 2012 10:56
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Finally, the aftermarket is stepping up to correct a major emissions-related design flaw with the Tesla Roadster. http://www.ebay.com/motors/carsandtrucks/Tesla/Roadster/2010/Catalytic-Converters
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Dec 19, 2012 15:18
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InterceptorV8 posted:Don't laugh at the question, but anyone know when they are making at EV that plugs into a 120v outlet? I think they all do, they just take a really long time to recharge that way.
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Feb 13, 2013 23:46
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It seems like they learnt their lesson from the Top Gear debacle. Never trust a journalist.
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Feb 14, 2013 12:43
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Does it ever get old smoking just about everything from the lights in near-complete silence?
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May 13, 2013 10:35
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Elephanthead posted:Even a leaf can do this in normal driving condition, i.e. not trying to go to jail. I can't imagine how much faster a non econo electric is. Best part is how silent it is like you aren't even trying. Embarrassing a manual transmission 3 series is the best by making them use the shoulder in a lane that ends. They never slow down or admit defeat to a leaf. Fixed gears are the best gears. I've only ever driven low-power electric vehicles myself, but even a Citroën C-Zero (which has even less power than a Leaf) surprises people away from the lights. However, I have been a passenger in a Tesla Roadster on a number of occasions. Trust me on this, you have no idea what it's like before you experience it for yourself, it's absolutely ridiculous. From a passenger's point of view, I had to go all the way to an Audi R8 V10 to get the same sensation, although the Ariel Atom got pretty drat close.
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May 13, 2013 14:56
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kimbo305 posted:An Edmund's editor got his nieces in there: D'awww, look at the girl on the left, she's so excited 
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Jun 4, 2013 09:04
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Backov posted:Moving manual cars to the track and other things of that type is almost certainly how it will happen, I'd bet. It's unlikely to ever be a blanket ban (in the US anyway.) But some areas completely lack suitable tracks. For instance in Denmark, we have a bunch of gokart tracks, but only 3 actual full-size race tracks. They're all primarily driving centers used for driver's license tests and safe driving courses, so they're not ideal for racing. There's a track close to me south of Roskilde, but it absolutely sucks for any kind of racing, it's just an oval with a kink and two enormously wide straights, boring as hell. I don't think they even use it for racing anymore. Then there's Sturup Raceway in Sweden, which I hear is a decent track, but that's about it. There are a handful of speedway and motocross tracks too, so perhaps some motorheads will migrate to that. Which brings me to something else. What happens to motorcycles once cars go all autonomous? Don't tell me you'd still be allowed to ride a motorcycle alongside them, because that sure as hell ain't gonna happen.
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Sep 21, 2013 19:59
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Nidhg00670000 posted:Well, we do have more than one track in this here country. From Köpenhamn you've got, besides Sturup, 300km to Anderstorp Raceway, 230km to Falkenberg, and 110km to Ring Knutstorp. For example. I know, but I was only looking at tracks in Denmark as such, or very close by. Those of my acquaintances who race all talk highly of tracks you mention. Which just goes to show how bad the situation is in Denmark, really, that we don't even have any decent tracks to choose from in our own country. I blame noise-frightened NIMBY types and the tiny almost withered racing scene here for that. We've got some real world-class racing drivers who started out in Danish go-kart racing, but once you graduate beyond that, you pretty much have to go abroad to make it big. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 10:43 on Sep 22, 2013 |
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Sep 22, 2013 10:40
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Volvo (by way of Imperial College London) had been thinking outside the box. Or with the box itself, actually. They've shown off a prototype S80 where the trunk lid itself is a battery, and they're planning to make battery versions of the entire body of the car: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1087758_volvo-shows-body-panels-that-could-replace-batteries-in-electric-cars Pretty nifty stuff, but probably stupidly expensive after a fender bender.
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Oct 18, 2013 08:49
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The Midniter posted:What happens if you get into an accident while those capacitors are storing energy and they become compromised? It's gotta go somewhere. They're carbon-based cells, so not nearly as volatile as lithium-based cells. My guess is that some amount of energy will be released, but mostly the battery will just be rendered inoperable by the damage.
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Oct 18, 2013 15:03
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Cream_Filling posted:That also sounds like it would mess with handling by elevating the center of gravity. It's a Volvo.
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Oct 18, 2013 18:08
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ijustam posted:Some cars do this already. Doesn't the Prius emit kind of a droning sound from a speaker while in EV mode at low speed? No, that's just the sound of a typical Prius driver.
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Nov 12, 2013 09:57
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I'm really hoping flow batteries take off in a big way, too. I know there are some obvious issues to be solved with safety during refueling and the overall capacity of flow batteries, but the sheer convenience makes it definitely worth pursuing.
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Jan 26, 2015 14:08
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Nidhg00670000 posted:I really don't understand why electric buses aren't more popular (around where I live, at least). Vehicles that the operator always knows when they leave and exactly how far they'll go each trip. Seems pretty perfect, no reason for range anxiety. Movia here in Copenhagen has a couple of electric buses that they're currently testing on some routes. They're eerily quiet.
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Apr 21, 2015 06:18
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Collateral Damage posted:Aren't Teslas and other electric cars really cheap in Norway too, because you get a ton of tax breaks on zero-emission vehicles? They're less expensive than in other countries (because they are exempt from the 150+% tax+registration fee), but they're not really cheap-cheap. It brings the price of a Tesla Model S down to around a BMW 5-series level (including tax and registration), so around 600K NOK or $80K. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 10:03 on May 7, 2015 |
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May 7, 2015 10:00
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mobby_6kl posted:Wasn't the Model X supposed to be more affordable? Like not cheap-cheap, but a level lower and more mass-market than the S. No, that's the upcoming Model 3 IIRC.
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Sep 3, 2015 12:08
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Yeah, those skinny-rear end tires look totally weird. Probably great for mileage, though.
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Sep 14, 2015 10:01
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Immediately after a new model is announced, the rate of iCars driving into bodies of water will increase sharply.
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Sep 25, 2015 07:38
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And it will randomly download U2 albums and play them at full volume, with no option to turn it off.
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Sep 25, 2015 13:40
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CommieGIR posted:I'm really not, person with Fallout avatar. I also support nuclear vehicles.
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Oct 15, 2015 17:33
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Robert Llewellyn never fails to entertain, and he's got a massive boner for electric cars.
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Nov 30, 2015 09:49
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Ola posted:The Bolt battery specs are out. 60 kWh!And 200 hp. Now I want one even more. Please bring the Bolt to Europe, Opel. I don't even care if you call it the Heinz or the Wilhelm or whatever.
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Jan 11, 2016 22:19
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Boring as all hell, especially since there are lots of German inventors' names to pick from. Like for instance Gustav Kirchhoff, who was responsible for some very fundamental discoveries relating to electric circuits. And Gustav would fit in well with the current lineup that includes the Adam and the Karl.
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Feb 11, 2016 13:26
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Frinkahedron posted:After self driving techonolgy is able to handle all situations, car ownership will plummet as people get around by summoning their robot ubers. The car is driving far more hours in a day that way and people still get the convenience of having a car on their schedule. Insurance companies will also love not insuring stupid human drivers anymore. And more importantly, those people will not have to deal with car insurance and the massively labyrinthine tower of poo poo that it is.
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Feb 13, 2016 22:20
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drgitlin posted:The new Bolt uses a skateboard chassis so no, but you do end up with a much taller car. Same with the i3. But the center of gravity is nice and low, which is one of the main reasons for low-slung cars in the first place. It does impact the styling choices, though.
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Feb 19, 2016 14:43
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A Corolla has plenty of personality, it just depends on how hard you drive it. Of course, that personality is mostly "would you please stop doing that?", but it's personality nonetheless.
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Mar 16, 2016 21:37
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I agree, a good low-light display is hard to get right. Even at low brightness settings, they still tend to be way too bright and distracting.
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Apr 1, 2016 12:04
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Jealous Cow posted:The HUD in my M4 has absolutely ruined me. I don't think I would buy another car that can't at least display speed and nav info in the HUD. HUD is something I would love to have in my next car, just for the comfort of never having to take my eyes off the road. Cruise control is obviously nice for that as well, but I'd love to have both.
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Apr 4, 2016 16:32
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I wouldn't mind driving a Prius. Smooth drivetrain, comfortable ride, arguably the only good implementation of a CVT gearbox on the market, pretty good cargo space, good fuel economy, and a reasonable "neat gadget" factor. Or maybe not a Prius, the latest one looks a little silly. The Auris/Corolla wagon hybrid has all the benefits of the Prius with more cargo space, and it looks like a normal car, so I'd have one of those.
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May 1, 2016 18:44
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NihilismNow posted:To understand where the MONSTER TORQUE E GOLF guy is coming from you have to consider that in Europe the Prius is a somewhat quick car. Not really, 10s 0-60 is more like "not fast". KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 20:38 on May 4, 2016 |
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May 4, 2016 19:47
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ilkhan posted:They think if they make driving difficult enough people won't drive. Obviously they know what is best for you and you are just too stupid to realize it. They can't realistically ban cars, so this is as close as they can get. If they make parking hard enough, and the fines high enough, people will stop driving. They won't be happy about it, but they'll so. It requires adequate public transport, though. A good solution would be to create more multi level parking garages to replace ground level parking. And implement good public transport options. I like driving, but I agree that most cars need to get the gently caress out of the cities. City driving sucks rear end in every way.
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May 10, 2016 15:28
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Sometimes, what people want is not the right way forward. Politicians should obviously listen to their constituents, but outright populism helps nobody in the long run. Part of the solution is to not give rich people unreasonable benefits over common people. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 16:12 on May 10, 2016 |
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May 10, 2016 16:10
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Robert Llewellyn has a humongous stiffie for electric cars, everyone knows that. But apparently he also prefers cock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epEUvHqf_M0
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May 16, 2016 11:45
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Google has a new idea for pedestrian impact safety. http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/19/technology/google-flypaper-car/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMH49ieL4es
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May 20, 2016 08:56
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wolrah posted:"This thing will leave everything for dust" about a drat i3. Apparently to a London car thief the same basic acceleration as a 2.0L Kia Soul is amazing. Well, certainly not everything. But it does take off with a hell of a lot more torque than a car with an internal combustion engine, and that makes it *feel* really fast. The acceleration from maybe 50kph to 80kph is where it really shines because there's no need to gear down or build revs or anything, it just goes instantly, and a lot quicker than you'd expect the first few times you do it. Again, this makes it *feel* really fast, and that's what it's all about on public roads: The sensation of speed, not the actual speed. Lastly, this is Europe, our cars generally have smaller engines, so it's all relative. Have you actually driven an i3? It's a very nice car to drive, very few cars apart from other electrics will beat it from the traffic light, because no one actually likes to rev out their Kia Souls, whereas with an electric, you have all the power instantly and silently. The Kia Soul+ 2.0 does 0-60 in 7 seconds on paper, but will anyone ever actually do that? KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 19:47 on May 20, 2016 |
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May 20, 2016 19:43
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wolrah posted:I'm not dissing the i3, I'm just relating that video to the e-golf guy because it's yet another European being all excited over acceleration that's kinda "meh" to an American. Well, we don't have your crazy low gas prices, so we have to deal with these strange concepts called "fuel economy" and "efficiency"  My point is that when 99% of drivers want to accelerate, they just mash the gas pedal at their normal cruising RPM and shift around 3000 RPM because then "the engine makes too much noise and sounds scary". Hardly anyone bothers to downshift, and even if they drive an automatic, the kickdown isn't instant. So even if people mat the throttle, they're still not getting anywhere near the specified acceleration from their car. Whereas with an electric car, you have that acceleration available instantly, all the time. That makes it feel a hell of a lot faster and more powerful in everyday driving, because it is faster in everyday driving, how most people go about it. The i3 has a 125 kW (168 HP) motor with 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. Those numbers are similar to what my car makes from its 2.2L 4-cylinder. Peak numbers of course, the HP/torque curves are wildly different. But I would have launch hard and rev it to the limiter in every gear to have any hope of matching the i3's acceleration, which would be absolutely ridiculous on the street. Acceleration figures on paper don't translate very well to real driving, where an electric car's power is so much easier to take advantage of. quote:I actually considered leasing an i3 REx when they were offering the really good deals on 'em. The idea of having to stop for gas every hour and a half or so on long trips killed that one for me, but it seems to be a brilliant city car if you have something else for distance. The exterior is a bit too "Look at me, I'm an EV!" for my preference but the interior is great, and as Top Gear said about the Panamera you don't have to look at it when you're driving it. If I had any way to charge an electric car in the street side parking spaces at my apartment building, I would definitely get a Nissan Leaf or even a Citroën C-Zero/Peugeot iOn. Even just a range of 50km would be more than plenty for my commute and day-to-day shopping. I would either keep my ICE car for the occasional long drive, with severely reduced yearly mileage on the insurance, or sell it and just hop on the train when I go visit my family once a month, ~150km away. But alas, I live too far from the city center, so no public charging posts for me. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 10:17 on May 21, 2016 |
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May 21, 2016 10:15
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I have a colleague who's looking to replace the backup outboard motor on his sailboat with an electric motor. Since he basically only uses it to maneuver when he's docking or otherwise maneuvering in a marina, it doesn't need a lot of power or capacity. He plans on trickle charging it using solar panels. Since the motor is normally stowed and only gets mounted through a hole in keel when it's actually needed, going electric would get rid of the smell and safety issues associated with keeping a filled gas tank in storage. He keeps it in a vented bench on deck, but it's still not exactly the safest thing in the world. I don't know if he's actually found a good electric outboard motor yet, though. They're still a little on the expensive side.
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May 21, 2016 21:19
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Yeah, it's hideous. But you don't have to look at it while you're driving it. It's very deliberate, though. The whole point is to attract people who want their cars to signal "HEY! I'm driving an electric car! Look at me!", just like how the Prius was/is for hybrid cars. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 10:20 on May 22, 2016 |
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May 22, 2016 10:16
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