Zoom, god damn it!

Wait, what?  BMW?  I thought that was an Isetta.

I suspect this one would be more useful.

We had an Amphicar in the shop for a while. Tom, one of the owners (the other owner was also named Tom) drove it home and stopped off for a little putt in a park lake. Yes, a policeman made him get out of the lake. Fortunately for Tom, the cop was a friend of mine from college and just laughed a lot and let him go.

NoCoPilot wrote:

Wait, what?  BMW?  I thought that was an Isetta.

Made by BMW. The early BMWs had small motorcycle engines.

Yesterday I crossed the sidewalk in front of a SmartCar and thought, if everybody drove one of those the world would be a better place.

Alas, in a world of Hummers and Unimogs and Range Rovers, they're probably suicidal.

A couple of months ago, two smart cars (with non-smart drivers) trundled out onto the freeway in the middle of heavy traffic (is two smart cars a convoy?). The car in front of me had to slam on his brakes to keep from hitting them. Fortunately, I always leave enough space between me and the car ahead (although I know how you hate that), so I was able to avoid a collision and, surprisingly, the car behind me had also left sufficient space to deal with idiots, so he did not slam into the back of me. Driving an under-powered little piece of shit like that requires extra caution, which these drivers seemed to lack.

Yes. it would be nice if everyone drove small cars; I spent my youth in very small cars (okay, with big engines), and I know they can be driven safely. The problem is that only about two percent of American drivers have the first clue about driving very small cars.

Maybe, in our lifetimes, we'll see the proliferation of small electric personal vehicles and the eclipse of the gas-guzzling muscle cars.

Maybe. But I doubt it.

But electricity is primarily created by burning coal and natural gas. Consider the very dirty process of manufacturing batteries (and the problem on disposing of them) and one must wonder just how much of a benefit that will be.

Electricity can be generated by renewable resources -- geothermal, hydroelectric, solar, even safe nuclear power -- unlike the burning of fossil fuels which not only pollute but are a limited resource.

Battery technology probably could undergo a sea change if enough demand drove innovation.

It'll happen, it'll have to someday because gasoline will be all gone within 100 years (some say much sooner). Biofuels offer some short-term hope but electric is the long-term answer.

Electricity can be generated by renewable resources...

Can be is the problem. The extant power industry is fighting tooth and nail to prevent solar power from taking over. And, of course, the corrupt politicians and regulators are helping them. In many places, there is no longer a monetary savings to be had by installing solar panels on your home. Not because of the technology, but because of the aforementioned corruption.

If you lived a few miles downstream from a nuclear power plant, you might change your mind about how "clean" it is. It is also the most expensive method currently used for producing electricity.

NoCO wrote:

Battery technology probably could undergo a sea change if enough demand drove innovation.

Lithium Ion is the current pinnacle of battery technology, and it has serious problems. Business or demand cannot drive innovation; that comes voluntarily from very bright people (the first alkaline battery - Duracell - was a garage project of one man, or so the story goes). And there will always be the problem of disposal.

I'm not saying that significant improvements cannot be made; I'm just saying that there is no free lunch.

_Howard wrote:

If you lived a few miles downstream from a nuclear power plant, you might change your mind about how "clean" it is. It is also the most expensive method currently used for producing electricity.

That's because there hasn't been a nuclear plant built since 1979.

There are new designs available now, safer, cheaper, using nuclear waste as fuel which would revolutionize nuclear power. But, as you say, the fossil fuel industry holds a lot of sway and keeps other options out of the discussion.

_Howard wrote:

I'm not saying that significant improvements cannot be made; I'm just saying that there is no free lunch.

Quote :

Meanwhile Michigan-based start-up Sakti3 plans to double the energy density of current lithium-ion batteries with what’s called “solid state” battery technology, which takes out liquid electrolytes – the flammable part of current battery technology.

Appliance maker Dyson invested in the company, hoping to use the new technology in its products. Sakti3 also aims to power electric cars to drive further on a single charge and at a fraction of the cost.

Another solid-state battery company, Prieto Battery has redesigned lithium-ion batteries with what they call a “three-dimensional solid-state battery architecture,” to create a nontoxic, faster-charging and high-power-density battery that also eliminates the flammable liquid electrolyte.

Source

" plans to"

" hoping to"

"to create"

Can't develop a product without a market, can't develop a market without a product.

That's where investment comes in.

If we leave it to business and the so-called market, nothing will improve.