Electric Cars

campgottagopee wrote

Harv, the current generation CVT's are much improved over the one you drove. Most simulate shifts now, hold RPM's higher while cornering and passing. Jason is correct in that you won't have any issues. My parents have on 08 Outback XT LTD (turbo charged car), and a 16 Outback LTD (naturally aspirated car), my Dad enjoys driving both and says the power in them is equal.

Everything I'm reading about the new CRV says that the CVT is pretty good.  I'm going to test drive it in the fall, so I will report back. Not paddle shifters in the Honda, I think.

New Pikes Peak record... Pretty impressive, not to mention cool looking!




https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/volkswagen-idr-electric-pikes-peak-record/

I love how liberals seem to think that electric cars are somehow better for the environment than gas powered.  Pretty much everything that goes into an EV is incredibly non green.  Battery production bad.  Rate earth magnet production particularly as they do it in China that represents 85% is really really non green.  Batteries need to replaced multiple times in the life of an EV multiplying the effect.  Then the electric that power EV is not green even before you factor in transmission and other compounded efficiency losses.  Physics doesn’t care that liberals feel better about them greatly overpaying for an EV as they the 8mpact is not green.

They make even less sense in a cold environment where battery performance significantly declines.  Harv May feel good about buying an EV but when it won’t get him to Gore on a charge when it’s 10 degrees out I doubt he will be buying one.

https://www.wired.com/2016/03/teslas-electric-cars-might-not-green-think/

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/rare-earth-mining-china-social-environmental-costs

Things change. Technology improves. Batteries get better.

Electric cars are better than the alternative (pumping a shit ton of CO2 into the atmosphere). If we can cut down on the 2 biggest pieces in this pie chart, why wouldn't we want to do that?

Z no politics in the OT. MC thanks for not following with a political response.

I'm not a big fan of hybrid for my purposes, that's why I don't have one. It's my wife's car, something she asked me for when we took out our big and likely final loan for our land. It's good for what she does every day, a 12 mile commute.

The way rare earths are mined is definitely an issue. Yes they are used in batteries, also cell phones, tablets, TV screens, computers and a lot of other things that are part of our lives and economy.

As far as the CVT goes, my daily and a half is an 09 Nissan Sentra. It has a CVT and I like it. When you need the power it's there, when you stomp on it, it shifts down and revs up and takes off. I am a little worried about how many trouble free miles I got as I'm approaching 90K. I've heard of a lot of CVT issues, and I've also heard that they can go a long time. I have a friend with the same Sentra with 215K and he thinks it's the original tranny. But he bought it with well over 100k so who knows.

Camp, you're a Nissan guy, what's your opinion on the Nissan CVTs?

Yikes:
http://nymag.com/selectall/2018/06/tesla-model-s-battery-ignites-twice-following-fatal-crash.html

That is a scary photo, for real.

Time to abandon all forms of alternative energy.

Is this any different than a gas tank explosion? Diesel is much safer fuel but still, if you have that much energy go out of control it’s not pretty.

MC2 5678F589 wrote

 If we can cut down on the 2 biggest pieces in this pie chart, why wouldn't we want to do that?

Let’s get rid of all of it, everything electric with nuclear generation. It even works at night.

Ethan Snow wrote

 

Camp, you're a Nissan guy, what's your opinion on the Nissan CVTs?

Just now seeing this, Ethan. Nissan has had the CVT in the state since 2004 in the Murano. Prior to releasing it here in the states they had it in Japan since 1994. I've seen very few issues with the CVT's. I think you'll find you'll have good luck with it. Like anything else it all comes down to servicing the tranny at proper intervals.

As a side note ---- a few years back I was told by a Borg-Warner engineer that they spent 1 million dollars trying to figure out the technology that goes into the steel belt that drives the CVT and they were never able to do it. That says something as thy're the ones who manufacture the timing chain for the V6 engine that Nissan uses.

We rented a Ford Fusion Hybrid last week on our vacation. It was nice enough and got decent MPG, but it was a dog. With the CVT you had to put the pedal to the floor to get moving and even then you had to be very judicious with pulling out into traffic and passing. I would never buy a vehicle with a CVT. However, the Fusion was 10x better than the Priuses that I have been in.

The all electric is getting better, but it is still not ready for cold distance use. Heating the car and the battery sucks the life out of the battery. A 220 mile range in moderate temps (which is actually 180-200 miles to leave room for finding a station and other factors) quickly drops to 100-120 miles in cold temps. By contrast, the Fusion Hybrid had a 500 mile plus range with a full tank and is not affected by temps.

It's getting harder and harder to find cars that aren't CVT driven.  Especially in the compact and sub-compact cars, pulling/passing power is the knock on them.

I can't imagine X being happy with anything under 200 hp.

The Honda CVT is growing on me I guess.  I don't mind it so much.  The turbo surely helps.

The mileage is banging.  With a full car and an empty roof rack I got 32mph on this last trip.

interesting article on rare earth magnetic material

https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/analysis-growing-impact-rare-earth-elements/175978578959272?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=5273&elq_cid=198966

Z wrote

interesting article on rare earth magnetic material

https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/analysis-growing-impact-rare-earth-elements/175978578959272?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=5273&elq_cid=198966

You will know when there is a real crisis in rare earth materials. The rail line to Tahawus will be active with cars pulling out tailings from the titanium mine.

interesting article on battery technology and what is driving shorter battery life

https://www.designnews.com/materials/will-future-evs-only-have-five-year-battery-life/118340601859495?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=5719&elq_cid=198966

Z wrote

interesting article on battery technology and what is driving shorter battery life

https://www.designnews.com/materials/will-future-evs-only-have-five-year-battery-life/118340601859495?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=5719&elq_cid=198966

The guy they quote shitting on the Nissan Leaf battery works for a company that has been pumping Tesla for months. Do a search for Berenberg Bank & Tesla.

I'm sure that's just a wild coincidence, though. 🙄

Lots of gullible people in this world.

PeeTex wrote

You will know when there is a real crisis in rare earth materials. The rail line to Tahawus will be active with cars pulling out tailings from the titanium mine.

Bad news on this front, too (if you want more mining in the high peaks area):

https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/tahawus-rail-line-abandonment-sought

https://carbuzz.com/news/tesla-keeps-humiliating-bmw-audi-and-mercedes