Comments on: Audi R-Zero Electric Sports Car

By: zone350z.com

zone350z.com — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:57:08 +0000

if it perfomed like the Z, i’d get it too.

By: Eveline

Eveline — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 18:19:47 +0000

One new car that you might not know of is the XEBRA, from ZAP (www.zapworld.com). The Xebra is the only all electric car available and affordable in the market right now. It is not a sports car like the Tesla Roadster, it is designed to be driven around the city, like taking the kids to school, grocery shopping and etc. It plugs into any conventional outlet. ZAP is and advanced techonology company that distributes alternative transportation and the XEBRA is something unique that you might want to check out.

By: The FOM

The FOM — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:03:28 +0000

But what we fail to get here is that plug-in electrics simply move the source. We generate with oil, coal, natural gas, uranium, etc. Hydro is a good source, but wind, solar and other renewables are a sliver of the mix.

So if you start hauling around 3000 lb of batteries, you’re using exactly the same energy to move those beauties as if you put 3000 lb of concrete block in your trunk, especially around town, where starting and stopping consume the lion’s share of the energy. Regenerative braking would help here, but I understand the hybrids have this already.

Sure, I’d prefer the Tesla Roadster to a hybrid. But I’m not so sure that these things are the answer to fossil fuel consumption. As it stands now, they actually lead to increased overall energy consumption.

By: JOHN KNOX

JOHN KNOX — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 15:17:11 +0000

The thinking behind cars like the Tesla Roadster is actually on the money in my book.

Who’s going to plunk down the money for these first few models? Early adopters after the ‘cool’ things. By aiming at the high-performance model first, they can charge more and afford more research on how to bring the costs, weight etc down.

Tesla’s business model is right on from my way of thinking and they’ve come up with a car that’s pretty darned sharp too.

Let me put it a different way. Would I rather drive a Tesla Roadster or what Detroit tried to shove down our throats in California – the Saturn EV-1. I’ll take the Tesla Roadster thanks.

By: trew

trew — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:41:08 +0000

Sony’s batteries explode because of a design that allows short circuits to develop. I don’t think the L Ion technology is to blame.

Besides, how much worse could it be than driving around 15 gallons of explosive petrochemicals?? The modern automobile is pretty much a steel encased molotoff cocktail.

By: jay

jay — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 13:38:25 +0000

Try to stop a 5000 lb. car going 250 mph. Thats the problem

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 13:12:22 +0000

*** Not only do li-poly batteries start to degrade after a couple of years, but they are EXPLOSIVE ***

Look at the current problems with Sony’s exploding laptop batteries.

I fly electric R/C airplanes (where we also push a LOT of energy out of li-poly batteries) and we are having SERIOUS problems with the batteries degrading or individual cells ballooning, bursting and CATCHING FIRE. Go read some of the reports on ezone.com.

I could see some serious insurance lawsuits happening very quickly as the ambulance-chasing lawyers get wind to the fact that car companies are putting batteries with KNOWN problems on the road.

I’m all for electric cars, but we need to find a better way to store the stuff….

By: The FOM

The FOM — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 12:29:37 +0000

You have to remember, too, that carting a ton and a half of batteries around takes energy, too. Take your pickup, throw 3,000 lb(!) in the back, and watch you mileage go south, big-time. So next you have to look at the power source (i.e., your local generating station) and decide if the gain in efficiency and pollution control is offset by the obvious inefficencies of carting 3,000 lb. of batteries around.

Electric motors aren’t light weight, either, but for talking purposes I’m assuming parity with the IC motor and transmission, etc…

Here’s a thought about biologically-derived fuels: They don’t add any carbon dioxide to the carbon cycle that wasn’t already there. A plant pulls CO2 from the air and returns O2 to the air. When we burn bio-fuels, we’re simply sending back CO2 that was in the cycle to begin with. Perhaps at a faster rate, but, hey, this isn’t a tech forum!

By: Shane

Shane — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 12:26:11 +0000

Someone’s obviously forgetting something important. Lithium ion batteries start to degrade after two years. Who’s going to want ot replace “nearly a ton and a half of lithium-ion batteries” as a part of regular maintenance? This and the Tesla are pure concept cars, there’s no way they’ll be productized with this technology. There are better batteries in development though, so maybe in a few years.

By: lazd

lazd — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 06:30:25 +0000

i think this concept would be better equipped for the market if it were a lightweight sport coupe that was powered completely by batteries and performed similarly to a 350Z.

until then, i won’t buy one.