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Zeno Swijtink
01-13-2009, 07:53 AM
Is the power supply ready for this? If all are car transport were electric how many more power plants do we need? - Zeno

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JANUARY 12, 2009, 5:46 P.M. ET
Chrysler Plans Electric Car Push in 2010 (https://online.wsj.com/article/SB123164962942571409.html)

By ALEX P. KELLOGG and NEAL E. BOUDETTE

DETROIT -- In a bid to make a splash at the Detroit auto show, Chrysler LLC said it expects to start producing an electric car in 2010.

The company, however, revealed few details that normally come with such announcements, such as what type of vehicle it will make – or its name.

"We're not allowed to say," said Todd Goyer, a company spokesman.

In a statement released ahead of the Detroit show, the auto maker said it will unveil a new concept for a possible future electric vehicle – a battery-powered version of its Jeep Patriot, a compact sports-utility vehicle. It will also display three electric-vehicle concepts it first shown in public in September. Those included electric versions of its Chrysler Town & Country minivan and Jeep Wrangler, and the Dodge Circuit, an two-seat sports car.

Chrysler aims to have four electric vehicles in the market by 2013, the company's statement said. A few weeks ago, Chrysler executives told dealers it plans to sell 500,000 electric vehicles by 2013.

Chrysler needs a dose of good news right now. Sales plunged last year, falling 53% in December alone. The company was close to running out of money before it got $4 billion in loans from the federal government.

The company plans to launch a new Jeep Grand Cherokee in late 2009 or 2010, but has few other new models set to follow. Chrysler slowed product development to conserve cash, people familiar with the matter said.

That stands in contrast to recent years, when it tried to drive sales by launching a steady stream of new vehicles.

Chrysler has formed a special development group, called ENVI, to work with partners to produce electric vehicles. It assembled a working prototype of the Dodge Circuit sports car by using major components produced by outsiders, such as an underbody made by Lotus and batteries from A123 Systems Inc. The Circuit runs on battery power alone and is supposed to run for up to 200 miles before needing a recharge.

Chrysler's electric vehicles "will allow consumers to move away from their reliance on fuel stations and traditional maintenance," Lou Rhodes, president of ENVI, said in a statement, "and instead enjoy a new, more socially responsible level of performance."

Write to Alex P. Kellogg at [email protected] and Neal E. Boudette at [email protected]

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Lorrie
02-06-2009, 05:38 PM
Fellow members, as the owner of now 4 full time electric cars, I am beginning to realise that they are NOT the answer to today's woes.

To wit: only those people who have access to extremely low-priced electricity rates can afford to make a statement" by using electric vehicles....<WBR>.........<WBR>......otherwise, it costs them dearly each month for the privilege of driving them.

My research shows accurately what it takes to charge a car after its extensive run of 34 miles. Eleven KWHs at rates between 24.7 and 35.4 cents.. BEC (before electric cars) my electric monthly consumption was into the 3rd tier of rates. By going "green" and also for the thrill of driving what very few others are currently, I regularly push my bill into the 4th and 5th tiers shown above.

Even when I "average" my entire bill for the month of January '09, 821kwh into the charge of $164.94 it gives me an AVERAGE rate of 20 cents per kwh.

Now then, eleven KWHs at 20 cents each = $2.20 divided by 34 miles = 6.47 cents per mile. This is the PURE cost of operating the car, and does not include insurance, cost of purchase, maintenance or amortised cost of battery replacement.

On the same basis, I shall compare this to the cost of operating a car that gets city mileage of 25 mpg. 34 miles divided by 25 = 1.36 gallons @ $2.40 = $3.26 divided by 34 miles = 9,6 cents per mile.

Now then, if one goes greener by choosing instead of electric NEVs, to drive one of the state of the art HYBRIDs that get between 40 and 50 mpg in the city, we see once again that the current rate structure for electrical energy does not support the use of electric cars.

To wit: 34 miles divided by 45 (average of 40 mpg and 50 mpg) = .755 gallon @ $2.40 = $1.81 divided by 34 miles = 5.3 cents per mile.

From this data we can see that for someone like me who lives in a house with computers, freezers, dryers and such, the choice of going electric is not the most economic "way to go".........<WBR>......and with the hybrid vehicle one has the advantage of far greater range of use.

To finish, I have this week received all the dope from PG&E explaining the requirements to obtain an E9 "time of use meter" that will allow overnight rates of 5 cents per kilowatt but that will result in daytime and evening KWHs being charged into the 50 cents range.

And these meters are specifically excluded from anyone using an NEV or 3 wheeled electric vehicle!

At this point shall I say that I envy those of you in areas where cheap electricity is yours for the asking. California is certainly not one of them.

Stephen Cooper, Santa Cruz, California.
(taken from his post to [email protected] in my email without permission.)

Dynamique
02-06-2009, 09:00 PM
Gee, we do have access to "free" electricity -- from a PV ARRAY!!

Too bad these cars do not use a DC hookup so they can be charged from PV directly instead of having to go through an inverter.

this does bring up an important point: part of the conversion to electric cars is making recharging stations as available as liquid fuel stations.


... At this point shall I say that I envy those of you in areas where cheap electricity is yours for the asking. California is certainly not one of them.