Pity the flat-Earth, no-growth, anti-industrialist, crypto-Marxist "greens" haven't figured out that electric cars require coal or nuclear energy.
Pity the flat-Earth, no-growth, anti-industrialist, crypto-Marxist "greens" haven't figured out that electric cars require coal or nuclear energy.
I ran into both this car and its owner about 8 years ago at a Starbucks in Pasadena, CA. It really is as small as the pictures show. The owner was showing it off and said that the inside layout is designed on a fighter jet cockpit. I guess it's ok but wouldn't want to hit anything bigger than a cardboard box for a fridge while driving it.
ReplyDelete--Weebork
"haven't figured out that electric cars require coal.." Doug, excellent point. it would be interesting if someone with expertise would work out for us the true energy consumption of these hybrids and full electric autos in terms of the net savings [or loss thereof] versus traditional gasoline power. electricity to charge these things is not free. it takes energy to make electricity and there is the additional loss in conversion and transmission. i suspect a true energy budget for use would surprise. meaux
ReplyDelete"The electric Tango is only a meter long..."
ReplyDeleteI went to the link, but had trouble with it - it centered to far to the right, and there was no bar to center it. Nevertheless - I don't believe this is correct...that it's only one meter long. A meter is approximately 3 feet - the two tires (front and back) together would probably equal this - or close to it.
One meter wide? That I can believe
Sue -- yep, I think you're right. Correction noted. Thx
ReplyDeleteI remember these when I was just a boy. We called them go-carts. Except those were cool.
ReplyDeleteOkay, as far as I can tell, when these things charge, they draw 40A at 240VAC - that is, 9600 watts.
ReplyDelete9.6KWh will get you 35 miles, and will cost you, on a national average, $1.12 (until the cost of electricity "necessarily skyrockets," of course). (http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table5_6_a.html)
Electricity in a coal plant is generated at the rate of 2,460 KWh/ton. (http://science.howstuffworks.com/question481.htm)
So, for an hour of charging, or 35 miles, you'll convert roughly 7.8 pounds of coal into evil global warming gas.
The average American drives 12,000 miles per year. Over a year, this thing will consume 2,674 pounds of coal.
My question is, what do you compare this to? By these numbers, it seems to be more efficient than a car. So is a motorcycle. This thing is more like a motorcycle than a car.