Are Electric Cars really going to be all that great?

Question

I just want to know what people are thinking about the new completely electric cars that are starting to come out. (Chevy Volt for example)
Personally I don't think they are all that practical, sure in places like california or anywhere with a warm climate i suppose, but what about cold climate locations. Having an electric heater would suck up all the battery life. And also, it wasn't that long ago (2003 i think) that we had a marjor northeast blackout. Well.. what happens when everyone plugs their cars in at night? Now there is huge demand on our power stations which many still run on coal. how is that any better?
Personally i rather see dirty cars getting pulled off the road and replaced with normal cleaner cars, and getting coal burning plants shut down. The electric cars wont replace people's cars if they are big highway drivers, it's going to be a replacement for people who drive short distances in the cities and probably use small efficient cars anyways! To me this is all media making it sound like it's some great thing but in actuallity it's not all that practical and wont even put a dent into our total emissions. Thoughts????

Climate Angel · Accepted Answer

IMO there are several MAJOR problems for an electric car, which are are follows, and the SOLUTIONS to these major problems, which are existent, but as yet, have not been widely adopted by manufacturers:

1) Problem: The electric cars have a problem getting up hills with high ampere draw that destroy the controller of the car. Solution: Use "Low Amp Draw" technology. 

1) Problem: The battery cost is too high - $40K for a "Tesla" type all electric vehicle. The solution is to use discarded lead acid batteries that have been revived. Cost for an EV? Nearly zero.

ChevyPride0310 · Answer

what your not understanding is that the Volt isn't going to be completely electric, only the first 40 miles will be ran on electricity alone and then a small gas engine will kick on, think about it, can't say the Volt is a 200 mpg car if it doesn't use any gas at all, so all that would happen if there's a blackout you just run off gas, also there's a separate battery for all the electrical of the Volt like all lights and stereo, so no problem for a heater, when you think about it, it has to because what if your going down the road and that electricity for powering the car runs out after the 40 miles then you have no power for lights so that wouldn't even pass DOT, so if you commute less than 40 miles in a day then you'll save a lot of money on gas minus the electricity you pay for when charging it up, also the battery pack for when powering it with electricity isn't going to be a bunch of cell phone batteries like others have used in the past

? · Answer

For me its because my old vehicle still runs perfectly well and still gets better gas mileage than anything I can find for sale now. When that dies, I will probably go for at least a hybrid electric (hopefully diesel by then). The only electric vehicle available now with the power and looks Americans want costs around $120,000. Not all that many of us can afford that for the moment. Cell phones cost around $3000 17 years ago and look how they have fallen in price and gained in functions. Hopefully the electric vehicle will do the same soon.

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Are Electric Cars really going to be all that great?

3 Answers