We don't know what it'll look like, when it will arrive, or what the specs are, but the Blue Oval is working on an electric F-150... What do you think about this? I think it'll primarily be a fleet thing, but I guess it could work for a straight up farm truck or something too, where you're not covering long distances...

 

I just read an article (for the life of me, I can't find it) recently that the biggest problem facing electric cars is people's fear of not being able to charge them in a crises or a political monopolization of charging stations.

Kind of like what Mr. Musk is doing with his charging stations... upping them by 33%... talk about more of a reason NOT to buy an electric car.

Believe it or not, most people in a crises can power a gas or diesel engine with goods they already have at home. Plus you can stockpile gas/diesel. You can't stockpile electrons too easily.

Then you got the issue of charging them at home. Most people complain that it takes 5 minutes to top off their sedan with gas... imagine 15-20 minutes to *partially* charge a car/truck? Yeah, I don't think so.

To me, gas/diesel engines will never go away.

Electric is fine for cities, but for actual long haul travel, not practical.

While I am for electric vehicles -- they still have a heck of a long ways to go.

 

Conversely ManualF150, most folks wouldn't have a clue how to make their own fuel at home if it was a SHTF scenario. But there are lots of nerds out there that hooking up a solar cell or a wind generator would be super easy. Like you, I don't see a future for total electric vehicles. We do not have the infrastructure to handle more and more vehicles being electric. It's as stupid as using food to make fuel....and speaking of ethanol, all it will take is a major drought and the USA will be going on a diet. Using the current rate of increase in demand for oil related products, there is a 3000 year supply just off our shores in the Gulf of Mexico. But the politicians in DC have an aversion to letting us tap into it. The Chinese are tapping it and selling it to us so we could save the money from going to China if we did it ourselves. While I'm all for cleaner air, I doubt the claim of global warming. I've seen zero proof that it's happening and that man is causing any warming. But if you want to throw in Global Dimming, which man has no control over, now that data will scare the hell out of ya. If you're a Bible scholar, it's hard to comprehend a world wide famine with todays technology. But imagine the scenario if the sun is going dormant and the light isn't strong enough for plants to grow.
FWIW, any global warming arm chair generals, if you will read about excavations going on in the last 10 years in the pits in Peru and Chile that are now several miles deep and LOTS of unknown animal life is being found. Note the temperature range for these animals to have survived. Try a global temp of over 104F, and that my friends is science, not bullchit.

 

I think internal combustion engines will go away at some point. But I also think I'll be long dead by then. And I'm fine with that, ha ha.

 

Do you realize how long it would take to charge a vehicle using some kind of DIY solar charging system? Only to be able to drive it about 100 miles, maybe?

 

^ Let alone charging it at home on utility power...

People would need industrial power wired into their home. Some POCOs won't do it unless you are zoned commercial.

Even my POCO was leery about why I wanted 400 amp service. Even this isn't enough to setup my own quick charging station in my garage...

Not to forget that high voltage isn't to be messed with by the average Joe.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. I'm an electrical maintenance technician at work and they require special training before your allowed to touch anything over 240 volts. I do not want to see any average Joe going anywhere near that kind of power. After the first tree hugger turns himself crispy playing with 480 volts this whole push to force everyone into all electric vehicles will come to a screeching halt, real quick.

 

I also agree with this. I went through this same training and the videos of what happens when voltage this high arcs were frightening. Many electric proponents think you just plug into a 120V outlet and you're good. Maybe so if you have a long long time.

Add to that the fact that we don't have an infrastructure which can support a multitude of home and roadside charging stations, I think large scale electric vehicle usage is a long way off.

 

With enough voltage and amperage combined, the tree hugger will be vaporized into tiny little flakes of carbon in nice bright arc flash... lol

Joking aside, people have no idea what it takes to make an electric car and the hazards that are present. Including auto techs.

I've been working with high end UPS units (no - not the delivery company!; data center grade uninterruptible power systems) for over a decade now. A lot of the ones I work with are tied into 3 phase power and have upwards of 50 batteries (jars) and multiple shelves and strings. Sometimes upwards of 1500V+ DC with a crap load of Ah (meaning lots of current behind it). People have no clue what that can do if the wrong hands get in there. PPE doesn't even make me feel safe.

No different than batteries on these electric cars.

 

We run 250 DC on our overhead cranes and I got bit by it about 10 years ago, put a real scare into me. Both arms went limp and were numb from the elbow down, and that was from just 250 V for only a millisecond. I can only imagine what 1500 DC can do to you. In some places at work we have up to 11.5 KV but we also have a special dept to work with it. We are allowed to work with up to 600 V AC, anything above that and high energy takes over and we stand back. They have special high voltage suits to wear when they work with 2300 V and 11.5 KV

 

Yep it's scary.

Another thing lead acid batteries don't do much when exposed to heat.

Lithium batteries on the other hand when shorted don't react the same. Youtube all the Tesla battery pack fires.

Brings back memories of the Ford Pinto... lol