Could an all electric pick up truck be in our future?

Certainly, and I think electric vehicles are a good idea for some applications provided we we can deal with the electricity requirements. I've freely admitted to being a bit of a Luddite so I have no issues with the fact that more and more people view driving as a chore and not something enjoyable. There have been several articles that I've seen recently about kids not being interested in getting their driver's licenses. As someone who was at the highway dept as soon after my fifteenth birthday as I could I just don't understand, but whatever, their choice. Times change. I enjoy driving and the sound of gasoline engines, I (usually) enjoy working on them, and I like messing around with vehicles in general. That doesn't seem to be nearly as common anymore. I can still be in awe of the technology in the electric race cars without feeling the same about them as I do vintage cars. Just because I don't have any desire to own one doesn't mean others shouldn't be free to buy them if they want, I just don't want one forced on me.
 
Robert said:
You want to talk about a sore subject in SC- the corruption with the SC reactor is an on-going mess that needs to see some people swinging from gallows, or at least sitting in jail stripped of their pensions, retirement, bonuses, etc.

When electric vehicles get good ranges and can be quickly recharged then I may be interested. Those are of my two sticking points plus there is something sterile about electric cars that just leaves me wanting. I think I really thought about it watching one of the electric formula car races a while back, they sound like the slot cars we played with as kids. I want my race cars to sound like race cars; I don't want to just hear them though, I want to feel them- I want it to be a visceral experience. I love the sound of mechanical parts whining, straining, sometimes failing. The only thing worse would be going to watch some vintage warbirds fly by only to find they'd been converted to electric.

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There was a story in Asimov Science Fiction Magazine when I was in high school about this and it was about the Indy 500. A new technology was introduced that completely out classed the IC engine and was 100% safe in a collision. Of course the secret technology didn't stay a secret too long and competitors were soon putting out their own versions. Eventually the race's outcome would be known in the first lap as the competitors vehicles lined up in descending order of technological advancement. And no one cared about the race anymore. The fans disappeared. Eventually the original inventor brought an IC engine back on the track. The other competitors, seeing the writing on the wall, soon followed.

I don't see the electric motor having the effect as depicted in the story but I get it. The romance is gone but that's just us. Someday someone will be pining over how they miss the whine of the electric motor.
 
TangoBlue said:
Politics, public opinion, and emotion are the biggest influencers to "new" nuclear energy in the US. As we create more demand for electrical energy, I have to ask, just where the hell is it going to come from from?
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I keep asking that question, especially in CA. Virtually ANY new power generation, regardless of design, is going to be mired in 10 years of Environmental Impact Reports...unless..it's built on sovereign American Indian Reservations.

For example...there is a solar generation facility on the way to Vegas on I-15 near the CA/NV border. It's a bunch of mirrors that focus on a steam generator mounted a couple of hundred feet up in the air. Sounds simple enough, right...apparently birds flying through the focused light from the mirrors go "POOF" just like the ants that we fried under magnifying glasses as kids. Of course there is at least one "special interest" group that thinks that generating station should be shut down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivanpah_Solar_Power_Facility
 
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Greg said:
There was a story in Asimov Science Fiction Magazine when I was in high school about this and it was about the Indy 500. A new technology was introduced that completely out classed the IC engine and was 100% safe in a collision. Of course the secret technology didn't stay a secret too long and competitors were soon putting out their own versions. Eventually the race's outcome would be known in the first lap as the competitors vehicles lined up in descending order of technological advancement. And no one cared about the race anymore. The fans disappeared. Eventually the original inventor brought an IC engine back on the track. The other competitors, seeing the writing on the wall, soon followed.

I don't see the electric motor having the effect as depicted in the story but I get it. The romance is gone but that's just us. Someday someone will be pining over how they miss the whine of the electric motor.
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The Goodwood Festival of Speed had an entry for the hill climb this year that was an all electric autonomous race car. I watched the underwhelming video of the car successfully driving the course at a low speed regardless of entry class. I'm sure it was done purely to showcase autonomous technology, but a part of me wonders if the creators of it are looking for more (Edit: just read an article that the company intends on creating a driverless race series, why?) I can't imagine any motorsport enthusiast that would pay to watch a car race without a human piloting it, and fortunately, the comments on the video backed up my thoughts. I have no problem getting excited about electric vehicles that push boundaries, but the AI car takes the sport out of motorsport and turns racing into computer controlled slot cars. A good indicator of how exciting EV's could be is demonstrated by the Volkswagen I.D. R that was jaw-dropping to watch in its smashing of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb record.

 
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Trump said:
The Goodwood Festival of Speed had an entry for the hill climb this year that was an all electric autonomous race car. I watched the underwhelming video of the car successfully driving the course at a low speed regardless of entry class. I'm sure it was done purely to showcase autonomous technology, but a part of me wonders if the creators of it are looking for more (Edit: just read an article that the company intends on creating a driverless race series, why?) I can't imagine any motorsport enthusiast that would pay to watch a car race without a human piloting it, and fortunately, the comments on the video backed up my thoughts. I have no problem getting excited about electric vehicles that push boundaries, but the AI car takes the sport out of motorsport and turns racing into computer controlled slot cars. A good indicator of how exciting EV's could be is demonstrated by the Volkswagen I.D. R that was jaw-dropping to watch in its smashing of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb record.

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Another video. This one isn't working for me.

 
Those are awesome electric trucks... o_O

Did you here the whine of the electric motor spooling up... whoa... if that doesn't get your blood racing... :rofl

Very impressive feat!
 
Interesting.

Although guys on YouTube have been injecting hydrogen into their vehicle for years using nothing more than stainless steel outlet covers, screws, mason jars, a bit of wire, water and some baking soda. This will more than double the fuel effeciency of any car (according to internet experts) and does away with the need for all this electric car mumbo jumbo.

 
Well he used the word thermodynamics so he must know what he's doing, right? And why am I not surprised he has Tiger Paw tires.
 
^^^^I'm always amazed that people fall for gimmicks like that. There's no way vehicle manufacturers could afford two glass jars and some tubing added on to the price of a new car, not to mention all of the engineers they have working on improving fuel economy losing their jobs.:rolleyes:
 
bob91yj said:
^^^^I'm always amazed that people fall for gimmicks like that. There's no way vehicle manufacturers could afford two glass jars and some tubing added on to the price of a new car, not to mention all of the engineers they have working on improving fuel economy losing their jobs.:rolleyes:
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They could afford the jars and tubing if they fired those engineers...
 
bob91yj said:
^^^^I'm always amazed that people fall for gimmicks like that. There's no way vehicle manufacturers could afford two glass jars and some tubing added on to the price of a new car, not to mention all of the engineers they have working on improving fuel economy losing their jobs.:rolleyes:
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I wanna get me one of these...
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