Comments on: Plug-In Motors Building $75,900 Electric Ford Mustangs http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/ What is the future of fuel? What's new? What's next? Since 2007, Gas 2 has covered a rapidly changing world coming to terms with its oil addiction. Sat, 26 May 2012 14:59:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: ChuckL http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-10189 ChuckL Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:01:45 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-10189 Sodium-Sulfer batteries are what powered the Ford electric car in England back in the ?? '70s ?? . The battery materials were a major concern then when a crash was contemplated during a driving rainstorm. Sodium-Sulfer batteries are what powered the Ford electric car in England back in the ?? ’70s ?? . The battery materials were a major concern then when a crash was contemplated during a driving rainstorm.

]]> By: ChuckL http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-32844 ChuckL Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:01:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-32844 Sodium-Sulfer batteries are what powered the Ford electric car in England back in the ?? '70s ?? . The battery materials were a major concern then when a crash was contemplated during a driving rainstorm. Sodium-Sulfer batteries are what powered the Ford electric car in England back in the ?? ’70s ?? . The battery materials were a major concern then when a crash was contemplated during a driving rainstorm.

]]> By: db http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-10188 db Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:28:53 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-10188 "Can’t anyone make an EV under $30K?" Th!nk city (previously owned by Ford) makes a two seater similar to a Smart car for under $30K. It has a top speed of 75mph and a range of 100 miles. “Can’t anyone make an EV under $30K?”

Th!nk city (previously owned by Ford) makes a two seater similar to a Smart car for under $30K.

It has a top speed of 75mph and a range of 100 miles.

]]> By: db http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-32843 db Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:28:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-32843 "Can’t anyone make an EV under $30K?" Th!nk city (previously owned by Ford) makes a two seater similar to a Smart car for under $30K. It has a top speed of 75mph and a range of 100 miles. “Can’t anyone make an EV under $30K?”

Th!nk city (previously owned by Ford) makes a two seater similar to a Smart car for under $30K.

It has a top speed of 75mph and a range of 100 miles.

]]> By: John http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-10187 John Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:28:17 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-10187 @clayton I'm not so sure that ramping up production would reduce the cost very much, possibly the opposite. The major cost here is the battery pack, not the installation of the battery pack. Lithium does not grow on trees. Ramping up production of this and other electric vehicles would increase demand for this scarce resource, driving up costs for everyone, including electronics manufacturers. The reduction in assembly costs due to economies of scale is likely to be small potatoes in this case. I'm very skeptical that battery powered cars will ever make sense. An electric car that uses biofuels as the primary means of energy storage seems much more realistic. The only way I can imagine pure battery cars is if somebody figures out how to make sodium-sulfur batteries work in a car, which is obviously challenging given heat issues (but perhaps not impossible -- engines are pretty hot, after all, and we seem to manage that ok). The nice things about sodium-sulfur are (1) cheap materials and (2) higher energy density than lithium ion. @clayton

I’m not so sure that ramping up production would reduce the cost very much, possibly the opposite. The major cost here is the battery pack, not the installation of the battery pack. Lithium does not grow on trees. Ramping up production of this and other electric vehicles would increase demand for this scarce resource, driving up costs for everyone, including electronics manufacturers. The reduction in assembly costs due to economies of scale is likely to be small potatoes in this case.

I’m very skeptical that battery powered cars will ever make sense. An electric car that uses biofuels as the primary means of energy storage seems much more realistic. The only way I can imagine pure battery cars is if somebody figures out how to make sodium-sulfur batteries work in a car, which is obviously challenging given heat issues (but perhaps not impossible — engines are pretty hot, after all, and we seem to manage that ok). The nice things about sodium-sulfur are (1) cheap materials and (2) higher energy density than lithium ion.

]]> By: John http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-32842 John Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:28:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-32842 @clayton I'm not so sure that ramping up production would reduce the cost very much, possibly the opposite. The major cost here is the battery pack, not the installation of the battery pack. Lithium does not grow on trees. Ramping up production of this and other electric vehicles would increase demand for this scarce resource, driving up costs for everyone, including electronics manufacturers. The reduction in assembly costs due to economies of scale is likely to be small potatoes in this case. I'm very skeptical that battery powered cars will ever make sense. An electric car that uses biofuels as the primary means of energy storage seems much more realistic. The only way I can imagine pure battery cars is if somebody figures out how to make sodium-sulfur batteries work in a car, which is obviously challenging given heat issues (but perhaps not impossible -- engines are pretty hot, after all, and we seem to manage that ok). The nice things about sodium-sulfur are (1) cheap materials and (2) higher energy density than lithium ion. @clayton

I’m not so sure that ramping up production would reduce the cost very much, possibly the opposite. The major cost here is the battery pack, not the installation of the battery pack. Lithium does not grow on trees. Ramping up production of this and other electric vehicles would increase demand for this scarce resource, driving up costs for everyone, including electronics manufacturers. The reduction in assembly costs due to economies of scale is likely to be small potatoes in this case.

I’m very skeptical that battery powered cars will ever make sense. An electric car that uses biofuels as the primary means of energy storage seems much more realistic. The only way I can imagine pure battery cars is if somebody figures out how to make sodium-sulfur batteries work in a car, which is obviously challenging given heat issues (but perhaps not impossible — engines are pretty hot, after all, and we seem to manage that ok). The nice things about sodium-sulfur are (1) cheap materials and (2) higher energy density than lithium ion.

]]> By: Technology Slice http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-10186 Technology Slice Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:00:59 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-10186 It's a good start but more needs to be done to get consumers buying these cars. It’s a good start but more needs to be done to get consumers buying these cars.

]]> By: Technology Slice http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-32841 Technology Slice Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:00:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-32841 It's a good start but more needs to be done to get consumers buying these cars. It’s a good start but more needs to be done to get consumers buying these cars.

]]> By: Clayton B. Cornell http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-10185 Clayton B. Cornell Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:35:34 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-10185 @Dave: A lot of these conversions are expensive because they are one-off deals. If they could be ramped up the priced would come down dramatically. Just take hevt.com's F-150 conversions, which are also extremely expensive (http://gas2.org/2008/07/28/startup-converting-ford-f-150s-into-41-mpg-plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicles/). In volume production the estimated cost would drop to $15,000. If the Feds would give us a solid conversion tax credit that would put these kinds of conversions in reach. @Dave: A lot of these conversions are expensive because they are one-off deals. If they could be ramped up the priced would come down dramatically.

Just take hevt.com’s F-150 conversions, which are also extremely expensive (http://gas2.org/2008/07/28/startup-converting-ford-f-150s-into-41-mpg-plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicles/). In volume production the estimated cost would drop to $15,000. If the Feds would give us a solid conversion tax credit that would put these kinds of conversions in reach.

]]> By: Clayton B. Cornell http://gas2.org/2009/06/22/plug-in-motors-more-electric-mustangs/#comment-32840 Clayton B. Cornell Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:35:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=2722#comment-32840 @Dave: A lot of these conversions are expensive because they are one-off deals. If they could be ramped up the priced would come down dramatically. Just take hevt.com's F-150 conversions, which are also extremely expensive (http://gas2.org/2008/07/28/startup-converting-ford-f-150s-into-41-mpg-plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicles/). In volume production the estimated cost would drop to $15,000. If the Feds would give us a solid conversion tax credit that would put these kinds of conversions in reach. @Dave: A lot of these conversions are expensive because they are one-off deals. If they could be ramped up the priced would come down dramatically.

Just take hevt.com’s F-150 conversions, which are also extremely expensive (http://gas2.org/2008/07/28/startup-converting-ford-f-150s-into-41-mpg-plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicles/). In volume production the estimated cost would drop to $15,000. If the Feds would give us a solid conversion tax credit that would put these kinds of conversions in reach.

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