Tesla the silent death ..
Thread started by
OsnapsonJC at 08.25.09 - 9:27 pm
Holy shit I thought the prius was quiet I got passed by this dude going at least 60 on morpark in the valley and... I gotta tell ya I'm glad have lights ....
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I heard they wanted to put some type of device on Hybrids to make them sound louder so people will hear them. How bout a bell.......ZOOOOM WEEEEE ride like the wind~~~~
Foldie08.25.09 - 10:37 pm
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John wtf happend to you phone?? i called shit said disconnected!
BLAHER responding to a
comment by OsnapsonJC
08.25.09 - 10:47 pm
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Weapons of Mass Guilt Reduction. Unearned Smugness. At Least It's Not a Hummer.
Meh-tastic.
That energy stored in the battery was made somewhere, probably by burning a fossil fuel. Way to off-load the guilt to someone else.
cabhauler08.26.09 - 3:35 am
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Yes, not just off loading the guilt, but the emissions too (unless you generate your own electricity by solar). Then we have the hybrid mentality of "I'm only using half the gas, so it's OK to drive twice as far".
Also, I rarely hear much talk about the energy required for the manufacture and eventual disposal of automobiles (as well as all the other crap we use).
mr rollers responding to a
comment by cabhauler
08.26.09 - 8:37 am
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Sure Hybrids are a symbol of the green movement as a green product and they love to flaunt it, but I don't think vilifying hybrids is good either. It is a start to a collective conscience about using less oil. Anyone here who says they hate cars is hypocritical. You need cars to deliver the goods and services you use on a daily basis. Yes you may ride your bike everywhere, but that burger you ate at McDonald's has a bigger carbon footprint than a prius.
We all want to get cars off the road.
Foldie08.26.09 - 9:30 am
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True, I actually love cars (at least in principle) and I own one myself. I'm fascinated by most things mechanical, and cars are marvels of engineering.
Now, the people that drive them are another story . . .
mr rollers08.26.09 - 10:30 am
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Im changing my plan ... I just didnt pay my bill ...LoL Im going to do it on friday at LACM because the store is right across the street...
OsnapsonJC responding to a
comment by BLAHER
08.26.09 - 10:42 am
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the tesla would be a run ride, zip zooooooom and awaaaaay!
the prius and other hybrids i am constantly getting stuck behind accelerate soooo slooooooowly!!!
i love bikes
i love driving cars when not in traffic too
natefrogg08.26.09 - 10:47 am
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It is actually better for the environment to keep your old car (is it can be fixed) than buying a hybrid, and even better to buy a used fuel-efficient car. Even better to "try" to incorporate your bicycle as your mode of transportation as much as you can (and walking too).
But no joke... Riding in Los Angeles can be dangerous at anytime. I got hit last monday in Beverly Hills, but I was wearing a helmet and broke the fall pretty good. The driver stopped, and was genuinely worried and apologetic. I didnt really feel hurt, just like crashing in general... so I just shook it off and said, its cool, and kept riding....
But the common response: people just dont trust drivers. But the more your coworkers & family know you ride, the more they'll think better about how they treat cyclist in general... so keep encouraging bike commuting...
The point is... not everyone can ride around as safely or deal with the intimidation. Girls are harassed by pedestrians and drivers, so commuting to work ends up being a, "fucking leave me alone" ordeal. Still really no safe way to ride around with kids. Thats just a couple of points.
Truth be told, i do think i have a hatred for cars... though I have one, I think my feeling is that I hate "needing" one (and I do need one). Ive tried to come up with ways not to have one... but its just not smart...
I have a car that literally stays parked for about 5 days out the week usually. I hate paying insurance for something I rarely drive (i even tried to get my insurance provider to buy into my claim of riding my bike more).
Los Angeles NEEDS to switch to a bike friendly society... it will transform this city.
md2 responding to a
comment by Foldie
08.26.09 - 10:49 am
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It is actually better for the environment to keep your old car (is it can be fixed) than buying a hybrid, and even better to buy a used fuel-efficient car.
It matters how much that person drives. In your situation, yeah it probably makes sense to not buy another car. But how many people do we have like your situation and desire? Not many.
No wonder no one wants to ride in LA and needs a car. After spending billions of dollars on car infrastructure it better represent a car centric infrastructure! Just think what great transportation system we could of had if we spent a good portion of it on a rail system and some of it on a bicycle system? Somewhat like Europe's.
Electric cars are not really the answer, but part of a solution. If we all had electric cars, then we'd all be stuck in traffic with electric cars. That's not progress.
Oh Rollers, 5-10% of the energy used in the life of the car is used in making and deposing of the car. Most of the rest of the energy is used in pushing the thing around.
User1 responding to a
comment by md2
08.26.09 - 11:36 am
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"Most of the rest of the energy is used in pushing the thing around."
Actually most of the energy is wasted by the inefficiency of the engine. Most gas burned is wasted and only 20 -30 % goes to move the thing.
62% of the fuel's energy is lost in the internal combustion engine (ICE)
Foldie responding to a
comment by User1
08.26.09 - 11:41 am
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It's true that energy in the battery is mostly from burning fossil fuels (mostly coal, gas, and nuclear, depending on where you live), but an important benefit is that an EV moves the tailpipes from in the city where we all live to centralized and increasingly emission controlled power plants, that are usually outside of the city. So even if it's still dirty fossil fuels being burned, it's improving the air and smog effect in cities. Scientists/researchers say this tailpipe shift alone could have profoundly positive effects on urban health.
Plus, as more renewable energy gets into the commercial electricity supply, those renewables will slowly clean up the power plants and will contribute to our transportation sector. Nationwide, renewables like solar and wind (excluding hydro), have bumped up in just the past few years to below 1% to over 3%. It's still seems like a drop in the bucket, but it's progress. If you live in the right place, you could be charging your EV with a much higher percentage too. Pacific northwest has tons of hydro and wind balancing together. Last year 8400 MW of wind power was installed in the US (around 5000 turbines, each averaging 380 feet tall) and only 250 MW of coal was installed (one small coal plant). The shift is happening.
0gravity responding to a
comment by cabhauler
08.26.09 - 12:07 pm
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True.
The gas engine we know is 20-25% efficient.
User1 responding to a
comment by Foldie
08.26.09 - 12:32 pm
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Yeah it's moving the problem to a plant rather than millions of tailpipes, which is much easier to deal with. Even if we used fossil fuels to power EVs the air would be far far cleaner. EVs would be charging at night, so the plants would be operating at a more level power output. The way it is now, the power output goes up and down each day in a 24 hour cycle. This is hard on equipment, inefficient, and much harder to control pollutants.
Doug Kordoff, a homeowner with solar panels and EV cars that we stopped at on a tour here in LB.
power output curve
Great podcast with him
User1 responding to a
comment by 0gravity
08.26.09 - 12:54 pm
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Yeah, electric cars and hybrids are good for reducing pollution but bad for cyclists or blind peds. Well, since you can't always trust drivers to see you, you just have to ride like every driver doesn't see you and will hit you if you're in the way. How many ridazzz have i seen with those white ipod earbuds in, blasting Flock of Seagulls or whatever, thats enough not to hear a CrownVic taxi driving right behind you, but you don't complain then!
At least if a Tesla hits you it'll go under you instead of wedging you under it!
Watch out and may the Higher Power of your choice be with you.
Ratpick08.26.09 - 3:07 pm
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Solution to "Silent Death" per Shai Agassi: Downloadable "Drive Tones" for the EV.
External loudspeakers on the cars!! Hey, they should talk to us, we have them on bikes!
California auto regulations should make "drivetones" mandatory for bike and pedestrian safety.
Yeah, bummer that Chevron "squats" on the patent for use of the best battery for EVs, Ni-MH.
OverTheHill responding to a
comment by User1
08.29.09 - 1:05 am
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If we had flying cars right now, all of us on bikes would have to worry about jack shit........
Unless one of their engines died and it fell on somebody.
bentstrider responding to a
comment by OverTheHill
08.29.09 - 9:05 am
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Ridazz Roulette!