[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by rsfyj

just minutes ago on the internet NEWs another Chevy Volt Crash test went up in Flames as the battery blew up and caught fire. this is not good news for GM

If your going to be an automotive journalist, get the facts......

One Volt battery pack that was being closely monitored following a government crash test caught fire Thursday, the safety administration said in a statement. Another recently cra****ested battery emitted smoke and sparks, the statement said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/...#ixzz1embC6Tr6

And this came from Fox, the right of the far right news source.

I would say these delayed fires sure beat the instant explosion of gasoline.

[66GMC]

Originally Posted by Northstar T

...
I recon' the reason you fine folks down in Californica have been trying to force your had to steal Oregons Hydro power for so long is so you can recharge your electric cars that are "saving the planet" eh?? silence a few million tree huggers and build your own power plants.
...

Please ... whatever you do ... do NOT build any nuclear plants in a "geologically active area" and plan to use helicopter drops of seawater as a "backup plan".

Sound familiar?

[deckofficer]

Sure does, and Japan is very conservative and the ***** still hit the fan. I sure wish the scientists could figure out cold fusion, that would be a game changer that both tree huggers and everyone else could embrace.

[66GMC]

Originally Posted by DanielC

I hope you all know there was a proposal to build a oil pipe from Alberta, Canada, to the Gulf of Mexico coast. The present Federal administration shut that down. Canada is now looking at selling the oil to nations on the Western edge of the Pacific Ocean. Nations we are competing with for jobs.

Yup, I have mixed feelings on this.

Pissed just a bit because of the obvious economic impact it will have on our province, perhaps country.

On the other hand ... and considering the history and fate of some other OPEC nations ... governments have been overthrown, dictators installed and removed, and many environments completely and permanently ruined (Google "Oil production environmental damage" ... all for the cause of satisfying the worlds largest economy with relatively cheap fossil fuel?

Maybe it's a blessing and relief. I sure as hell wouldn't want Alberta to suffer the same fate as Nigeria has. Do you know the story? Have you seen the pictures?

Obama is right ... he doesn't want our "dirty" crude.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

If your going to be an automotive journalist, get the facts......

One Volt battery pack that was being closely monitored following a government crash test caught fire Thursday, the safety administration said in a statement. Another recently cra****ested battery emitted smoke and sparks, the statement said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/...#ixzz1embC6Tr6

And this came from Fox, the right of the far right news source.

I would say these delayed fires sure beat the instant explosion of gasoline.

Do you still have the electric Smart?

Brian

[rsfyj]

Cars don't need fires neither do the occupants,, get my drift?? One Hot Volt

[rsfyj]

Bad mouthing a News Org will not diminish that a Volt caught fire again during a crash tests. Pay attention here do we have another Pinto mobile Bomb??

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Do you still have the electric Smart?

Brian

Yes, I keep it at my vacation residence in SoCal, use it all the time down there.

[MARTINSR]

Awesome! The only thing that scares the jeebees out of me with the late model computer controlled car is all that complication. I picture the electric car as being a way out with a motor slipped onto a tranny with an adapter, 24 batterys and a control unit, that's it. For the average American that would be plenty, just plug it in every night and wham, you are driving electric.

But that Smart car must be sweet. What kind of tranny? I am assuming it is some sort of variable ratio? What kind of get up does it have? 60 ft time pretty good?

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by rsfyj

Bad mouthing a News Org will not diminish that a Volt caught fire again during a crash tests. Pay attention here do we have another Pinto mobile Bomb??

It's true the Pinto was an issue, along with a number of other Fords that had the same exact engineering with the fuel tank being the trunk floor.

You never hear about the Falcon, Mustang, and all the others for some reason, the poor Pinto gets all the heat.

But did you know when Ford was sued by someone who had a family member killed in one they lost because it ended up the car didn't have a fuel cap on it, they had lost it. That may have been an insy binsy problem.

But yeah, this is all stuff we will work out. Can you imagine if in 1974 the first Pinto burns everyone talking about eliminating the gas engine powered car? LOL, that sounds pretty stupid doesn't it?

Brian

[deckofficer]

Brian,

Because an electric motor has all of its available torque at zero rpm, transmissions are not used. On a locomotive, same thing, no need for a transmission and look at the amount of dead weight it gets moving. Now on to my car, I will have to admit it is a bit of a slug. Unlike other electric cars that have ripping performance, mine does not. It does however cover 100 miles on $1.25 worth of electricity.

Now the scooter was my design and build. It is a death trap. Until I stopped, I had allowed 5 friends and family members to try and ride it. If it was a bull in the rodeo it would have a perfect record, as everyone landed on their butt. The last to ride it dislocated his shoulder and that is when I stopped letting people ride it. Just didn't seem to matter how much "pre-flight" instruction I gave, they just couldn't understand the concept of all torque available at zero rpm. 0~40 in under 2 seconds if you can hang on or not pop a wheelie.





Bob

[MARTINSR]

LOLOL, great scooter story. The Smart has no transmission?

Brian

[deckofficer]

The gas powered Smart does have a transmission, the electric doesn't need one. The Leaf, Volt, Tesla, Ford, well all the electrics I can think of, none use a transmission except in the beginning the Tesla Roadster did have a 2 speed, but no longer.

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

Brian,

Because an electric motor has all of its available torque at zero rpm, transmissions are not used. On a locomotive, same thing, no need for a transmission and look at the amount of dead weight it gets moving. Now on to my car, I will have to admit it is a bit of a slug. Unlike other electric cars that have ripping performance, mine does not. It does however cover 100 miles on $1.25 worth of electricity.

Now the scooter was my design and build. It is a death trap. Until I stopped, I had allowed 5 friends and family members to try and ride it. If it was a bull in the rodeo it would have a perfect record, as everyone landed on their butt. The last to ride it dislocated his shoulder and that is when I stopped letting people ride it. Just didn't seem to matter how much "pre-flight" instruction I gave, they just couldn't understand the concept of all torque available at zero rpm. 0~40 in under 2 seconds if you can hang on or not pop a wheelie.





Bob

With all the weight on the back end,, I can see why..... Plus the size of the scooter...Not much there... I have a pedal car with a 5 hp Briggs it will ride a wheelie as far as you want to go.. I have it down right now.. But it will do around 35mph on the back wheels....And it's gas..

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

The gas powered Smart does have a transmission, the electric doesn't need one. The Leaf, Volt, Tesla, Ford, well all the electrics I can think of, none use a transmission except in the beginning the Tesla Roadster did have a 2 speed, but no longer.

Hopefully Testla will get underway in production. They have one right now that just got assembled over in the plant for the Detroit auto show? I couldn't believe believe that they didn't have one in the SF International Auto Show this week. Amazingly dumb to not have one there but I think the whole show has taken a dive from what I hear there were no concept cars displayed as all the big manufacturers have every year. When I heard this a few days ago I decided not to go this year as I do most every year. I love the concepts.

Back to Tesla, we had a deal with Toyota when they were there repairing new cars damaged in shipping, that sort of thing. We hope to get the same deal with Tesla and the boss has been to some high-falutin parties and such.

One of the guys at work is trying to get a job there and has gone to a number of interviews. I would love to get into that company, I should go take a look. It would be a blast to be there.

Brian