Electric cars... the cons

[ChrisM]

Uh, Fukushima.

Hey, I just visited there for work! Got to hang out outside the reactor and everything. It was kind of surreal but the community is reopening, so that's good. Won't get into the disaster stuff, not familiar with it, but the containment they're using now is some crazy stuff. In order to prevent ground water from flowing through the soil underneath, they've somehow created an ice wall the entire way around the perimeter. They froze the ground down however far it was necessary to keep water from flowing through. I'm not an enginerd so that's beyond me, but it was probably the neatest bit of ingenuity I've heard of in a long time.

Anyways...electric cars bad etc etc.

 

[Anti]

So, this topic got me looking at what's going on with the reactor I saw as a kid. That was the Douglas Point reactor which was a few miles north of where the current Bruce Nuclear site is. It was a 200Mw demonstration reactor to prove the viability of nuclear energy and it operated for quite a while. Even though 200Mw is pretty small it proved the concept.

They started building it in 1960, I think I saw it in about 1964 still being built, it ran from 1967 until 1984 when they started decommissioning it. It was too small to be viable commercially. We entered the final phase of decommissioning in 2020 and that final phase ends in 2070 with the complete removal of the entire plant. One hundred and three years from start to finish. Gotta wonder about the economics of that since they're paying people to baby sit and maintain and dismantle the thing all the while it's doing nothing. And that's a very small plant compared to what we've got now.

You folks south of the 49th have got 97 of these suckers going, I had no idea. We're peanuts by comparison. Another reason to hate on electric cars, when they take off the power demands are going to be insane and no doubt more nukes will be needed.

I'm a big fan of hydro power, as in rivers with waterfalls and we've got lots of them. But in this country these days we can't build anything for all the red tape and protests and a government that is little more than just a good head of hair.

Yea, i was going to say the TVA did a great job of providing the Tennesse Valley with hydro electric, but this day and time that will never fly. Even though we have some of the most beautiful recreational nature to enjoy since then.

 

[TMSBOSS]

The TVA did a fantastic job in producing low cost, dependable, extremely low environmental impact electricity. The Land between the lakes and other areas are beautiful. We can't do that any more.

 

[TymeSlayer]

If we ever get to the point we can build a reliable yet inexpensive rocket, just jettison the reactor waste into the sun. It be like a reunion for both.

 

[Grant 302]

If we ever get to the point we can build a reliable yet inexpensive rocket, just jettison the reactor waste into the sun. It's be like a reunion for both.

from radioactive dust to radioactive dust. Isn’t that the the saying?

 

[Mark Bedel]

Batteries and packs do wear out over time. Car & Driver recorded a 7% drop in maximum charge at 24,000 on their Tesla 3 Extra Range test car. If linear in nature, at around 100,000 miles you'd see an almost 28% drop in capacity. I've heard little if any EV discussion about recycling packs. I stated many times, that if someone can come up with a way to break these materials down into easily reusable materials, they could make themselves $$$. Still just hearing crickets...

 

[JDee]

Article here on recycling EV battery packs. Interesting read, but I'm still not a fan of EVs.

The Race To Crack Battery Recycling—Before It’s Too Late

Millions of EVs will soon hit the road, but the world isn’t ready for their old batteries. A crop of startups wants to crack this billion-dollar problem.

www.wired.com

 

[Mark Bedel]

Article here on recycling EV battery packs. Interesting read, but I'm still not a fan of EVs.

The Race To Crack Battery Recycling—Before It’s Too Late

Millions of EVs will soon hit the road, but the world isn’t ready for their old batteries. A crop of startups wants to crack this billion-dollar problem.

www.wired.com

JDee, thanks for this article! Very interesting. Apparently, the industry is further along on this issue than I would have anticipated. I'm not necessarily a fan either, but one can't ignore the gradual upward trajectory of this phenomenon, albeit a very shallow one.

 

[blacksheep-1]

My issue (actually one of several) is do they really expect you to drive 500 miles, then charge the car overnight? these guys have never seen anyone do a bonzai run across the US to get to a race track.. lol

 

[Grant 302]

these guys have never seen anyone do a bonzai run across the US to get to a race track.. lol

And now we mix the two.

 

[xr7]

My issue (actually one of several) is do they really expect you to drive 500 miles, then charge the car overnight? these guys have never seen anyone do a bonzai run across the US to get to a race track.. lol

The solution to the banzai run is mounting the appropriate sized diesel generator on a Harbor Freight trailer, and don't forget to repack the wheel bearings.

 

[blacksheep-1]

Bonsai


Banzai


got it

 

[ChrisM]

Kanpai!

 

[BluPil]

fun discussion, I have operated and currently work at the US's largest nuclear power plant... i leave that discussion for later. One of the problems with future EV rollout is that the electrical distribution systems into your neighborhoods are not rated for the additional load of having an Electric vehicle in every garage. At some point (not sure of the saturation level) the local distribution systems will not be able to handle everyone coming home in the evening and plugging their car in. As far as CO2 reduction goes, I hope people recognize that plants can't live without CO2, if the plants don't live, we don't live, there is a reason we are described as carbon based life......

 

[TMSBOSS]

I have the same concerns. Has anyone seen a study on the impact electric cars will have on our power grid?

 

[That11GtGuy]

I saw my first Mach E yesterday, not a mustang btw, and it hurt my feelings. I hate that something completely silent can pass me, going quite quickly, without struggling. Regardless, my take is that more electric cars=more factories making batteries, which is a LOT of pollution. If only someone, like idk, God, had put something on this planet that uses CO2, and produces vital oxygen we need, and maybe, just maybe, humans should stop the choppy choppy, for lack of a better term, of said things. Maybe something like that would help the planet, but I'm no expert.

 

[blacksheep-1]

bad news.. Aliens have landed
good news.. They eat politicians and pee gasoline

 

[Mad Hatter]

Bonsai
View attachment 63697

Banzai
View attachment 63698

got it

dam!! you beat me too it!!

 

[blacksheep-1]

New green energy car just hit the showroom

 

[That11GtGuy]

New green energy car just hit the showroom

View attachment 63779

Oh yeah, they'd love that one! Especially that cow hide (i think? Don't crucify me please) roof. Eliminating those cow farts AND CO2!