Tesla Drivetrain?

[WAwinegrapes]

2 hours ago, BLSousa said:

Regular gas engines can be about 33% efficient.   Which accounts for the difference between the theoretical stored energy of a gallon of gas and the captured energy in an internal combustion engine.  This takes the 32.2 KWH down to ~10 KWH number.

Think of it in regards to a Tesla.  The car is 4500-5000 lbs. with sports car aerodynamics.  At freeway speeds that would yield very roughly 30 mpg if using a gas engine.  For a rough comparable, the Cadillac CTS is ~4000 lbs and gets up to 30 mpg on the highway (per Cadillac specs.)    Per Tesla specs a Tesla can go up to 270 miles on 90 KWH of battery stored electricity.  This equates to roughly 3 miles per KWH.  ~3 miles/KWH for electric and ~30 miles per gallon for gas.  That results in 10KWH of battery energy being roughly equivalent to 1 gallon of gas.

 

YES.  I just wanted to provide a base line and conversion numbers for those non technical folks.  I agree with your number and comments.

Folks forget about many things when the think about EV cars.  Including the  tremendous amount of energy to extract and refine the rare minerals outta the ground, the tremendous energy to extract then ship those minerals to wherever, the innefficiencies of transporting electricity from the dam, the generating station, etc., the inneficiencies of the electric motor on the EV car, disposal of the battery after however many years of use and many other inneffiencies.

So those wanting to save the planet by driving an EV, all you are really doing is exchanging one small smoke stack on your car, for one huge smoke stack since nearly 75% of our electricity is generated from natural gas, and coal.  And both gas and coal have huge lobbyists supporting their industries.  And with all the innefficiencies, those driving EVs are doing the opposite.  But some folks just like to feel warm and fuzzy.  As usual, there is not much if any truth in advertising!

Lots of other factors including charging units/stations, whether it be 480V or 120V, even  the inneffiencies of converting via transformer high voltage electricity down to 480V or 120V.

Edited April 16, 2017 by WAwinegrapes

[WAwinegrapes]

On 4/14/2017 at 1:58 PM, sunvalleylaw said:

Hmm.  To become profitable, Tesla (or any eventual competitors) will need people to vote with their dollars.  Certainly the battery issue is a huge thing, and there are environmental costs.  But research costs money.  For people to choose with their dollars to motivate investment in the technology is not so bad, IMO.  I do recognize there are many issues to overcome.  And @Slurpee brings up some interesting points and some interesting transportation alternatives.  There will be a difference between urban areas and rural as well.  

I do hope a boat comes at some point, or some other alternative energy source that is cleaner than what we do now.  Hmm. Wind powered boat?  Oh wait, we have those.  But you can't ski the course with them.

I am presently working on a Star Trek like tractor beam and transporter.  I am ready to start beta testing this month.  But I need investors for final testing, marketing and production.

[Sailvi767]

The best quote I have seen on Tesla was "Worlds biggest Ponzi scheme!" At some point if they are not turning a profit the stock price will crash and it all comes unglued.