2012 TXT Pro All Electric

[HuskyDude]

Originally Posted by Moto7man

KTM just released their all electric bike called the free ride.

Now that video was very well done. I really think that will be the future for all to follow. They just have to find a way to pull all the power off of a few solar cells and we're in business.

[Moto7man]

Here is a short video with some German Riders playing with the GasGas Electric.( Stop at 1 minute and 35 seconds everything else is regular trials bikes.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe254GFOUfQ

[skid jackson]

Originally Posted by GMP

Very nice, and a lot more practical from a fuel logistics point of view than millions of Chevy Volt owners pulling 50A each off the grid to charge their cars when they get home from work.

as they walk into the house and boot the air conditioner up to full cool ...

and nobody wants any new nukes ....

[GMP]

Solar is another govt subsidized wet dream not ready for prime time. I wonder if any of the greenies have a clue as to what it actually takes to make a solar cell and how dirty of an industry it actually is. Why do you think most semiconductor mfg. is done off shore, and has been for a long time?

[mattholew]

"We're basically limited by how much juice we can take out of the plug - it's not the battery that limits us, it's the socket," says Proschek, who claims that within 45 minutes of charging time, 80 percent of the charge is already restored.

That says it all right there, we are not really ready for All Electric Vehicles right now, especially automobiles. One thing that concerns me is crashing and having the battery catch fire. I know from racing 1/8th scale High Voltage RC Electric Offroad Buggies and Flying RC Electric Helicopters and Airplanes, that if the battery sustains damage in a crash its very likely that you could have a fire shortly after.

However, I would really consider buying one of the KTM's if brought to market at a good price, because there are lots of places near my house that I could ride this thing without anyone knowing or caring about it if I'm there. My 2 smoker is a different story, the sound is more agitating to the neighbors than the fact that I am riding there. It sounds like I am doing lots of damage and disturbs the peace more so. I can't blame them for not wanting it around.

[GMP]

LiPo batteries, pretty amazing but also not too stable in some cases. I've seen the videos of RC planes going up in flames during a recharge.

Another environmental question for the greenies: what would you do with all the spent LiPo and Li Ion batteries that mass production and widespread use of electric cars would produce?

[lankydoug]

Originally Posted by GMP

LiPo batteries, pretty amazing but also not too stable in some cases. I've seen the videos of RC planes going up in flames during a recharge.

Another environmental question for the greenies: what would you do with all the spent LiPo and Li Ion batteries that mass production and widespread use of electric cars would produce?

The most overlooked downside to charging batteries is that it takes dump truck loads of coal to produce the electricity. I saw an example that stated that the average 1,800 sq. ft house requires 1 1/2 dump truck loads of coal per month to produce the electricity required. Now plug in your car and motorcycle.. Nobody thinks of this because the coal comes in on a train but if you live in a coal producing state and get to see the aftermath of strip mining your electricity doesn't look so clean anymore.

I will say that old coal pits are fun places to ride dirt bikes and shoot guns

[GMP]

Exactly, and than they want the coal plants closed in the same breath as the push for electric cars. Ignorance.

[Keg]

Trying not to insult anyone, but I am surprised at the short sighted thinking on electric vehicles here.

Currently we do not have great renewable energy generation nor battery storage capacity. But looking at the curve of technology these things will improve very shortly. How big was your mobile phone battery 10 years ago? Nokia, Apple, etc will drive battery technology. Don't discount better and greener power generation. Water, wind, solar, thermal, etc and the other power solutions that seem to be appearing on the horizon. All new industries need large investment and infrastructure to get started. Necessity is the mother of invention.

The idea we should not develop electric vehicles that can use renewable energy is a little hard for me to understand. Is the other option, just keep making petrol vehicles until there is no oil (and environment) left.

I reckon the Hoover damn might just be making power long after Pennsylvania runs out of oil.

[lankydoug]

Originally Posted by Keg

Trying not to insult anyone, but I am surprised at the short sighted thinking on electric vehicles here.

Currently we do not have great renewable energy generation nor battery storage capacity. But looking at the curve of technology these things will improve very shortly. How big was your mobile phone battery 10 years ago? Nokia, Apple, etc will drive battery technology. Don't discount better and greener power generation. Water, wind, solar, thermal, etc and the other power solutions that seem to be appearing on the horizon. All new industries need large investment and infrastructure to get started. Necessity is the mother of invention.

The idea we should not develop electric vehicles that can use renewable energy is a little hard for me to understand. Is the other option, just keep making petrol vehicles until there is no oil (and environment) left.

I reckon the Hoover damn might just be making power long after Pennsylvania runs out of oil.

It's good to be optimistic and generating clean energy is a plus but don't get your hopes up too high when it comes to mobile batteries. A friend of mine that owns a multi-million dollar company that manufactures battery testing equipment told me that the most advanced battery can only hold 1/25th of the energy of the same weight of gasoline. I guess if batteries get 25 times better they will be on a level playing field assuming gasoline engine research stops to wait for batteries to catch up.