Locomobile

Why is that? They are numbers and estimated numbers and based on who knows what. Lots of scary numbers, like 188,000 cubic feet of water flows through the Detroit river every second, it doesn't mean Toledo to the south of us in danger of flooding as a result. I think we can all agree that the Climate is changing, always has, always will, we can all agree that man is emitting C02 in to the atmosphere, it's the result and effect that is being debated. Do you have any sort of credible scientific research that backs up the catastrophic effect man is having on the atmosphere. Let's get real here, if there was a credible, even remote possibility, globally speaking there were only 10 er so years left, there would be more than a handful of people in a few countries concerned about it. There would be worldwide panic. Climate science is being used as a vehicle to promote political agendas. -Ron

There is an old saying with attorneys: "If you have no evidence, pound the facts, if you have no facts, pound the evidence, if you have neither, pound the table" That is what the climate changers are doing. I've not seen one credible study that supports the world is going to end in 12 years. Everyone should agree that climate change is real, the issue is how man is affecting it. It's nearly impossible to have a discussion about EV's without discussing climate as that is the alleged reason for their very existence. The Physics professor from Princeton University in the video also served as Director of Science for the US Dept of Energy, it's logical that working in that capacity he would have an academic grasp of climate study. People do have the ability to know about two different things. -Ron

Listen closely to what this Professor of physics from Princeton and former director of Science with Dept of Energy says about climate change. One very important fact he states (para) "C02 levels have never been lower than they are right now"

This is the SS Badger one of the (maybe only) steamships left in the US still in commercial service (other than tourboats). It is a car ferry/passenger ship operating between Ludington? Michigan and Manitowoc Wisconsin on lake Michigan. The environmentalists have been going at them for years to convert to diesel. Their beef is not air quality (yet), but the dumping of ash in the lake. Than they'll be complaining about the diesel. I really think some of these folks won't be happy until everyone is living in a tiny government furnished apartment and riding government furnished "light rail" transportation to get to and from their job if they feel like having one - willing to work for their universal basic income, and cars - electric cars will be luxury items for the rich elite ruling class. I think that is their ultimate goal whether they are aware of it or not. Speaking of climate, there is still ice 30 inches thick right now on the north side of lake superior, very unusual for this time of year. -Ron

That must be a California thing. Steam power is really clean, note the stack emissions on my tug, there are close to none because there is near complete combustion of the fuel. I/C engines cannot do that. My Locomobile running on kerosene is the same way. The fuel is burnt completely and there is very little pollution. That is why the car companies make the occasional foray into steam powered vehicles, the mileage kills it though, a typical steamer comparable in size in weight to modern car is lucky to get 10 mpg. The tug is able to do that because the engine steam exhaust is routed out the firebox exhaust up the stack. This increases exhaust velocity and increases firebox draft air velocity, its essentially a supercharger. Extracts the BTU's per pound of wood at a faster rate. I've ran that tug thousands of miles and I've spent very little doing so. I'm a machinist and I do favors for a tree service and they give me as much wood as I want for free. I originally built it as a novelty, but it's a pretty good boat. Handles well, dry in the rain, warm in cold weather, cheap to operate. -Ron

I guess every search result on Google is incorrect? And yes battery drill packs, li-Ion last about 3 years, we use them regularly at work and that's about what we get out of them. That is the reason I'm asking, we don't get 8 years out of a battery pack used daily. We've had Ni-cads and Li-po's etc, the only difference I see is the Li-po packs are lighter and smaller. Charge life, battery life looks to be about the same.

Oh just keep driving, it can be caught -Ron

I agree an electric car is powerful and fast. Early steam cars like mine were the fastest thing on four wheels when they were introduced. The I/C powered cars did well to achieve half the speed of the steamer, a 30 hp Stanley set the land speed record of 127 mph in 1906, but it was the tortoise and the hare scenario, same for the electric, The steamer was only faster for a short duration until it ran out of head pressure. The steady continuous power output of the I/C engine would outrun it in long distance races. Lear tried to run Indy with a steam powered car and it was a failure, I don't think it ever even qualified.

Not really, one man can pull a semi on smooth pavement with a rope around his shoulders or in his teeth? or some silliness. I think his name is Magnus Magnusson? Moving it and towing it long distances at highway speeds are two different things. No one has ever answered my question about how Tesla states that their batteries can last "the life of the vehicle" or eight to ten years etc, when ANY other source states that Li-Ion batteries have a life span of only 2-3 years and around 300 charge cycles. Is Tesla using some special battery technology? Auburnseeker is quite right, people need to educate themselves on the wild claims that Musk and his ilk are making, so when they start trying to pass legislation to force people over to electric vehicles, people will know what is fact and fluff and make responsible decisions whether or not to reject their plans. Myself personally, I wouldn't take an electric car if someone gave it to me, it would be utterly useless for my transportation needs. If someone else wants one, that's their business, but I would do some research and read the fine print as they say. Tesla warrants the batteries for 8 years, as I mentioned in another post, this is just a big smoke and mirrors show with Musk at the controls. He figures the gig will be up in about 5 years and the battery warranty will be null and void,. because him and his tent will be back in Germany or wherever. Seriously, who sets up a multi-billion dollar auto manufacturing business in a tent? The Detroit Packard plant is still standing. (or just was recently) That is the clue right there, he knows it isn't going to last. -Ron

I'd like to see Mr Jetsone pull this to the lake and down and back up the ramp with his Tesla. It weighs about 8000 pounds. My old Silverado 1500 with 5.3 litre and 330 horses hauls it and it's 1500 pound trailer, no problem at all, walks over mountains like they aren't there. I pull it from Detroit to Waterford NY 750 miles in about 15 hours. The tug is steam powered and runs on firewood. -Ron

I have no issue with new technology, but I do with new products slathered with grandiose claims and numbers manipulated and misrepresented to conceal the products shortcomings. Tesla claims their batteries will outlast the car and after 8? years they still have 80%. How is that possible? Li-po and Li-ion batteries which they are using don't last that long under normal usage. I just asked Google how long LI-Po batteries last: "" The typical estimated life of a Lithium-Ion battery is about two to three years or 300 to 500 charge cycles, whichever occurs first. One charge cycle is a period of use from fully charged, to fully discharged, and fully recharged again."" Li-Ion: Which Tesla uses now "" Two to three years If the voltage of a lithium-ion cell drops below a certain level, it's ruined. Lithium-ion batteries age. They only last two to three years, even if they are sitting on a shelf unused. So do not "avoid using" the battery with the thought that the battery pack will last five years."" With the present battery technology, fast charging is not as straight forward as it sounds, this reminds me of some of the steam ratings on valves we use, i.e. we need 250 psi and 406°F, many valves are rated at 406°F and 70 psi or 72°F and 250 psi. Somewhere in between is the true steam rating. Lipo batteries have a speed limit in which they can be charged and discharged, too quickly for one or the other risks over heating the battery, greatly shortening the overall battery life and worst case scenario, explosion. They can only be fast charged to about 60-70% of their maximum capacity, the remainder has to be slow charged to control the heat. The 350 mile range they talk about is, on a fully, slowly charged battery and the car driven at a constant speed of around 45 mph. -Ron

I don't think there has ever been a solar panel that has covered it's cost in electricity generated. They go bad by degradation or damage beforehand. They estimate that all of these panels being installed will last 25-30 years which is not long after the predicted payback point, but they don't really know how long they will last. They do know they degrade at about 1% per year. The sun is very destructive. Thermal cycling and the different expansion rates of components which compromises the seals is the biggest threat to their longevity, once water makes it's way in, they are done for. 25 years of rain, snow, hail, storms, winds etc. The other big issue with solar, they still don't know how they are going to process all of the toxic waste from these panels when they are discarded in 20-30 years. The process is expensive and time consuming. They can't simply be thrown in a landfill. -Ron

It probably depends on the local code, but most house receptacles are 15 amp. In a garage or laundry room etc, they will be 20 amp. Most all standard lighting circuits are 15 amp. -Ron

Same here is the US. And, no not behind the times, just different and much safer. We go to Amazon or anywhere on line and order electrical appliances, power tools etc, and they are automatically 120 vac, It's the standard in the west. In Europe and Australia they are stuck trying to find 240 volt appliances and power tools, the selection is limited and they are far more expensive, about 2-3 times more. Lots of folks I know in those regions use a step down transformer so they can use the tools at our voltages. The images of those Tesla's connected to diesel generators... Talk about wasteful, energy systems in series and the associated losses, very inefficient. Those pics sum up the whole Tesla story in a nutshell. -Ron

20-30 to years ago we also had a great health care system. Just about every job had health insurance attached to it, by default and was a non-issue. It became a big issue because as I pointed out above, the people and businesses of US were becoming poorer thanks to these globalist politicians, killing our economy with insane trade deals that put US workers at a disadvantage, loss of jobs, wage stagnation etc. Every socialist idea they've had to fix our healthcare system has been a disaster. Fix the economy, bolster the middle class and the health care insurance issue will take care of itself. -Ron

Yes if one keeps squeezing drops of yellow paint in to the red paint, he will soon have orange paint. We here in the US have enjoyed a vibrant free market economy for the past 120 years, it is the land where dreams come true. If one wishes to be a millionaire, all they have to do is make smart decisions and work for it, but there are no guarantees and there is also very little Government interference to hinder their ambitions, our Government encourages it. I made the statement years ago in regard to our unfettered imports from China, "If we are going to trade with those folks we better learn to live like them", and that is where we were headed for the past 20 years. Thank God we have a real President now that is looking out for the best interests of the American people instead of trying to share our wealth with the rest of the world. Good men died and sacrificed to create the country we live in. Some people have had it too good for too long. -Ron

Time for socialism? Never gonna happen in the US. -Ron

It was debunked when applied to Tesla's theory on the transmission of electricity. Fellas, I am going to exit the discussion about Nikola Tesla. I was questioned why I thought he wouldn't like his name being used by Musk and his battery car, hopefully I explained that. -Ron

That was debunked 70 years ago. Tesla like anyone with great ideas ( Pioneers get the arrows) was under an all out attack by the media which was owned by the same corporations that he threatened. He was crazy, he was in love with a pigeon etc. -Ron

Because other than small improvements in a sleek futuristic gadget infused package, there really aren't any. These factors remain, short range, considerable time to recharge, degrading battery life, battery cost. Because of the battery, I'm certain he would have considered it elementary and pointless. He had ideas and even carried out successful experiments for electric cars, boats etc, but the AC electricity was transmitted by wireless means to a receiver- no battery. Have a look at his experiments, that is the direction he was going, but the powers that be were afraid of him as he threatened their monopolies and they stifled his efforts at every opportunity. His plan was free electricity for everyone on the planet to power their lives, based on understanding that electricity is ever present and only needs to be harnessed and transmitted. Does this sound like Elon Musk at all? The Tesla car is 180° away from the direction Tesla was working. -Ron

My feelings exactly. it's just a gimmick for the people building them for those that believe they need one. The true marketing appeal of an electric car can be summed up this way: If there was a vehicle for sale with a two gallon gas tank that took eight hours to fill with a not readily available fuel and this gas tank cost 8500 dollars and needed to be replaced every five years, how many people would buy one? That is exactly what people are buying when they buy an electric car. Weigh the environmental impact of manufacturing the batteries, mining the lithium, coal burning generation of the electricity used, dealing with the toxic waste of battery disposal, it's doubtful the gains are all that worthwhile from an environmental standpoint. Who is wrecking the planet now? If we look at it historically, we're doing a much better job now than we were say a hundred years ago. Back then air quality wasn't even a consideration. Imagine whole cities heating with coal, in the winter time the smog was so heavy people could barely breathe. Window panes were brown from residue of coal smoke. Even here in the US we were destroying our ecosystem, no doubt about it. I grew up in Detroit and I've seen the changes myself, at one time the Detroit river was black and poisonous, now it is clean and there are trout and walleye in the Detroit river. The Rouge river that runs past the Ford Rouge plant caught fire and it took a long time to put out, some flammable chemical was floating on top and burning. That isn't the case today, strict environmental rules were put in place back in the 70's and it is a much different situation now. Even air quality, of course the loss of industry has helped in that regard, but there are no more factories belching smoke in to the atmosphere, they all had to clean up their act and they did. So what else can be done? Go without any industry? New York's Mayor is trying to outlaw skyscrapers because of all the steel and glass. The folks that espouse these desires have no comprehension of what they are truly asking. As I was told a long time ago 'Be careful what you ask for, ya might get it" -Ron

It costs X amount of dollars to fund the Government, when one entity doesn't pay a tax , another entity has to, so we are essentially paying for it. The government has spent Billions of taxpayer dollars on alternative energy programs with little to show for it, Solyndra? Well it's nothing new as you know, the electric car has been around for a long time. Still plagued with the same problems, short range and high cost, short life for a battery that is expensive to replace. Yes there are lots of folks nowadays interested in electric vehicles, I've always referred to these vehicles as "low hanging fruit" for the aspiring problem solvers. Once these folks realize, that visiting Grandma a few states away is nearly impossible, pulling the boat to the lake is really not practical, Cold climate areas results in no cabin heat or use cabin heat and greatly reduce the range, then the allure of the electric car begins to diminish. Anecdotal, but I know people that have owned them and the above was their reasons for getting rid of them. Car companies will build what ever the market will buy, them building electric cars is not making any sort of statement about the environment, they are simply meeting market demand. Want a mini-van, we'll build one, want an SUV, we'll build one, want a pickup truck..etc. -Ron

Fast enough for what? If the reference being made to the recent 12 year warning issued by some of our aspiring politicians, I wouldn't pay much attention to that, it's a scare tactic for votes. All my life I've heard the predictions by those that supposedly know better, let's see.. the ice age was coming, then it was the fuel crisis and we would most likely be out of oil by 1985 and most definitely by 1991, then it was CFC's and and the greenhouse effect, along with several others, the Mayan calendar nonsense etc. Self absorbed deluded men feel everything begins and ends in their lifetime, it hasn't and doesn't. If someone really wants to do something proactive for the environment they could stop buying products manufactured in China. China emits more pollution in to the atmosphere, soil and waterways than North America and Europe combined. These politicians look to the US and lay blame here for "climate change", the reality is, the US has some of the most restrictive environmental regulations on industry in the world. -Ron

It's highly unlikely Tesla would have agreed to the use of his name on this wind it up and watch it go battery car. Tesla and Edison were in disagreement over the AC or DC method of power. Tesla was an advocate for alternating current, and showed no interest in storing electricity in a DC configuration in a battery. Musk is a huckster and showman, again very un-Tesla like. Tesla shunned publicity and had no interest in corporate monopolies or even amassing personal wealth. That is one of my biggest issues with Musk, he exploited and misrepresented the great name of Tesla. Musk's stock crashing is no surprise, it was a simple deduction and easy prediction that when the government subsidies were gone, they wouldn't survive. Billions of dollars from you and I - the taxpayers to fund this fantasy and joyride. Gone. Musk knew it wouldn't survive, when a manufacturer erects a tent to house his operation, he knows it is temporary. Here in Detroit, the Packard plant is still standing. -Ron

Steam gauges have a loop like that called a "siphon". It's purpose is to hold water and insulate the gauge from the heat of the steam. Long story, but they generally aren't needed as the line to a steam gauge is dead ended and without flow, heat can only travel a short distance. I have a steam powered tugboat and there is a steam gauge up in the wheelhouse "by the book" I added the siphon and it was a waste of time and money, that line stays cold. -Ron