Transport Evolved

[JRP3]

What if the nearest charger is out of your way, and you aren't trying to go home? Is it better to be towed 15 minutes out of your way and then charge up for 20 minutes and then drive another 15 minutes to get back to where you were, or just get charged up for 20 minutes where you are? They could even combine the two, get towed on your current route while being charged. Frankly if you run out of charge you probably don't even need a full charge, so this truck could probably get you on your way in 5-10 minutes. Much like instead of being towed a few gallons of gas could get you moving again in an ICE.

[mpt]

Sounds good in theory, I just don't share your confidence that they'll have one of these trucks locally available. It's a lot of infrastructure for a infrequent problem; spend the money on more charging stations.

[JRP3]

I'll agree with that, but when you consider how many gas stations there are, and how long the range of an ICE vehicle is, people still run out of gas, and we still have tow trucks. I do think the logical thing would be to have gensets or fast dump charge packs on tow trucks, so you have a dual purpose vehicle.

[Doug_G]

The Roadster has a far better "fuel" gauge than any ICE car in existence. You know to a high degree of accuracy when you're going to run out of electrons. You can also slow down to increase range. Sure people have done it, but (no offense) if you run out of charge you're doing a real "stupid" moment. (Okay, sure, we're all idiots occasionally.)

Metering may be a big shortcoming of the Leaf, but surely they will fix that in time.

[rabar10]

I do think the logical thing would be to have gensets or fast dump charge packs on tow trucks, so you have a dual purpose vehicle.

Related links here: Roadside Assistance Thread - On-board Truck Generators

Guess it depends on if a traditional tow truck could easily get motive power for both hydraulics and the generator off of the PTO (power take-off) shaft...

[doug]

I anticipate that there will be few of these machines relative to the area covered; they'll be expensive and a bit under used so, if I run out of 'leccy I'd prefer to be towed to the nearest charger or, to home, by a truck that'll be with me in minutes rather than wait for the special 'gas can' truck then, sit at the side of the highway whilst I charge up.

The one time I ran out of gas (due to a broken fuel gauge that said I still had half a tank), I asked AAA to tow me to garage since this car I was borrowing from my roommate was a clunker and I wasn't sure of the problem. They refused to do that when they figured I was out of gas. They gave me just enough gas to get the nearest gas station. I was nervous it would break down again, but they were really reluctant to tow if they didn't have to. I suppose there's always a chance of damage when towing.

Maybe these guys would give you just enough charge to get to a charging station.

[vfx]

Had a sticking gas gauge problem on my High School Fiat 850 (w/124 engine conversion). While on the freeway I could make the gauge "reset" to the actual reading by violently rocking the car back and forth by whipping the steering wheel left and right (careful not to leave my lane). Probably loosening a stuck float.
Got pulled over doing that stunt once. The officer was sympathetic enough to left me go.

[shark2k]

The officer was sympathetic enough to left me go.

Was that after you passed the Field Sobriety Test

-Shark2k

[mpt]

Transport Evolved 55 - Tin Foil Price Drops



Join Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield from AllCarsElectric.com and Michael Thwaite from TeslaMotorsClub with guest Chelsea Sexton as they discuss the week’s news in the world of plug-in vehicles, including Nissan Leaf Security Concerns, The Volt’s Price drop, Mitrubishi’s rumored smaller-range i and much more.

[JRP3]

My suggestion for the young man who wants an EV but can't afford one is to join http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/ and see if he can build something that meets his needs. I wanted an EV when none were available to me so I built my own, and I certainly learned a lot more about EV's than most people who just go into a dealer and buy one. People all over the world are doing the same thing.