The electrical cord does suck. And until technology progresses to the point that batteries store massive power, are reliable, are extremely small, and cost is reasonable, the e-cars are going to have to be boring hybrids.

Still you gotta give Tesla credit. While it's not the ideal sports car, you can't complain that all e-cars are boring.

But it's still amazing how deep "smoke is progress" is embedded.

 

The roadster is just a showcase for the developing technology. That model isn't their focus for the future, it's just an attention getter. The idea was to build their name with that car and move on to cheaper and more practical full electrics.

 

This is true. It's just that electric cars are boring to some like Prii are exciting to some. My pop's old Simca Special that was powered by a trolley motor and a trunk/hood full of golf cart batteries got him to/from work every day before I was born. Reostat for a throttle, leaves the line in silence. 12v downconverter (or whatever it's called) charged the batteries back home. This was 1972.

 

Holly ****, is that thing still around?

 

Ohhhhh no, that was long ago. As are his other creations.. We lived out in the boonies for the early years of my life (till 12) and we had the front half of an '84 Subaru sedan that we used to drive around, a stretched '82 Subaru sedan that my dad built for fun and a bunch of other stuff. When I was 10 I got to mosh around in an '82 4WD hi-lo hatchy as well as drive it to the neighbors. I had to sit on a pillow. Pics of all this but in albums back home in Hawaii.

 

Hey that is a clean looking Civic.

 

Forgot about this one... Nice guy too: http://www.chriskate.net/electriccar.html

 

i test drove a civic hybrid and merging on the freeway made me feel worried about getting rear ended by a careless driver. growing up in los gatos, im familiar with a number of VERY short merges.

 

Yeah, the acceleration, or lack of it I should say is one of the biggest reasons for me not to even consider a hybrid...I truly expected better. On counter point, the Ford Fusion Hybrid drove like a real car - I can't explain how smooth and powerful it was compared to the Prius - I haven't driven the Honda yet, but the 15 more HP that the new Prius has over the old on doesn't make me think the electric 35 HP+ gas 110 HP motor will compare to the electric 100 HP + 135 HP gas motor in the Ford Fusion.

The Ford, and I'm NOT a Ford lover, drives night and day better than the Prius.

 

I borrowed my parents 04 automatic Honda Civic hybrid when I sold my car. I didn't like the handling and it took forever to accelerate. The perks were the gas mileage and having the sticker for the carpool lane. Thats about it

 

I dunno about the civic hybrid, but the prius has a lot of off the line acceleration for a street car.

There seem to be 2 types of prius driver: those that bought it to be green, and those that bought it for the sticker. The latter romps on the accelerator and I'm often surprised that I need to be in boost > 3k rpms to keep up. Then there are those that drive like their chihuahua is pulling it and don't give a frak that they are creating global warming traffic jams behind them.

 

i saw one of these on the road the other day. i think it looks more like a corolla. kinda skinny and tall

 

Oh god, I hate Los Gatos merging lanes. I couldn't imagine doing those in a wimpy little hybrid.