[LINK] Electric vehicles and generation

[Glen Turner]

Tom Worthington wrote:

> A friend of a friend put an electric motor in a used Toyota Echo and got 
> it registered in Brisbane. I have suggested that cluster housing could 
> have solar panels to recharge such cars in a computer scheduled car 
> rental pool <http://www.tomw.net.au/2001/sa/epod.shtml#pooling>.

That might not work as well as you hope.  You'd need two cars
to avoid yet another set of batteries, assuming the car is
driven when the sun is shining.

Solar cells are about $2 per watt in capital cost.  I think Tony
calculated the car requires 15kW to charge. So a handwaving
$30,000. Hmmm.

Personally, I think we're seeing the start of the end of the age of
everyday individual transportation.  Lots of advanced countries
cope without that now, so it's no the practicality that concerns
me.  It the lead time of large urban transit projects.