Do you like electric cars?

Question

Well, I don't know about them... I wold wait untill the car people had some practic with them and work the bugs out and stuff. But Why do the compamies have to make them so ugly. Like the prius, it looks like someone smashed the frount end and an angle and it has like no grill... and the back is scary. And all of the other electric cars the are comming up with why are they so ugly and wierd? What do you think? Is it just to stand out??? Do you like them? I'm kind of unsure about them.

Answer 1

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People may not realize it quite yet, but this is the beginning of a revolution in transportation. Take a look at the Tesla electric sports car - it is not ugly:
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http://www.teslamotors.com
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It has been in our local newspapers here in Detroit, that Tesla is coming here to hire engineering talent for their upcoming electric family sedan.
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The Tesla is not alone, either. Look at this car:
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http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html
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The Phoenix electric pickup truck - this completely gas-free vehicle, using new, advanced Altairnano batteries (based on research from MIT) - can:

-Travel up to 250 miles per charge
-Carry 5 passengers plus cargo at 95mph.
-Charges batteries in as little as TEN MINUTES.
-Has batteries that last 250,000 miles (never need replacement.)
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Plus, I have been following, over the past year, news of at least two other emerging battery technologies that are as good or better than the Altairnanos above.
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Then there are the Chinese. They take electric vehicles more seriously over there. There's a good chance that the first mass-market pure electric car will be a Chinese import. Here's an outfit looking to import some of them next year:
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http://milesautomotive.com/showroom_xs200.php
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Answer 2

If your talking about hybrids, There biggest problem is the cost to have the battery 'pack' replaced. It's in the thousands. They recommend replacing the whole thing but usually only one cell go's bad at a time. The good thing is the cell's can be taken out individually and some repair tech's report good luck with using a good cell from a wrecked/parts car. The bad thing is you have to locate a specialized shop willing to do that since new battery pack's are only sold as a whole pack from the dealership. Not induvidually. And since there extremely high voltage you won't locate a parts car just sitting in a junkyard somewhere. It'd be too dangerous.
The 'pack' is right behind the back seat in the floor in the trunk. Best comparison is.....It's about the size of 5 or 6 regular car batteries side by side but they "aint" no car batteries! LOL.

Another thing to note is that the car wont run down the highway, at speed, on the battery for long and genarally runs on the gas engine at highway speeds so if it's purpose is for long highway miles, then gas milaege will be close to any other gas engine.
Also, when you first drive away in the morning the gas engine starts and idle's, while driving, until it reaches operating temperature. It starts and shuts off on a thermostat to keep it at or near operating temperature wether it's needed or not.
Anytime the gas engine does any of it's functions it's seamless so you can't really tell which is pretty neat.

People I know that use them daily for city driving only, which is what there made for, seem to really like them!

I think the technoligy is pretty neat but it's not my cup of tea.
What I don't like is when your sitting at a stoplight and the car is dead silent like your brokedown wondering if it's going to go. That's just me though. I guess you'd get used to it.

Oh, when doing an oil change, turn the key OFF and take it out! Tech's have had them up in the air with the drain plug out and the thermostat thing happens and the engine starts with no oil in it!!!!!! Yep, it's happened.

Your right though, they are ugly! It's to minimize weight as much as possible and still call it a car.
Until they invent the perfect battery...................................

Answer 3

The news station in Toronto, Canada, now use 4 by 4's (or maybe's it SUV) that are partially electric; it switches to electric at red lights to save on idling emissions which is great because idling is the worse for emissions and the environment. It's a lot better than nothing right now, and a step in the right direction!

Answer 4

The Prius isn;t electric, it is a hybrid. Both electric asnd gas.

Look at the Ford Escape. It is like an SUV and drives like one. I like it.

Answer 5

Don't like them...yet. Maybe within the next ten years we will have a sporty electric that will practical.

Answer 6

may be in next 20 years or so. but right now i prefer petrol cars due to the speed and performance.
my opinion, electric cars is the future as our natural resources run low (petrol & disel)

Answer 7

electric cars will be a essential in the future,I'll enjoy the rumble of the v8 for a little longer tho.

Answer 8

I like electric cars.. Its that long extension cord I hate.