That’s assuming electric cars become the final chapter of the current debate, and I think once the world stops kidding themselves about the ability of any country in the world being able to generate enough electricity to actually charge all these supposed planet saving vehicles, they will be consigned to the scrap heap before any petrol car reaches it. People value independent mobility, and the ability to drive how they want, where they want. I wouldn’t buy an electric car because although they claim 300 miles range or whatever, that’s pure ********, as the way I drive (as fast as I can between the two points, hard on the brakes and then the gas in between) my real range would be in the tens of miles, not hundreds, and hence, I’d probably need two recharges a day from an electricity grid already at capacity. A buddy of mine bought a Tesla - the ludicrous one, top of the range, fastest one they do - as he flies to work in his microlight 120 miles each way, and rides sports bikes and various proper sports cars in his spare time. He is a techie, so a Tesla appealed to him. Well, I asked him about his range, and he stated he has never been able to take the car to work as it could never reach it, and then of course if he did get there, he wouldn’t get back unless he was able to plug it in at the other end. This is great while only one or two have these things, as a novelty, the company might allow the charging, but when 100 employees all have them, are they then going to pick up the tab, do they even have enough spare outlets in the building? He gets about 70 miles max out of his Tesla, he drives it like he drove his AC Cobra, so while he says he enjoys it, it is a weekend shopping car, a date night transport, and nothing else. The cool bastard still flies his plane to work and back, which to me is way more impressive than a big lumbering electric beastie with looks like an almost upmarket Toyota as for converting any of my cars, no chance. I like the noise that accompanies every journey. When I’m in town, everyone knows I’m coming, the noise of my Ferrari, and my big supercharged Rangie, let people know to get out the way, quickly, and don’t dilly dally in the outside lane.. how will they know to move over if I silently crept up on them, and even more so, how embarrassing if while I’m overtaking them, the batteries run out and the car starts slowing down!
I'll start by saying that as for the arguments on the topic in general, outside of the question I asked, I agree with most of you here. Electric cars IMO have many problems, and I also think the logistics of getting rid of ICE vehicles as well as the many businesses that support them will take a while. NPR had a great piece last year about this very issue, and really dug deep on the problems with electric cars (battery toxicity,instability and disposal issues, and of course providing enough power for them) , as well as the over-hyping of the damage done by ICE vehicles in comparison. But that is all logic, and for the most part, we as a species don't run on logic. The growing mood in the air right now is to make ICE vehicles a thing of the past (see James May's recent Tesla video), and if that catches on with enough people it won't really matter what logic dictates. Personally, I think it's coming sooner than later but no one will be happier than me if I'm wrong. Back to my question - "Covert" or "Inert"...I think for me it would be a tough choice. That choice would be exacerbated if I only had the means to own one or two old gas powered sports cars. If I were a millionaire many times over and could afford 50, yeah, I'd probably leave most of them as is and show them as sculptures, reflecting on their beauty and recounting their days of glory. This is what happened to 99.999% of buggy's and steam cars. We pretty much see them in museums and the occasional parade (unless you live next to Jay Leno, perhaps). On the other hand, I think of a 365 GT with it's long, low boat like profile, or a 275 GTB with it's unimpeachably perfect design, and I think "well, if it was really a choice between them being off the road for good (or effectively so), versus letting them be used in an updated format...I dunno. That's a lot of beauty to lock away. But I also see the engine, with it's sounds, smells, abilities, and limitations, as inherently part of the cars. It would be odd to replace that. But it's getting easier for me to imagine a world where top notch restorers of old Ferrari's will start to offer top notch conversions to non-ICE power plants. And as with Jaguar, perhaps even some companies will have heritage dept's that run the conversions in house, thus controlling how a "legit" or "authentic" conversion would be defined....think "red book" ...also another way to keep the old cars paying what would no doubt be absurd amounts of money back to the factory, for you fellow cynics in the crowd. Sooooo....probably a soft "B". I can see myself doing it, just not being very happy about it. But as a 45 year old, I expect that's the way a lot of things are going to go from this point on! Lol
I don’t care who tries to convert me, or makes videos, I can’t think of anything more boring than an electric car..... our Ferraris are a source of excitement, glamour, noise, heritage, culture....... an electric car is just a vehicle, just a tool that happens to take a person/persons from point A to point B, no culture, no sensation, no exhilaration, no feeling at all..... get you to work, long as it’s not too far and you don’t want the radio on if it is, but to get out and experience any excitement? Only if it catches fire
I agree completely about what our cars are and represent. But sometimes the world changes around us...just playing with hypotheticals.
SHTF - Diesels will be the last vehicles running. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using FerrariChat.com mobile app
yep, it would be full of electric cars with dead batteries queuing for a charge, while I race past between filling stations at warp 9!
Well a group of battery engineers at the university or Pennsylvania have figured out a way to fully charge the battery in these electric cars in 20 minutes. Just wondering..has anybody broken down down each individual component in an ice car to find out what each items carbon footprints is? From the manufactur of the spark plugs, to the refining of all the different fluids needed; including the cost of storage and transport, against the electric car? I wonder who's overall foot print would be larger.. Just think about the items an electric car does not need. Now also eliminate the manufacturing of said components and the raw material mining etc. I think you will find the electric car far far less a polluter. It is not all about tail pipe emissions. It's the entire car. Face it. The automobile is probably the most pollution producing item man has ever made.
^I think what you're looking for is what is known at a life cycle analysis. For example.... https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/ev-vs-gasoline-cars-practicum-final-report.pdf T
Alcohol will always exist. Congress already tried banning it once and it didn't work. Therefore ICE will always exist as it can run on alcohol.
Thanks! The differences are quite dramatic. All of you reading this thread should check out that link.
Option A Both of our sports cars are manual transmission vehicles. Making them electric would ruin the experience.
I would not ever convert any Ferrari to electric. Unless it came from the factory as an electric car then if you swap that 'engine' for any other 'engine' it is no longer a Ferrari but a replica of one. I detest replica Ferraris. I would no more swap the Ferrari engine for any other ICE for that matter. My next daily will possibly be electric, at least hybrid and current thoughts are a Model 3. Though I have not driven one a colleague has one. It's a great thing in itself but I can't really get anymore enthusiastic about it than I do my mobile phone. That is exciting for the first day when I change it, well almost a day. The thing is my phone is cheap and does a great job and I suspect ultimately a Model 3 will be.
Yes ethanol (corn juice) is a great alternative. Also what are they going to do with air travel. I heard that the carbon footprint of your butt sitting in a plane going half way round the world is worse than driving a car for a year.
Yes. And the best thing for the environment is to not buy any new car. And just keep your old one. That is the answer.
Was going to post a link to the artical for others to have a look at, but for some reason my browser wouldn't allow a copy and paste. I'll try again a bit later.
Might this be it? https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/01/penn-state-researchers-say-a-ten-minute-recharge-is-possible-with-new-battery-technology/ The peer reviewed article... https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/01/penn-state-researchers-say-a-ten-minute-recharge-is-possible-with-new-battery-technology/ Looks like they charge at high temp...T