Do you guys actually know anything about the car? If it had a BMW badge, you'd say "$60k's cheap". This thing is bristling with technology, has every feature you could ask for and is, apparently, a joy to drive. Apart from that, Jay Leno has one. He's done 15,000km and had put in one tank of fuel.
It'd be interesting to see a whole-of-life (production, useage, disposal) comparison that takes into account what cost (environmental as well as end user) of the electricity generation compared to fuel.. what is end disposal cost & contamination of vehicle and and components at end of life. We're sort of doing an implied comparison here already but only with fragments.. eg went such and such dist and used X fuel.. but what is the real big picture so we can compare if we truly are interested in comparing? I don't know.. just asking.
I'm really only interested in technology if it affects me, not for it's own sake. Fer instance, a good bluetooth setup is important, paddle shift gerboxes leave me cold, even if they are clever & efficient. My Guilietta has plenty of clever stuff, some is even useful. The E diff works great, the stop/start is a PITA.The BT is the best I've used, but the DNA selector defaults to N every time you start it - what genius thought of that? Prius is bristling with clever technology, but would I want one - nup. I've rented a few too, just to experience a ground breaking car. BTW, that doesn't mean that I'd prefer a SV Morris Minor.... I work in a technology laden atmosphere, so it isn't just a matter of being conservative.
I concur, badly implemented or desperately unexciting is and remains exactly that.. some interesting future developments being discussed over here http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=388428
I just did a quick calculation and the Volt costs 3.16 cents/km (based on charging at 22 cents/kWh at my house) and a petrol car costs 15 cents/km (based on 10l/100km and $1.50/litre). I was surprised how cheap it was to charge the Volt. The range of 87 km would probably only suit city dwellers which is mainly what they are designed for for. I'm sure battery technology will continue to improve and the range will eventually get better.
Brettski......you're so astute! Personally, I prefer all electric, like my scooter. No oil, no servicing of any kind. Almost never use the brakes because of regenerative braking. Just tyres and that's it. Battery technology is, indeed, the limiting factor....but improving all the time. When my scooter was built in 2008 it had a range of 60 km. Now I can fit a battery in the same space and with the same weight that does 200km.
It's not just that though, you know. It's driving in total smoothness and silence. It's a daily driver....surely you want that to be as quiet, smooth and comfortable as possible. Another thing you may all have overlooked.....the hassle of stopping at a servo is all but eliminated. I love it.
I was watching an episode of 5th Gear the other day, they tested a 1st generation Honda Insight (10 years old?) and the batteries were still going strong. Impressive.
I get all that.. but that wasn't what I was questioning. What would be the scenario, for example, as the proportions change between fuel and plugin.. do we need to build more coal fired stations to meet the demand? if so how many, when and where? Power costs only seem to be on a one way trip upwards past all other sources with current govt policy. These are reasonable questions to be asked..
I've often wondered where the power comes from. as you know, I'm one of 100s of people who install air conditioners every day...how do the power companies keep up with the expansion?? It's quite amazing.
It's ok for you country bumpkins who never have to drive in bumper to bumper car park traffic every day to get to work and back. There is no car in existence that can make that drive interesting or exciting.....so quiet and comfy is the way to go. In fact, I'd be happiest is the bloody thing drove itself, which is what Google is working on.
There seems to be a lot of Prius taxis in Cairns - talking to the drivers 500,000k on a battery pack is normal. Very rarely are they replaced.
Prius batteries don't get very stressed. They don't charge up to full and don't discharge to empty. The new plug in prius is coming soon. probably won't be much good for a taxi though.
