redesign year

I am happy to hear that.

 

Call me a republican but gimme good old petrol. If and when battery tech ever catches up, sure there is potential. But it's still not driving imo. When I'm moving I want the roar of the exhaust, fumes of burning fuel and flames in my engine. Call me old skool, but that's a truck to me. Yes the Tesla is impressive, but I'd take the Ariel Atom 500 over it any day of the week, even if it is a tad slower.

When the tech gets there... I'm all for it. It's no where near ready for a truck imo. Yes there needs to be some production to learn and grow experience... But is there any reason the vehicle has to look like crap in the process? Also these people that think driving a Prius makes them green... better think again. Those battery's are more harmful than the petrol you'd burn ever is, except you are burning that too. Oh, and there are straight up petrol cars that do better on fuel millage... :shrug:

I'm not saying it to be argumentative, just it's my opinion. Worth what it is, not even two cents.

 

+1

 

Not to mention the fact that the lithium used in the batteries is a fairly rare metal, and there are very few lithium deposits in the US (compared to the the rest of the world). So basically by switching to EV/Hybrids, America could be trading a dependency on foreign oil, for a dependency on foreign lithium.

 

or a 4.7 l v8

 

"when the tech gets there"

We didn't go to gas engines once they hit 200hp either. it had to "get there." and it did so through adoption and refinement. How do you expect electric engines' tech will "get there" if the companies only produce one a year as a "concept?"

I might, kind sir, have to do as you asked and just call you a republican. I like my hi-powered cars too, but what's the holdup in driving electric again? no noxious fumes for you or loud noise? THAT'S the holdup?

I'm more for the performance, and yes I do care about the environment we live in. off-roading won't be much fun once all the terrain is crap-ass rotten desert and paved highways...

and no, gas is far more detrimental to the environment. lithium-ion batteries are not like running on water, you're right about that, BUT you get to REUSE them. One battery, 1000 cycles. One gallon, 21 miles and then it's all gone, and you have to consider how much went to mining/drilling for the gas, conversion into usable petrol... every stage of the game is a HUGE pollutant emitter.

Personally I can't wait for a hot-air powered vehicle. That way, I can just power it myself and never worry about getting stuck out in the boonies without fuel

 

Not according to anything I've read. Check out the attached graph. it's from Telsa's website. Shows FULL-TORQUE from 0rpm through 6,000rpm, with*a steep drop-off after 6,000 rpm. (http://www.teslamotors.com/performance/acceleration_and_torque.php)

Yes it's a very steep drop, but still – 100% torque from 0rpm to redline? I'll take it.

Also read this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_motor) on the matter.


I like my 4.0L tacoma 4x4, much appreciate its added power/torque over my old 3.4L 4Runner, even though it gets slightly less mpg (slightly). So yeah I'll take more power too. But I'm not blind to how bad the gasoline engine is by design and I refuse to be "sold" on it the way Detroit & Big Oil would like me to be. a gas engine is only at BEST 30-40% efficient; most of the energy produced in the motor is lost through heat & friction.

I have no qualms adopting better tech, and I am fully aware that better tech will need time to develop. Hell, we're 100 years into gas motors, guys. We've been tinkering a LONG TIME with them to get them where they are today.

 

dammit where's my graph? fuck me. let's try again.

 

How much do you pay now to fill up your truck over a 4-year period?

$2,518.39 for me just last year. And I don't drive that much. (yes I keep track of this stuff to the penny; sue me) That's $10K in 4 years.

Something tells me, it won't be that much for a battery.

 

I'm getting ready for work in a few, I just wanted to point out that "hybrid" does not have to mean "prius." I don't want a "Prius" truck either. I want my hundreds of HP and gobs of torque, and you can have that with a "Hybrid" or "Electric" motor. They just need to be big/powerful enough. And hell I believe (no backup on this one) that for the same power output, electric motors are smaller? So.. you could conceivably have MORE engine? I'll take it.

Then I'd just need a solar panel mod for the top of the Tacoma

 

Ah. that makes good sense. Smart cookies. Now they just need to bring the prices down. I wish them luck.

I think they should give a free one to drive around and drum up business