Tesla and solar enthusiasts

Here is a nice little article about a guy that is a solar electricity enthusiast and just bought a Tesla sports car.
Tesla: The first 48 hours
http://www.solartoday-digital.org/solartoday/201003#pg20

Hmmm... I wonder how long it would have taken that Tesla to do the same drive I did last week: Denver, CO to Concord, NH?

And I paid a fair amount less for my new toy. I dare say when the author noted that due to the price of the Tesla the sales would be limited he revealed a gift for understatement.

You'd have to be bonkers to pay that much for a Tesla. Very little autonomy, no engine sound, no shifting pleasure, no turbo spike. Also, driving a high efficiency diesel is probably less polluting (from beneath the ground to the tarmac) and more economical than an gas hybrid or electric.

And solar powered is a joke as well. Until they can figure out dirt cheap photovoltaic panels with 75% plus conversion efficiency. Maybe then as well.

SonyAD said:

You'd have to be bonkers to pay that much for a Tesla. Very little autonomy, no engine sound, no shifting pleasure, no turbo spike. Also, driving a high efficiency diesel is probably less polluting (from beneath the ground to the tarmac) and more economical than an gas hybrid or electric.

And solar powered is a joke as well. Until they can figure out dirt cheap photovoltaic panels with 75% plus conversion efficiency. Maybe then as well.

Click to expand...

A fellow I met here in Iowa purchased a Tesla and gave me a test ride. Wow! It is like what I imagine it must feel to be launched from the deck of a carrier. He is pretty happy with his but it clearly is not for everyone.

I own a Mazda Miata as our second car. If I wanted to, I could drive it from coast to coast without ever stopping to recharge... but I never drive it more than 75 miles at one time. Why? Because it is so small and sprung so tightly to provide the "glued on rails" handling that we simply never do more than quick jaunts on short trips (but those trips are REALLY fun).

Here is a nice, thoughtful article about the pitfalls of the solar economy. How to do incentives... and not do incentives.

Solar Industry Learns Lessons in Spanish Sun
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/business/energy-environment/09solar.html?ref=earth

"In 2008 the nation connected 2.5 gigawatts of solar power into its grid..."

They over-incentivized and people ended up building solar in places where it didn't work well. Still, there is a way to get this right.

There are people trying...

China to build world's biggest solar power plant
http://blogs.physicstoday.org/newspicks/2009/09/china-to-build-world.html
"...2,000-megawatt complex will be built in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China..."

I could enjoy no engine sound. Be that much less noise in the car on long trips. Or, on a crisp spring day, it'd be that much more of a pleasure to drive down a side road, windows down, with only the slight wind noise of an open window. Engine noise is a bit like a loud muffler: fun to hear, to remind you of the power under your right foot; but a nusiance once under way, and only induces headaches after a few hours.

Personally, I wouldn't mind some sort of solar setup at home. Last year, I lost power for 3 days after the ice storm; this year it was almost a full day after our windstorm. Not saying that it is cheaper than a generator, only saying that it has its place, even at low efficiency, at least for some folks.

You'd have to be bonkers to pay that much for a Tesla. Very little autonomy, no engine sound, no shifting pleasure, no turbo spike. Also, driving a high efficiency diesel is probably less polluting (from beneath the ground to the tarmac) and more economical than an gas hybrid or electric.

And solar powered is a joke as well. Until they can figure out dirt cheap photovoltaic panels with 75% plus conversion efficiency. Maybe then as well.

Click to expand...

Spoken like an opinionated person who has no idea what they're talking about.

Efficiency of solar?? What's the efficiency of your roof without solar? Last I checked, you just get the heat with no electricity.

My hybrid gets an average of 56 mpg for the last 8 years. Maintenance is no more difficult than any other ICE vehicle.

Regarding electric vehicle economics: A "fill up" of the Tesla would cost about $5.50 based on standard rates here in California. Of course you'd be pretty stupid to pay that because the time-of-use rates for EV charging costs about 1/2. No oil change cost. No air filters, etc...

I recently got an e-mail from a company offering COMPLETE systems for $1.79/ watt. I paid twice that and was happy. In fact, I've heard for years that "when solar costs less than $5/ watt it will be economically viable." It's been less than $5/ watt for some time now.

My solar system produces way more power than my house requires, I even have net positive production in the winter. The extra power could easily supply a Tesla for several runs to town each week. (45 minute drive each way.) Autonomy it just fine for the VAST majority of trips, here in the US. In fact, the average is something like 60 miles/day. The Tesla's 200mile+ range can handle that just fine.

My solar system also serves as a backup system, so I don't need a generator when the power is down. Let me say that silence is golden with regards to home power.