Topic: Production Volt

[rrocket]

LED lights suck at moment
I have yet seen one that gives off a good light. At least in a flashlight, not bad to light up a spot, but does not light up an area
If anyone know of a good led bulb, post a link

I work in lighting and optics.  We had a company approach us to do the optics for a new type of lightbulb.  It differed from others because instead of just using a cluster of LEDS, it had optics around each LED which help diffuse them better than just a cluster.  The finish product was the best one yet I've seen for a lightbulb.  It looks VERY similar to this (we sometimes have no idea who the customer is because they try to protect their product/identity).  But it looks identical to this: http://www.ecoleds.com/CAT21416.html  It works very well indeed...it's just that the cost is prohibitive.  Any time you start adding in optics to anything, the price can jump up.  But this is the best one (by far) I've seen so far.

[tpl]

I don't think that price is prohibitive... not cheap for sure  but for applications that are difficult to access.

As I get older I'd have to wonder if I had to put lights like that in my will. 

Some of the other products on that website are interesting.


RR you say that adding optics is expensive. Surely once the design is done and the tooling one can churn out the optical pieces for a few cents each no? In this sort of application I guess they are plastics... we are not talking camera lenses here.

[kevlar]

there was a small blurb in the wheels section of the toronto star on saturday quoting the president of honda's research division saying electric battery powered cars are not viable right now. he compares the performance of gasoline to battery powered vehicles.   pg w4 in the wheels section.  basically he says that battery powered vehicles need to make major technological advances and that "it is impossible to imagine a date at which such a breakthrough could occur."  i applaud gm for attempting something different but it seems honda has other ideas in the works.  diesel, hydrogen, bio diesel? 

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I would like some LED lights that:
- fit in a standard socket ( the power supply in the base like a compact fluorescent
- produce as much light as a 9/11/13 watt CF. I.e enough for the use to which those lights   are put.
- various colour temperatures as the CF bulbs are now  ( warm white, daylight etc)


I have seen a "cottage industry " guy at our local home show selling them but in very limited supply.  But why is it taking so long for a major light bulb mfr to get them on the shelves at Home Depot.  I realize that they will be expensive at first just as the compact fluorescents were...so what.

Was looking about 3 months ago and my local Home Depot does stock standard-looking-bulbs with LEDs inside to place in traditional fixtures. Think they were something like $38 per bulb though. I was contemplating buying one just to see how it performed.

[Mister F]

I've been reading this thread with a lot of interest. What hasn't been mentioned much is that power plants, even coal ones, generate power a lot more efficiently than an internal combustion engine. So even if all our power came from coal fired power plants, an EV that charges from the grid during the day is still causing less pollution than a gas powered car. In Ontario most of our power comes from nuclear and hydro so it makes the case even better.

Yes, the first Volts will be expensive and will have wrinkles to iron out. But let's look long term here - in 10 or 20 years prices will be lower because of economies of scale if nothing else, and there will probably be multiple plug-in hybrids from every manufacturer. Reliability should be much better because gas and diesel cars have a lot more moving parts. Having a transmission rebuilt is easily the biggest cost I've ever had to pay for a car.

[safristi]

..Mr F can i rent your CRYSTAL BALL fer 10 minutes...(in 10 to 20 years.....blah blah blah)...or give U a subscription to Practical Mechanics/POpular Mechanics for 1970?

[kevlar]

I've been reading this thread with a lot of interest. What hasn't been mentioned much is that power plants, even coal ones, generate power a lot more efficiently than an internal combustion engine. So even if all our power came from coal fired power plants, an EV that charges from the grid during the day is still causing less pollution than a gas powered car. In Ontario most of our power comes from nuclear and hydro so it makes the case even better.

Yes, the first Volts will be expensive and will have wrinkles to iron out. But let's look long term here - in 10 or 20 years prices will be lower because of economies of scale if nothing else, and there will probably be multiple plug-in hybrids from every manufacturer. Reliability should be much better because gas and diesel cars have a lot more moving parts. Having a transmission rebuilt is easily the biggest cost I've ever had to pay for a car.

hahahahaahhahaha.   

[EV Dan]

I dont think it will take 10-20 years. According to Elon Musk (IIRC) with any new tech a 10x increase in manufacturing volume cuts the price in half. It is inevitable Li batteries will eventually cost not more than Lead-acids do today.

 

[Mister F]

Safristi, this whole thread is speculative at this point, including your posts, so your quip about crystal balls is meaningless.

I've been reading this thread with a lot of interest. What hasn't been mentioned much is that power plants, even coal ones, generate power a lot more efficiently than an internal combustion engine. So even if all our power came from coal fired power plants, an EV that charges from the grid during the day is still causing less pollution than a gas powered car. In Ontario most of our power comes from nuclear and hydro so it makes the case even better.

Yes, the first Volts will be expensive and will have wrinkles to iron out. But let's look long term here - in 10 or 20 years prices will be lower because of economies of scale if nothing else, and there will probably be multiple plug-in hybrids from every manufacturer. Reliability should be much better because gas and diesel cars have a lot more moving parts. Having a transmission rebuilt is easily the biggest cost I've ever had to pay for a car.

hahahahaahhahaha.   

Is that the best you can do to refute my post? I guess I'm right then!

[kevlar]

Safristi, this whole thread is speculative at this point, including your posts, so your quip about crystal balls is meaningless.

I've been reading this thread with a lot of interest. What hasn't been mentioned much is that power plants, even coal ones, generate power a lot more efficiently than an internal combustion engine. So even if all our power came from coal fired power plants, an EV that charges from the grid during the day is still causing less pollution than a gas powered car. In Ontario most of our power comes from nuclear and hydro so it makes the case even better.

Yes, the first Volts will be expensive and will have wrinkles to iron out. But let's look long term here - in 10 or 20 years prices will be lower because of economies of scale if nothing else, and there will probably be multiple plug-in hybrids from every manufacturer. Reliability should be much better because gas and diesel cars have a lot more moving parts. Having a transmission rebuilt is easily the biggest cost I've ever had to pay for a car.

hahahahaahhahaha.   

Is that the best you can do to refute my post? I guess I'm right then!

no no sorry but i think you need to do some reading on coal plant and the type of pollution that emits from them before you go and say coal plants are cleaner and more efficient than a modern vehicle.   we should make the volt burn coal instead of worrying about supporting "the grid" to bring the energy to your door.  hey saffy got any pics of a coal burning volt??

[safristi]

... NO.......BUTT....i've got a re_VOLTING picture of my BURNING *OLE..... Sssssssss....

[Mister F]

According to Technology Review, plug-in hybrids like the Volt result in a lot less CO₂ emissions than an ICE, even when running on coal. An ICE burns 452 grams of CO₂ per mile while a plug-in hybrid burns 326 getting its energy from coal, 152 from nuclear, and 150 from wind.
http://gas2.org/2008/04/28/coal-power-cant-stop-plug-in-hybrids-from-beating-normal-cars/

"Widespread adoption of PHEVs can reduce GHG emissions from vehicles
by more than 450 million metric tons annually in 2050 -- equivalent
to removing 82.5 million passenger cars from the road"
EPRI-NRDC study
http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/797.html

"According to the World Resources Institute, EVs recharging from coal-fired plants will reduce CO2 emissions by at least 17 to 22 percent."
http://www.electric-cars-are-for-girls.com/electric-powered-cars.html

Yes, there are issues with coal burning like sulphur dioxide emissions, but greenhouse gases are reduced with electric vehicles, even in the worst case scenario of getting their power from coal. In Canada only 25% of our power comes from coal and even in the United States that number is about 50%. Take into account that most of the charging will be done at night when the power plants are operating anyway, and emissions will be reduced any way you look at it.

[safristi]

  CO2 Emissions ...Blah blaah Blaaaaahh...C02Emissions Blow Blow Blow.......fack read some Science fer facks sake...co2  is the LAST THING WRONG WITH THIS PLANET...the worst "THING" Al GORACLE and his SHEEP err followers ..... bleat bleet bleet......god almighty such a sheeple on the people...and THEY THINK THEY ARE RIGHT!!!! with Computer "Modelling"    sigh.......

[Mister F]

CO2 Emissions ...Blah blaah Blaaaaahh...C02Emissions Blow Blow Blow.......fack read some Science fer facks sake...co2  is the LAST THING WRONG WITH THIS PLANET...the worst "THING" Al GORACLE and his SHEEP err followers ..... bleat bleet bleet......god almighty such a sheeple on the people...and THEY THINK THEY ARE RIGHT!!!! with Computer "Modelling"    sigh.......

Wow, there's so many things wrong with that post I don't even know where to start! But if I try to cut through the condescending tone and the god-awful writing style...if you could call it that...it looks like you're trying to turn this into a global warming debate...I think...

[Vmango]

Mister F - you'll have to learn the ways of some of the posters around here. Safristi never makes sense. Try not to take things personally. Welcome to the forum.

[safristi]

I'm UBER SENSIBLE and the C02 reprobates HATE IT...... V mango............

[kevlar]

yahhhhh,  ummmmmm  why don't we go ahead and replace all gasoline engines with clean diesels and reduce co2 by 25 percent and increase mileage by 30-40 percent.   and why don't we go ahead and start shutting those nasty coal plants down nowwwww.  and we all should go take our next vacation to a coal strip mine  .....  sounds fun!!!!  saffy do you have any vacation shots from your cabin at your local coal strip mine???  what about a clean diesel or bio diesel engine??   how many co2s per mile?

[Snowman]

How is Al Gore going to stop the biggest polluter of all, Mother Nature?

[EV Dan]

How is Al Gore going to stop the biggest polluter of all, Mother Nature?

Ah, what pardon? 

[Mister F]

Thanks for the tip VMango, I guess every forum has one doesn't it?

How is Al Gore going to stop the biggest polluter of all, Mother Nature?

So this is turning into a debate about climate change! Okay, I'll bite. When every peer reviewed literature review on anthropogentic climate change concludes that it's a reality, and not one comes to the opposite conclusion, it seems to me like a pretty open and shut case. After all, the people doing the literature reviews, and especially the people doing the primary research that's being reviewed, are the people who know the most about it. How much humans are affecting the climate is debatable, but there's no doubt that we're affecting it.

Oh and my opinion has nothing to do with Al Gore, so let's put aside that red herring.