BeechTalk - BT

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 10:46

Username Protected wrote:

My payback on the solar is less than 5 years

I find that impressive.

Details on your system and its economics?

Mike C.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 11:32

Username Protected wrote:

Most folks don't care about all the technicalities you care about in these things. I would take a Leaf over a Cruz. I rode in my friends Leaf and it's cool.

I see Leaf's all over here in SoCal. I don't personally like the looks of them. They are kind of like a piper warrior and the Tesla Model S is like a Bo.

I also ended up putting Solar on after I got my Tesla a few years ago. My payback on the solar is less than 5 years, and if our rates keep going up, it will keep dropping. I can feed the grid during peak times (when the value is much more) and use during the off-peak times which is costs much less.

I would love to put batteries in and be able to go almost completely off the grid, but I don't think the cost/benefit makes sense yet.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 11:40

Username Protected wrote:

One car I always wanted was a Honda Odyssey. I remember going through a van stage in the 70's and 80's and I thought a modern version could be cool. Take all the seats out and haul like a cargo van. Load all the sporting goods in and go. Even sleep in it after you watch a movie if you want. Two giant sliding doors. Gets good mileage and rides like a car. Etc.

Problem is it is powerfully stereotyped as a mommy mobile. I could only take so many, "plenty of room for your purse and a diaper bag in that".

Weird how much we judge people by what they drive.

We have an Odyssey.....it's not manly, but drives damn good.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 12:43

Just a side note - Saw several Tesla charging stations in Frisco, TX last week. First ones I've seen. But I'm a country boy, and don't get to the city too often.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 13:12

I counted 22 Leaf's on my drive to the office this morning. They're everywhere.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 13:19

Username Protected wrote:

I counted 22 Leaf's on my drive to the office this morning. They're everywhere.

I counted zero on my way to work.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 13:21

Username Protected wrote:

I counted zero on my way to work.

Because you choose to live like Ted Kaczynski

I'm sure Google has sales numbers. I see Jeep Wranglers and Leafs more than any other car.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 13:26

Username Protected wrote:

I counted 22 Leaf's on my drive to the office this morning. They're everywhere.

I counted zero on my way to work.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 13:26

Locale is a big part of it. I've never seen a Leaf in person... in car. More pickups than anything.

But lots of open space in Texas. Still think they're cool. :shrug:

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 14:20

You can't swing a cat here in SoCal without hitting a Tesla, Leaf or Prius.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 14:22

Username Protected wrote:

You can't swing a cat here in SoCal without hitting a Tesla, Leaf or Prius.

Now people swinging cats - THAT, I see.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 16:00

Todd, those Youtube videos are fantastic.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 17:19

Username Protected wrote:

Mike
This is not a religion to me nor do I have strong feeling either way just skepticism to battery powered cars being the future.
You make good points as I knew someone would but lets use your same reasoning only on 'Electric" cars.
First you scrape the earth (Coal) or poke deep holes in the earth (Oil/shale etc) to find energy products.
Then you build the underground pipelines to get the fossil fuel to your power generation device in which you then use Coal/Fossil fuel in order to CHARGE your Car battery.
THEN you drive---What is wrong with this picture.
At the end of the Battery's useful life you need to dispose of it somehow without polluting the very earth you are trying to "save"
In fact GM was shipping their old batteries to Ontario Canada for burial because of US's stricter pollution laws.
So if electric cars were 50% of the mix rather than the 1 to 3% currently battery disposable storage would be a much larger problem.
IF you are using infrastructure and fossil fuel to charge your battery why not just remove one step and just use the fossil fuel to drive the car?
if I turn out to be wrong well that's fine with me but I just don't see the advantage.

Nuclear power to charge millions of batteries would be one solution but you are still stuck with millions of old batteries at their life's end.
Nuclear power to make steam to operate your car would be even better for that matter other 'problems' aside (terrorists and your normal number of other idiots inc politicians)
Using 'Gas' and the already in place infrastructure seems to be the clear cut winner as least to me,however your opinion may differ

Frank,

The ICE in your car is no where near as efficient as the large electrical generation plants. Especially compared to a base load system.
I also would like to see how excited you would be to use a coal powered car. That would be awesome; sort of like an old steam train going down the street.

In terms of batteries: check the following link.
http://www.earth911.com/recycling-guide ... batteries/

Tim

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 18:57

Tim --Great to see you posting again and I freely admit my problem,I'm old and old fashioned both.
Given the choice (A thing we used to have in the US) I would rather drive a 1966 GTO than any battery powered car and I would choose a V-Tail over a 36 as I too am not carrying a sectional couch(thanks to the guy who uses that line) and they look like Bonanza station wagons
I own new cars for transportation but they have no soul --(One GMC Yukon and one Dodge quad-cab P.U.)

I see you never sold the Aerostar which really surprises me as I loved your and I seen one with about the same equiptment (702) on the Aerostar site for about double your price--Go figure.
Batteries are fine in a flashlight.
Frank (Doing my three favorite things,having an adult beverage,smoking a cigar and thinking about Airplanes)

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Dec 2014, 20:27

Frank,

Thanks for the welcome. You actually are likely doing more for the environment by continuing to drive that GTO then a new car. :cheers:

I also think most new cars have no "soul" for lack of a better word. Even though my '11 C350 MB drives better, faster and so much more reliable. My favorite vehicle is still the chevy one ton pickup truck with a 454 V8 with a Rochester racing six pack carburetor I learned to drive in. Oh, those were the days, hit the gas and do donuts and replace the tires.

Yes, my Aerostar is still for sale. The twin market is what it is.
Still to much plane for what I do in terms of flying mission now.

Tim

Pilatus and Tesla, anybody own both?