Test drive a Tesla

[PedroDaGr8]

Chemical storage has a way to go. One of the keys to making solar economical is making storage economical. That mostly involves battery life. Battery banks are an asset that needs about a ten year life. Managing drawdown and maintenance to keep recharge % high is important. Lithium eliminates some of the need for that, but those batteries are more costly. We need one more technology breakthrough on storage.

There is a LOT of work going into batteries. It is well recognized that batteries are the huge hold-up in advancing mobile technology (plus a lot of other technologies) at this time. Quite simply, it is VERY hard to get huge energy densities in small safe devices. It is easy to get a lot of energy in unsafe devices . There are a variety of technologies on the horizon, from graphene based solutions (most of which I doubt will pan out) to unique formulations of lithium salts and unique cathode and anode design structures. One of the most promising technologies for the near future is the aluminum battery. Whereas lithium can hold only a single charge per atom, aluminum can hold three. This theoretically would allow three times the energy density per battery. There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome but it is at least startign to show some feasibility, with the biggest advantage being once the feasibility is worked out it can use most of the existing battery manufacturing technology already in place. Getting past that, will require huge fundamental changes in battery structure and design. Change which don't come easy and which at this point aren't even NEAR ready. I know that it is cliché to use this term but society would benefit heavily from a "Manhattan Project" on this technology. From creating a heavily decentralized power grid to mobile devices that last days and weeks while still reducing szie, the benefits are incalculable. Unfortunately, battery technology is NOT sexy so this won't happen.

[suncat05]

Yes, you're correct, Pedro. And it will take time for this to happen, but when it does happen it will be huge. That one thing will absolutely change the automotive industry forever, and for the better.

[PedroDaGr8]

Consumer Reports just reviewed the Tesla Model S P85D

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...gs-system.html

They gave it BY far the best review ever (the second best is the plain model S), it actually broke their rating system, coming in at 103 out of 100 points. They called it an indicator of things to come in the auto industy. It wasn't without faults, they didn't like the fact that almost everything is handled via the touch screen, the car locked the reviewer out once, etc. but it was hands down the best thing they have ever driven.

EDIT: Link is a bit flaky, the CR website seems to be getting hammered right now.
EDIT2: Text review reposted on Consumerist, since I couldn't get the text part to come up on the CR website.

[Darrell KSR]

From Pedro's link.

With a six-figure price tag, the P85D is expensive, meaning its virtues will be experienced by a rare few. But its significance as a breakthrough model that is pushing the boundaries of both performance and fuel-efficiency is dramatic (even more so because it is coming from the factory of an American startup company). The Model S precedes additional electric cars coming from Tesla Motors. The Model X crossover is due to arrive in 2016, followed in 2018 by a more attainable compact sedan, named Model 3, targeted to start at about $35,000.

Man...that's going in the right direction in a hurry. I know that's not the cool model, but for any model to get in that neighborhood speaks volumes.

[bigsky]

Thats the one I drove