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95 Comments
- Hellahulla, on 07/02/2009, -1/+248 pictures and not 1 of it's innards? No information on how it was done or any difficulties encountered during the build? Could that article have been any more sparse? It seems to have been written just to give the author a chance to have a go at the guy who made the thing. There's more whining about 1 comment the creator makes than there is about the car itself.
- MacEnvy, on 07/02/2009, -3/+22My commute is 15 miles round-trip. Sounds perfect to me.
Not everyone needs to drive more than 80 miles at a time. - linagee, on 07/02/2009, -0/+18Farnsworth: Where's the device that lets you speed or slow the passage of time?
- MaxIsBored, on 07/02/2009, -3/+190-60 MPH times around 8 seconds and a top speed of 100 MPH...
i realize this might be kind of fast for people who don't know what it means, but pretty much any car that GM has built in the last 10 years was capable of this and more.... including that EV1 electric car that didn't turn out. - MacEnvy, on 07/02/2009, -1/+11He makes a good point though - there is a lot more to designing a real production car than making a usable one in your garage.
- solecize, on 07/02/2009, -3/+12yeah- because you can't rent a car, or take a train, or a plane- there is only one mode of transportation.
- MaxIsBored, on 07/02/2009, -0/+8I didn't look it up. I just know off the top of my head (being mechanically inclined) that 0-60 in 8 seconds really isn't fast, and I don't think that the the journalist that wrote this article knew that.
GM cargo van 0-60 in 8.5 seconds
http://www.cars.com/go/crp/research.jsp?makeid=9&a ...
EV1 series hybrid - 9 seconds
(not sure what the differences are)
EV1 series hybrid - 7 seconds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1
I'm also sure (but can't find sources) that every car gm has made in the last 10 years including vans can exceed 100mph even with a full capacity load. - fedja, on 07/02/2009, -3/+10Tell me when you build a better internal combustion engine in your garage.
- CptnEvilStomper, on 07/02/2009, -0/+7Under the seat.
- mgb4tim, on 07/02/2009, -1/+8man, they ripped that guy a new a$$!
- MrsBabyWomen, on 07/02/2009, -2/+8Seriously... The author needs to chill the ***** out.
- collution, on 07/02/2009, -2/+8There's no fun in that, now is there...
- fedja, on 07/02/2009, -0/+6@fezzasus
The first concept of any GM car costs upwards of $300.000 to build. You seem to have missed the difference between a one-off build and a production line. - rblancarte, on 07/02/2009, -1/+6Yes these numbers are very pedestrian, but....
Realize that this guy built this himself. He isn't a major company (Ford, GM, Tesla, etc). But this guy built a car that can drive along the road with little automotive engineering. And while it is a step below what they have done, it makes you realize that maybe we should expect so much more from them when Joe Q Public can do what this guy did. - UberGeek404, on 07/02/2009, -1/+6Up vote for the builder.
Down vote for the snarky comments in the article. - mathyou87, on 07/02/2009, -0/+4*than
- rblancarte, on 07/02/2009, -1/+5To all of the snarkey comments in here I just have 1 thing to say:
Yes technically this car is very moderate. These numbers (0-60 in 8 seconds, top speed 100 MPH) are very pedestrian, but....
Realize that this guy built this by himself. He isn't a major company (Ford, GM, Tesla, etc). But this guy built a car that can drive along the road with little automotive engineering skill. And while it is a step below their products, if Joe Q Public can do this alone, maybe we should expect a hell of a lot more than what they are producing now. - freakFlag, on 07/02/2009, -0/+4Let's ask Mary Jane ...
- Solkre, on 07/02/2009, -1/+4I'm very interested in how the Volt turns out. First handful of miles are "free" of gas, but it has range if you need it.
This car would work for my daily stuff (if it was a sedan), but I couldn't take it out of the town. - decapitor, on 07/02/2009, -0/+3Man he beat me to the punch. That is the exact replica kit I was going to try to do an electric build with. I'm just waiting for the electric motors/batteries to get a bit better.
- Jektal, on 07/02/2009, -3/+6Source?
Top speed of 100MPH isn't very impressive, but the vast majority of GM cars will not get to 60MPH in 8 seconds or less.
It's not a bad performer, but it pales in comparison to a Tesla in almost every regard. Only cool thing is it's one of a kind and he built it himself. - IsoscelesCircle, on 07/02/2009, -0/+3I am not trying to take away from the builder's accomplishment, but this is hardly news worthy. Far more impressive one off builds have been done by regular folks for ages. It just takes some time and money. Had this person used Li-Ion batteries (significantly less weight and much more power) this might have been more impressive. For example take a look at the 2 SSIC specs:
Top Speed – 150mph
0-60 – 2.1 seconds
Range – 75 miles
http://www.ecocaronline.com/blog/electric/2-ssic-a ... - vtnerd, on 07/02/2009, -3/+6I don't understand the hostility in the comments there or here defending GM. GM is a garbage company that just went bankrupt.
I could understand hostility about how this just moves around greenhouse gas emissions and does nothing to actually improve the environment - especially if you live in an area powered by coal, which is something like 40-50% of the US - but I don't get everyone coming to GM's defense.
I found it pretty impressive and it's probably a lot nicer than anything I could cobble together. - FredFredrickson, on 07/02/2009, -0/+3Thank you! I've been making fine jewelry for years, apparently.
- jrm125, on 07/02/2009, -2/+5I don't see how this "bests" GM.
Considering the lousy acceleration and lack of safety features...throw in the ridiculously high price tag...why wouldn't someone get a Volt over this?
Sorry dude, keep trying or stick to programming. - inactive, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2The day you dont hear the rumble of someone elses car might be the day you die!
- BlackOculus, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2yeah, but mines in really crappy condition lol.
- fooljoe, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2found more at the official website http://www.electricmarinwheels.com, but I'm still curious where he was able to get those NiMH batteries
- darthom, on 07/05/2009, -0/+2What a dog! And I mean that in the old-fashioned use of the word. Heck, if you are going to lay down 85 large for something that a baby buggy can beat off the start, lay it down on something smart, like the Tesla. That aside, I built a dog of an e-car years ago, enjoyed the experience, enjoyed rushing around at 60mph with no sound, it was kinda cool.
- kiwimonk, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2Digging down an electric car? This should be encouraged, not the other way around. Oh and $85,000 is only half of his paycheck. Just like a $10,000 volt would be half of yours. Small price to pay to improve the earth.
- inactive, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2terrible wheel offset.
- Ishiguro, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2@Colecoman1982
Oh, you mean the foreign car companies that receive subsidies and protection by their govt. Mainly I'm talking about barriers to entry which allows GM to be lazier than they otherwise would be.
I thought we all owned the roads, since our taxes pay them. I'd rather they be private. - diggduggjoe, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2@Coleco, wtf? What has gotten your undies in a bunch. I am not going to race around with a stock car for gods sake. I just want to decide what kind of car I wish to buy. I wish cars were cheaper and that can only happen when you open up the playing field. There will always be Consumers Union test crashing cars, so the worst cars will be known. What is wrong with more competition?
Another issue with GM is the expensive unions and benefit packages which the transplants have been wise to avoid. - rewritable, on 07/02/2009, -1/+3Gee how on earth could he build something like that without a PhD in electric cars?
My sarcasm is directed toward the HR departments that believe you must have a PhD and 50 years experience to do anything like this. Yes he is a software engineer but that can hardly be related to designing/building an electric car. - FrancisHC, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2Copied for posterity- one of the commenter's on Jalopnik wrote,
"So it has the performance of a minivan and the utility of a Miata? And for only $80,000? Boy has this guy shamed GM good" -jark - Wrake, on 07/02/2009, -2/+4Yeah, it's basically commuter transport. Plus, when you get to work, just plug it into an electrical socket on their building, so you really only have to pay for maintenance every once in a while :)
- Snigle, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2I found this interesting..I don't know anyone who personally built there own electric car. Now we just need a 'how-to'. ;)
- inactive, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2No flux capacitor with that Zilla?
- cygnus2112, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2But you don't see GM flogging even prototypes half this cool, either. They should be in the fore-front of innovation and design.. billions of dollars and they output the same old boring crap spread amongst 4-5 different sub brands.
- HappyScrappy, on 07/02/2009, -1/+3It is not at all difficult to make an electric car conversion if you don't mine a very short range, much like this car. People have been doing this for two decades at least.
The difficult part is making a car that competes well with a gas car in the marketplace. - fedja, on 07/03/2009, -0/+2Did I say from scratch? I suggest you thinkb4utype and live up to your name.
- teksoftdude, on 07/02/2009, -0/+2Another Software Engineer started the Goss132 EV company. www.goss132.com
The site is lacking though considering he has a background in technology. Still cool that he
did it. Wish they had more pictures. - MasterGrief, on 07/02/2009, -0/+1I dunno. With all due respect to the Stingray, I think it's kind of a "fast car" cliche at this point. At any rate, this car looks pretty slick for what it is-- the only thing that could improve it aesthetically, I think, would be a better paint job. Maybe a pale blue or green with a small, off-white tone.
It kind of reminds me of the Jaguar E-Type, so perhaps a giant Union Jack design would be in order... - pathouston22, on 07/02/2009, -1/+2As somebody whos looking to buy a classic muscle car, no thanks. I want to hear my 1967 Mustang V8 302 engine roar.
- morepowerr, on 07/02/2009, -0/+1Hope you enjoy see bank account go bye bye. Because if HR2454 passes your looking at $6 gas.
- Yazilliclick, on 07/02/2009, -0/+1Electric vehicles aren't being made to replace vehicles for road trips, it's to solve the commuter problem where the majority of driving, gas use and creation of pollution happens. The few road trips people take is nothing by comparison and there are always options to rent vehicles or take mass transport for those.
- pathouston22, on 07/02/2009, -0/+1Yeah gas milage sucks. But it won't be my primary car. Just a fun car to drive through the country on the weekends!
- fooljoe, on 07/02/2009, -0/+1actually I find it much more interesting that he used NiMH batteries. because of Chevron's patent control over large-format NiMH batteries it's very difficult to find any suitable to power a full electric car, which explains why he had to stitch together 290 smaller batteries.
everyone and their moms are using (mostly planning on using) lithium batteries now - what's impressive about that? I'll be impressed when a lithium-powered EV exists that has been driven 100,000 miles with no range degradation, like the Toyota Rav4-EV has done already with its NiMH pack designed and built a *decade* ago.
sure lithium has greater energy density and power, but it's also more costly and so far hasn't lasted more than 50,000 miles in EV applications (Nissan Altra is the only production example - Tesla is still too new but even they admit they expect the range to dropoff around 50k miles). in terms of life cycle cost and reliability NiMH is the clear winner; and I'd take an economical battery I never have to replace over a few more miles range or a slightly quicker car. - IsoscelesCircle, on 07/02/2009, -0/+1Oh, here is the build blog on the 2 SSIC I commented about a little further up. This will give you an idea of what is involved in a project like this... and considerably higher performance as well.
http://www.ssinc.us/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=176 - unclefire, on 07/02/2009, -0/+1I think the issue is that they guy is saying "booyah" to GM when this creation is nowhere near what a production vehicle would entail.
Tons of people can built a one-off (as the article says). Building a mass production car, in large quantities, with a decent support infrastructure and longevity is entirely a different thing. How much BS will this guy have to go thru to keep it running? Will this thing go 100k miles with few problems? When will he have to replace batteries? I doubt it. -
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