We can’t always just focus on the Volt, and once in a while its good to look at exciting developments in the rest of the electric car universe.
One feat most certainly worth noting is a new world’s record land speed in an electric vehicle achieved on Wednesday. 307.7 miles per hour to be exact which was set by a vehicle called the Buckeye 2.5 created by engineering students from the Center for Automotive Research at Ohio State University.
The rocket on wheels is powered by a massive 600 kw peak power lithium-ion battery pack composed of highly potent A123 Systems cells.
The previous record was a paltry 245 mph set in 1999 by White Lightning.
The record was achieved on a 12 mile run over the fastest place on earth, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. It was the average over two runs.
The team is sponsored by the French EV maker Venturi.
The 307.7 mph record has not yet been certified and thus made official by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) which is the worldwide motor sports governing agency, though approval is widely expected it may take a few weeks.
“We’ve been at this for 16 years now and have our newest lithium-ion powered vehicle out,” team manager David Cooke told the AP. “Our vehicle was capable of going much faster.”
The Buckeye Bullet 2 was powered by a hydrogen fuel cell when it set the record for those vehicles at 302.8 MPH in 2009. The Ohio State team spent the previous year removing the fuel cell system and replacing it with over 1600 pure lithium cells in total.
The team was hoping to do one more trial run on the flats to top the 307.7 but had to call it off when the clutch failed.
Hats off to Ohio State. Electric vehicles aren’t just golf carts anymore.
Source (AP)
+9
Aug 26th, 2010 (12:55 pm)OMG!
This is awesome. It is only a matter of time before
EVs beat the land record made by the ICE vehicles.
This is also good publicity for A123 systems.
-36
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:11 pm)(click to show comment)
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:11 pm)Lyle, is that a real picture?
It looks kind of strange.
Like the car was placed in that background.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:12 pm)Even faster than today’s post change!
Vrooooom!
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:12 pm)As much as I enjoy the achievements of these short run efforts, I am more impressed with the results of endurance races like the TTXGP with Mavizen and MotorCzycz developing real world applicable technologies. There was also an endurance race in which the first three finishers were a Tesla Roadster Sport, a Tesla Roadster and a Th!nk City vehicle – I was stunned how practical the Th!nk City was in a real world application.
+23
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:16 pm)It is people like you that think the future has nothing in store.
I don’t like the word ‘never”. History is filled with people who said things could never be done.
How about the well respected professor that said we had to be lighter than air to fly.
All he had to do was look up and see birds flying to disprove his theory.
Humans can achieve anything. We are a persistent, tenacious species.
We get a hold of something, we can’t let go. It is only a matter of time.
You may not have any faith in our scientists, but this is what I chose to believe in. Science.
+4
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:20 pm)I remember seeing this project on a TV addition of “Future Cars” , on the Science Channel a year ago. I think the show first aired in 2008, and the Buckeye Bullet was chock full of NIMH batteries at the time of the filming. I remember thinking, ” now what if that thing was packed with lithium? “….
Good work, Ohio State! Now it’s time to get Volts in the media spotlight with custom versions. Car & Driver ( ugh ), to their…er….credit, did sponsor a Prius Bonneville attempt – which flies in the face of their usual ranting against anything electric.
130.497 mph – hybrid speed record, 2004
Video of the Volt being abused at GM test facilities, four wheel drifts, spin outs and high speed braking tests are the stuff car guys eat up ( my fave Volt test videos so far ) – and custom projects taking a new technology like Volt and placing in places people don’t expect an EV to show up ( Indy 500 / NASCAR Volt Pace Car? ) are great PR and sales tools.
RECHARGE!
James
+15
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:21 pm)What’s the CS mileage on this thing? I have to know…
+10
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:28 pm)So what’s your point? That because ICEs have the advantage today, that they’ll always have the advantage? Besides we’re comparing apples to oranges here, electric motors can accelerate much faster than ICEs, it’s the power delivery that’s the problem today. Once we have supercaps powering EVs, ICEs won’t stand a chance!
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:29 pm)You know, this made me wonder.
I bet some smart, rich guy or lady will buy a Volt and modify it to be faster.
I wonder what kind of speed they could really get out of the battery.
+2
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:30 pm)This is a bit off topic, but given the fact that there are articles stating that batteries may see price reductions of up to 19% this year, what is the current cost of a 16 or 24 kWh battery pack from LG or A123? Any decent articles? I have seen experts state that Nissan/AESC has gotten the pack price down to $500 per kWh and the Times says Nissan is able to build them for $375 per kWh, which seems like great news, if true. It is possible that Nissan’s decision to skimp on the pack conditioning will allow them to build the pack considerably cheaper than GM can. There are also articles that state that the Volt pack will cost around $10,000 or $625 per kWh. But Patil seemed to indicate right here in GM-Volt.com that the Volt pack price would be in the $600 per kWh range.
Any better articles on current pack prices?
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2239779020081022
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to…cle7086781.ece
+6
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:33 pm)Humans are made up of people who are very shortsighted.
Thankfully we are also made up of visionaries and scientist who keep pushing the envelope.
I personally believe there is nothing our species can’t accomplish, given the time.
+2
Aug 26th, 2010 (1:56 pm)By personal experience I can say that ya don’t have to be all that smart and all that rich to exceed the very conservative engineering done in automobiles.
We’ll probably see performance chips shipping the week the Volt ships.
+3
Aug 26th, 2010 (2:10 pm)Wow! So if my math is correct, it completed the 12 mile run in less than 2.5 minutes.
That’s fast!
NPNS!
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (2:29 pm)Wow, 7 posts before we got a reference to a Prius!
+20
Aug 26th, 2010 (2:39 pm)Thought for the day:
+3
Aug 26th, 2010 (3:22 pm)Totally excellent post CorvetteGuy! I love these ads you’re coming up with. You should work in GM’s advertising department.
+3
Aug 26th, 2010 (3:31 pm)=======================================
I couldn’t resist this one……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IlHgbOWj4o
-8
Aug 26th, 2010 (3:37 pm)The post was suddenly changed. Why am I not surprised?
Aug 26th, 2010 (3:44 pm)Go Bucks!!!
+10
Aug 26th, 2010 (3:47 pm)Now that I re-read your comment more carefully did I realize the ridiculousness of what you said. Can you please share which ICE-based land vehicle you’re referring to can do 0 – 300 in less than 4 seconds? I’d like to know that. That’s 0 – 60 in 0.8 seconds. That’s 3.4G, even faster than a space shuttle at launch! I think you’re confusing it with a jet engine.
Besides the article never said that this EV took 12 miles to reach 300MPH, it merely said that was the average over a 12 mile run. In order to obtain that kind of average it would have had to get up to speed much faster than over 12 miles.
But it’s much more than just a matter of time before YOU get an education.
+3
Aug 26th, 2010 (3:49 pm)To get an official speed record, the run has to be made twice within 60 minutes. Then they take an average of the speed at the midpoint of the run.
So how did they recharge that huge battery pack that fast?????
Could it be possible that Project Better Place already has a battery pack swap station located at the salt flats?????
And that speed is nothing. Just wait till the EESTOR version is ready, which was announced by EESTOR CEO Dick Weir who stated it will be delivered before Christmas, 2010!!!!
This is much more fun that the CS MPG rating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (3:56 pm)I found another cool BEV we should all be looking at:
http://www.gizmag.com/renault-dezir-concept-electric-vehicle/15665/
But if it costs one penny over $29,995, it will never appeal to the masses and it will be a complete failure……………………..
Sorry. It is obviously a slow day at work for me!
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (3:57 pm)Brilliant, Jim I. It has been years since I heard that song.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:00 pm)Nicely changing the subject!
AFAIK the only person who has admitted to thinking that EVs are like golf cars is Ed Whitacre. LOL
-2
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:05 pm)+2
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:09 pm)Awesome! Did you create these?
Whew! I got a post in before the discussion degrades to nothingness.
+2
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:10 pm)So you don’t know the difference between a land speed record and a 1/4 mile drag strip trap speed?
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:12 pm)Yesterday night was watching FutureCar DVD Set : http://store.discovery.com/detail.php?p=84829&v=discovery
Its a kool watch
Eliica , Loremo , Tzero and more
BTW: how much is the drag coaff for the Saab Aero X concept ? it is very similar to original Volt concept design.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:19 pm)Are you sure he didn’t mean Christmas 3010 ?
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:30 pm)He’s talking about drag racing not speed records. Totally different category.
“Top fuel dragsters are the fastest category of drag racers, with the fastest competitors reaching speeds of 333mph and finishing quarter mile (402 m) runs in less than 4.5 seconds.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Fuel
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:31 pm)Out of curiosity, since you’re thinking about advertising, how many Volts do you think you could sell if you weren’t limited by allocations? How many if the price was $37K rather than $41K?
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:35 pm)==================================
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, he was kind of mumbling…………………..
Done for the day – See you all tomorrow!
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:38 pm)Hey, whatever happened to the “Tango” electric car?
http://www.commutercars.com/
I wonder why they never got any big exposure.
/the only drawback is I’d have to turn around to smack the kid instead of a right hand swing.
Aug 26th, 2010 (4:54 pm)This speed record shows that today’s electric vehicle technology is superior to what was available before. The most important outcome of this demonstration is getting people to thing about electric power in applications where they would previously only thought of ICE or turbine engine power.
+2
Aug 26th, 2010 (5:03 pm)Or what’s the AER? we know at least 12
Aug 26th, 2010 (5:08 pm)Another hypothetical.. how many people would still buy an ICE car if there was an equivalent electric version. Meaning, the eletric car cost the same, had the same range, and could be filled in the same time. It may be surprising (sad) how many people would still not switch to the EV.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (5:19 pm)Two more pics from there:
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (5:27 pm)In a heartbeat, kdawg. And this is exactly what I have been saying. All things being equal, there is no reason in the world not by an EV. None.
Aug 26th, 2010 (5:28 pm)Thanks Michael, the top on looks a bit strange.
Maybe I have been staring at my monitor for too long.
I’m signing off. Good night all.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (5:34 pm)#1 says it all! +1
Aug 26th, 2010 (5:37 pm)#8
LOL! +1
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (5:44 pm)You only think this is funny because you haven’t been around for the past few days. Nice to see you back!
Aug 26th, 2010 (6:11 pm)Could it be that it has a range of 24 or more miles?
Aug 26th, 2010 (7:15 pm)Ok so I guess there are such vehicles. My mistake. I didn’t think they could get enough traction to accelerate that quickly, but it looks like they use special tires and tracks for that. But yeah, I agree – totally different category. I don’t see a technical reason an electric dragster couldn’t compete with or even outperform a ICE one.
Aug 26th, 2010 (7:16 pm)AWESOME
This is what I call a thread!
Now if that car had the hot body of a Volt.
Aug 26th, 2010 (8:19 pm)Does it experience any “fade” after 200 mph ?
You need power for passing y’know.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (8:25 pm)Er, this EV reached that speed twice over twelve miles. The ICE vehicles you mention run out of gas well before reaching a mile at that speed sustained. The ICE vehicles you mention get well under a mile a gallon to maintain those speeds. Get an education yourself.
Lol, some people have absolutely no idea when they have lost.
Aug 26th, 2010 (8:44 pm)Yep, here’s how gassers beat electrics in off road racing:
http://motorcycles.about.com/b/2009/10/29/electric-zero-mx-motorcycle-beats-gas-bikes-in-offroad-challenge.htm
http://www.minimotosx.com/latest_news.htm
oh, hmm, Maybe gassers have some limitations after all relative to inexpensive commercial electrics, exactly as they are over the last 12 months, in some settings (rough offroad local transportation – that only describes 99% of the terrain available to 99% of the remaining vehicle markets that aren’t already saturated).
You want to add gobs of range and multi-top-off options to that, just set up a PHEV or EREV. QED.
Good on Buckeye 2.5. It improved the electric record landspeed record by 43% in 11 years. ICEs have had nowhere near that pace of improvement for top 2 way 1 mile landspeeds over such a short number of years in more than the past 72 years!
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (8:59 pm)OT
But generally relevant to this site:
(from last thread):
Comments by the trolls on this list: approx 85 (out of 280). [previous thread]
This is not a wave of outside opinion, it’s a minority invasion. Whenever you see these names, hit the negative button without hesitation. If they continue to insist on coming here, they can at least be removed from the top view.
You don’t have to comment to vote. If you value this board as something other than a kickball for a small cadre of jerks, do your part. This is your site, too.
We now return to “electric things going fast,” already in progress …
-1
Aug 26th, 2010 (9:15 pm)Take that, Fool Cells!
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (9:42 pm)Jackson Says
OT
But generally relevant to this site:
(from last thread):
Troll Alert:
EricLG
Charlie H
carcus3
Dan Frederiksen
The Grump
john 1701a (or some such)
They should open their own site.Pretty please.Something indicative of their attitude, like, “IHateYou.com”, “TheWorldSucks.net” or “BlogDestroy.org”.
Comments by the trolls on this list: approx 85 (out of 280). [previous thread]
This is not a wave of outside opinion, it’s a minority invasion. Whenever you see these names, hit the negative button without hesitation. If they continue to insist on coming here, they can at least be removed from the top view.
You don’t have to comment to vote. If you value this board as something other than a kickball for a small cadre of jerks, do your part. This is your site, too.
We now return to “electric things going fast,” already in progress …
————————————————————
Wait a second.
I can’t take Phil to task for withholding information and insulting me, without you labeling me as a troll. What am I supposed to do – thank Phil for insulting me and say that I would be happy if the Volt got 12 MPG in CS mode? Is that what you want from me – mindless Volt cheerleading? Please !
I am one of the few people on this site who can actually afford the payments on a Volt, and plan to buy one. Even though I don’t qualify for the $7500.00 Government tax credit, I can still afford the Volt. So being a troll would not be in my interest. The Volt will save me almost $5000.00 a year in gas.
I just don’t appreciate being left in the dark when GM knows EXACTLY what the CS mileage is. Then having Phil talk down to me – that’s insulting. And their explanation of being afraid of the big, bad EPA doesn’t wash. GM doesn’t need the EPA’s permission to issue a ballpark CS mileage estimate. Phil should have kept silent, rather than be insulting.
—————————————–
As for the REAL trolls
Charlie H
Eco_Turbo
EricLG
usbseawolf2000
carcus3
Troll Alert
john1701a
Here’s some Prius / Leaf sites where you can talk about your favorite car all day long.
http://www.priusownersgroup.com
priuschat.com
practicewhatyouprius.blogspot.com
http://www.allaboutprius.com
http://www.priuspoint.com
——————————————-
nissanleafelectric.com
nissan-leaf.net
http://www.leafdrivers.com
teamleaf.wordpress.com
Please – feel free to leave. You’ll be happier there, and everyone there will agree with you. Then go into your favorites – find GM-Volt.com – right click on it – then left click on delete. You will be rid of this awful site, and you can surround yourselves with posters that love the Prius / Leaf as much as you do.
You’re welcome.
-1
Aug 26th, 2010 (9:51 pm)I agree, Jackson!
Just -1 them without reading what they say. Their comments are inane, frivolous, and the name calling they do is good reason to diss them by just giving a -1
And move on to posts that truly add to our knowledge about the Volt, Leaf, and other EVs coming to market.
Happy trails to you ’til we meet again.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (9:51 pm)Do not be afraid of comments. Let them have their speech. The scroll button works well it does not suit your interest.
I fact I praise Lyle for allowing others to express contrary opinions as it gives more credibility to the VOLT concept. When others make comments that are wrong it is always worth noting it for all to see. If those that push crud find they are not being read they will move on. (kind of like a debate .. bring it .. prove it or go home)
Free Speech is a cornerstone of this country and there will always be garbage commentary. Just look at the comments from many politicians and some news organization. Those of us that take time to analyze and use common sense will figure it out.
Or we could think of this site as training ground for learning to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Just my 2.5 cents
Aug 26th, 2010 (9:58 pm)I knew electric cars can go fast but WOW!
If my VOLT will max out at the 100 MPH published spec I will be happy.
Looks like using, as Tim Taylor would state, “More Power!” to get this record was as simple as “1 2 3″ :+}
Aug 26th, 2010 (10:07 pm)If an electric motor was in a dragster I agree with you it could out perform an ICE. Torque, torque, and torque. Look at the TESLA electric that can hit 60 MPH in < 4 sec. So if a crew set out to design an electric dragster it could be done I believe quite easily.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (10:11 pm)I also agree with what you say and Jackson’s suggestion is still a good idea. I, too, commend Lyle for supporting freedom of speech but when anyone disrupts the blog they should be banned or kick just like in a chat room. The why Lyle has provided by Voting +1 or -1 has the same effect.
It doesn’t stop them from commenting; it does show others that their comments are unpopular but doesn’t stop anyone from reading what they say. The website just truncates their text when the negative count gets to -10. If anyone wants to see what they said just click on show. The first ten times or more that people read their comment, it will still show.
After a while if they become civil and stop their non-sense, and join in on the discussion in a meaningful way, we can give them the recognition of such civil discourse. If not we just -1 them into oblivion.
JMO!
Happy trails to you ’til we meet again.
P.S. I think that Grump doesn’t belong on the list and should be given the beniefit of the doubt unless he demonstrates otherwise.
+1
Aug 26th, 2010 (10:15 pm)OT, but, Lyle, maybe you want to write up a post about this. Over at the Chevrolet posterous web page is a pic of a truckload of Volts (well, four of ‘em) being hauled away from the D-H assembly plant. Not gonna get crashed. Not gonna get dust-crusted. Not gonna get bathed in saltwater. Gonna get driven in the real world by Chevy engineers.
http://chevrolet.posterous.com/
Hey, can I be a Chevy engineer for a month?
Aug 26th, 2010 (10:30 pm)YouTube + White Zombie… its a great watch
Aug 26th, 2010 (10:33 pm)Jackson, tag, thanks. I think I got my avatar working (hopefully). The whole mybloglog.com thing comes from clicking on any username who posts and has a gray face instead of a custom avatar. That’s why I thought I needed to go there when I clicked on my own!
join thE REVolution
Aug 26th, 2010 (11:01 pm)Sorry for delay. Yes. I do make the ads myself. My degree is in Marketing. [ I should have tried neurosurgery
] I had the day off today and I’ve been working on the write-up for Module 2 of the VOLT training for everyone here, and avoiding the troll-ish overload at the same time. The list of names posted earlier probably think they are master-debaters, but in reality its more like unwanted verbal graffitti.
+2
Aug 26th, 2010 (11:14 pm)More.
Aug 27th, 2010 (12:18 am)My son’s RC EV desert truck runs twin lipo’s @ 50MPH (actual!). Looks like A123 is turning out to be the Hemi of electirc energy storage.
=D-Volt
EV RC’s are really coming along. The lipo’s provide 20 minutes run time. Here’s an example of the truck off of YouTube.
http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701&fr2=tab-web&p=aftershock+8e&vid=201763979735&dt=1279695600&l=163&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts4.mm.bing.net%2Fvideos%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D201763979735%26id%3D1bed5eb2bddc61fd456fe809d2cccfa4%26bid%3D7huTMvf78KyDeA%26bn%3DThumb%26url%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fwww.youtube.com%252fwatch%253fv%253dcqV3KW7BdJk&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcqV3KW7BdJk&tit=Redcat+Aftershock+8e&sigr=11aflm990&newfp=1
Aug 27th, 2010 (12:39 am)Wow! Now that’s a fast Electric vehicle. Now if only Nasscar could have some kind of vehicle like that and trust me this baby would leave those gas burners in the dust for sure by out beating them in a race now imagine a vehicle going at 307.7 MPH VS.190 MPH that’s 117 MPH faster than a Nasscar race car amazing I tell you!
Aug 27th, 2010 (12:59 am)Though I will have to agree with one of the of the comments about this photo it does not seem genuine and I’m not fully believing it to fully be true and it could possibly be a rumor but still it would be awesome to see an electric vehicle going at a speed like this topping speeds of sprint karts and some bullet trains long live the electric revolution!
Aug 27th, 2010 (1:26 am)Thanks Michael for bringing up those genuine photos the main photo on the article just didn’t seem real at all.
Aug 27th, 2010 (1:35 am)Now I’ll see if there is an article about it on my Wii mentioning more details about it? Way to go! Now I know it’s not a rumor after all.
+3
Aug 27th, 2010 (1:43 am)It won’t be long before rich guys like Branson get into the game and start pumping money into developing faster and faster e-ground-rockets just for the publicity and ego satisfaction. Yet the end result will be more high performance, read longer range, electric cars.
The future will be a system without petrol, with batteries that go 100s of miles and can be exchanged at a “filling” station in a couple of minutes. The energy will come from nuclear, sun and wind.
That’s the direction that crazy e-rocket-cars made by idealistic grad students will lead us. The Volt is another step just like the Prius, Leaf, Tesla, Fisker, Venturi and others.
You dudes are too competitive. there’s room for all these cars to take us to the same place.
Aug 27th, 2010 (7:10 am)I think people have forgoten the KillaCycle. Which is an electric Drag Bike
http://www.killacycle.com/
+1
Aug 27th, 2010 (7:39 am)Woop dee doo. A solid fuel rocket can trounce that easily. So your point was …. ?
Aug 27th, 2010 (7:40 am)True, but the competition is what drives the improvements.
Aug 27th, 2010 (8:52 am)It wasn’t my list.
The edited hot list — what say ye all?
I’ve removed Grump and a couple of others who have shown less-than-fanatical criticism. Let’s leave reflexive neg-clicking for the real @$$h0|3s.
carcus, you’ve been known to leave a constructive and supportive comment every now and then; it’s only recently that you’ve gotten “stuck” on the “@$$h0|3″ setting. Get a clue and come back.
Aug 27th, 2010 (10:01 am)Have you people also seen the killacycle?
An electric motorbike (also powered by A123 cells) it does 0-100mph in ONE second and does a sub 8 second 1/4 mile hitting around 170mph.
You can find it on youtube here – there’s several other videos too…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akximCGuLm8
Aug 27th, 2010 (11:23 am)Thanks man!
-1
Aug 27th, 2010 (12:36 pm)You wonder just how stupid humans are when they require that someone go out and spend a fortune building a car like this in order to achieve what a few lines of simple mathematics
could already have told anyone. And they claim humans are the brightest beings around. Sad to say, they probably are.
Aug 27th, 2010 (2:49 pm)Now we’re talkin’.
Aug 29th, 2010 (12:46 am)I can see both sides on this one. Andy was making a joke about a regular engine doing this in 4 seconds that you maybe didn’t get. EV speed record is still a awesome thing. Maybe one percent of people are against real science so that is a strawman agruement. Left or Right way of thinking I hope for the best with the volt! Go Gm!
Aug 31st, 2010 (7:55 pm)Most of you don’t notice that a bullet train or any electrical train doesn’t have to carry its energy on board. It feeds on the power through the rails. If we had roads that supplied electrical power (through some kind of induction), everyone would use an EV. By the use of smart coupling signals, we can either pay in advanced, by credit card, or by a debit account (as with some toll systems in the U.S.) . There would be no range anxiety (except maybe for prepaids!). If Tesla were still alive now, he would had developed a singular wireless method of pulling electrical energy from the Earth, and we would be better off than now. Even if we paid for that energy, it would been cheaper than present electrical cost per mile using a battery, and there would be less pollution.
This should be the next giant technology leap for transportation: No electrical charge (pun intended)!
Raymond