[Fot] Electric cars

[RACER BUD]

Thanks Randall..Quite enlightening.
RB

-----Original Message-----
From: Randall [mailto:tr3driver at ca.rr.com]
Sent: Monday, April 01, 2013 11:07 AM
To: fot at autox.team.net; budscars at comcast.net
Subject: Re: [Fot] Electric cars


---- RACER BUD <budscars at comcast.net> wrote:
> What happens to The electric cars when the batteries are  no good
> anymore..?..and what does it cost to replace tham..or..what becomes of
> the car?

They're kind of expensive to replace; buddy of mine said the battery for his
1st gen Prius was $7k but he convinced Toyota to cover half (which I suspect
means the wholesale price is closer to $3.5k).  (Yes, I realize a Prius has a
relatively small battery, it's just a data point).

When the car isn't worth the price of a new or rebuilt battery, it gets
scrapped just like any other car that isn't worth repairing.

At the moment, AFAIK the nearest Li-ion battery recycling facility is in
Canada.  Toxco was supposed to open a new plant in Ohio last year, but it
doesn't seem to have happened yet.  At the moment, lithium is so cheap that it
doesn't pay to recycle it; but likely that will change if electric cars gain
more acceptance.

Personally, I don't see full electric as ever replacing internal combustion.
There is certainly a niche market for them, short distance commuting and so
on.  But the advantages aren't nearly as great as some folks like to claim.
They aren't anywhere close to "zero pollution"; its just that most of the
pollution comes out somewhere else.  NFI, YMMV, etc.

Randall