Back about 15 years there started an experiment in Chicago with fuel cell engines that I got excited about. They were hydrogen based and their fuel source was boron/borax. Their exhaust was water vapor and the busses of Chicago were the experimental vehicles. Not sure what the problem was that they did not progress further. Probably didn't make enough money for the owners. Or the media didn't like them. Ballard Power was one company name I remember...
Nobody wants them here, as they are an environmental nightmare. Same goes with rare earth metals. The U.S. and Canada have plenty, but we can't use them as they destroy the environment when processed. China has accepted that risk, therefore controls the market.
All this talk reminded me of a house sit we travelled to Sydney to do last May , thier home was not fit for PIGS to live in , they claimed they couldn’t afford cleaning products ….. See thier fridge / freezer However they had a bright shiny red Tesla $60.000 electric car in the driveway
More good news for EV owners: "At EV Garage Miami, a Sweetwater repair shop that services 90 percent electric vehicles, lead technician Jonathan Sanchez said tires are the most frequent thing customers come in about — no matter what model or make of EV they’re driving. Tire mileage can vary widely of course, but he said he frequently changes EV tires at just 8,000 to 10,000 miles — a fourth or even fifth of typical tire wear on a gas-burning car. The tire manufacturer Michelin said conventional tires on electric vehicles consume tires 20 percent faster than on a gas-powered car — a figure commonly cited by EV makers as well — but Goodyear also has said they could wear up to 50 percent faster. Automakers and the tire industry are working on improvements."
If you live in a cold area, here is something you should read if you have an EV: https://mustreadalaska.com/electric...a-close/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
From the article: The vehicle had been towed so many times the towing hook was broken. Their Tesla was inoperable along the shoulder near Kasilof, on the Kenai Peninsula, and, in frigid nighttime temperatures, they could not get the trunk to open [where their winter coats were stored.] You have to use a jump box on two small wires in the bumper to open the hood to jump to the 12-volt battery to get the big batteries to start charging. But the electric actuators were not working, so the hood wouldn’t open. The actuators were frozen. Gee, these things almost sell themselves, don't they?
Do you remember the gasoline shortages during the 1970s? I ran out of gas on the street in town once then, because my gauge wasn't working right. Someone helped push the car down hill to a gas station. I had to beg the owner to ignore the rationing rules and give me enough gas to get home.
An electric car would have been fine for me for the last 29 years. I haven't been farther than 25 miles from home, 50 round trip. If I wanted to go on a long trip, which I don't, I'd rent a gasoline car. It would be nice never having to stop at a gas station again.
Yeh, I managed a Hess gas station during that stuff. It's the only job I've ever had where someone threatened my life.
I would do great with an electric vehicle , too. I never drive very far from home. My preference would be a little hybrid like my daughter has, because it uses both gasoline and the electric motor, so she is good for either short town driving, or long trips if she needs to do that.