http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/ Engadget Comments for Coulomb gets in an Empire State of mind, switches on NYC's first public EV charging station http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/I wouldn't be too happy after going about my business, when some punk pulled the plug an hour into the 4 hour charge.]]>Jul 16th 2010 10:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
This is a good point. I suspect if it becomes a serious problem, some locking technology will be created to remedy it.]]>Jul 16th 2010 10:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
Also, where is the Credit Card Swipe? I am sure the local electric companies are not charging your car for free. I am guessing there will be a "APP" for that!]]>Jul 16th 2010 11:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/What about keeping the spot open for people who actually need it? Ever been to the airport with a desperate need to charge your mp3 player only to find some fat greasy bastard sitting there sleeping? And what about when someone is done with the charge, can someone else get in on the action or do they continue to tie up the spot for 8 hours. I think these things should just be like parking meters, with a premium charge. If some idiot wants to park there without using it then its going to cost him 2x more (or something).]]>Jul 16th 2010 11:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/pun noted but not intended.]]>Jul 16th 2010 11:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/probably uses smart power integration whatever its called to find out what model the vehicle is and other stuff and it can probably find out the owner and just send the bill to you]]>Jul 16th 2010 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
Yeah there is a standard plug now, Tesla even retrofitted older vehicles to it.]]>Jul 16th 2010 10:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
If you mean the same "big oil" that fuels the power plants that provide that electricity, then sorry, your hopes will be dashed.

The "green" movement pushed a lot of electricity companies to go for natural gas and oil burning power plants, which are dependent on fuel fluctuations and aren't as efficient to run as nuclear or coal based power. We have enough coal, here in the country, for several hundred years (if not more). Clean coal and the increasing efficiency of coal based power make it even more viable than ever. Combine this with our push towards nuclear energy (which unfortunately the same greenies said no to in the past due to ignorance and fear), and we could have been far more independent, energy wise, than had we listened to the greenies.]]>Jul 16th 2010 12:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 1:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
an electric car will never replace a gasoline car so long as it takes hours to recharge the batteries.

remember those family road trips you had? weren't they fun or at least interesting? yeah, not gonna happen in an electric car. and while you're at it, i bet you like the prius too? your avatar is a gti and yet you actually want electric cars?

I don't understand this "green" movement in automobiles. sure conserve all you want, but what about the adrenaline you get from a sports car (or your gti). what about the excitement of indy car racing? people hate on hummers, but remember hummers have a purpose. if people aren't gonna use them for it, that's their prerogative and their choice, but hummers and rovers were meant to travel the world. And they use fuel for that pleasure.

if you're ready to give up your soul, by all means go ahead and get an electric car. I'll laugh while I'll speed by in my 8.3L viper truck]]>Jul 16th 2010 1:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
Considering that most power comes from coal I'm not sure you're argument is sound.]]>Jul 16th 2010 1:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
There are good reasons for this move, first, Electricity from other sources (other than oil) are cheaper than pumping gas into the car every week. Also, the people selling us this stuff hate us (Venezuela, Middle East), and the idiots pumping it here dont know what they are doing either (BP).

Im sure we will come up with vehicles that are fun to drive, and are not powered by oil (BMW has a car that burns hydrogen and the thing is a rocket).]]>Jul 16th 2010 1:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
Unfortunately, solar, wind, and hydro still aren't at the point where they can provide any meaningful power. Two are not baseload power sources, like a fossil fuel or nuclear plant is, either. Baseload power is what we need for the grid. What this means is that they don't provide a consistent output 24/7... they are dependent on atmospheric conditions.

Hydro is interesting, but really means a lot of impact to the surrounding environment. Even if we ignore the impact to the animals around the area, it also affects the natural development of the land around there.

I think nuclear and coal are the way to go. Nonetheless, the government isn't a magician. The only thing that can truly push a technology is the market. And indeed, it is. There's lots of private capital going into battery research and electric cars in general. If it's a good choice, the market will pick it. The government, nor any one individual, can be the perfect distributor of capital.

The government, if they want to actually do something useful, should be focusing on slashing its own size and taxes (permanently), so that people have more private capital to spend.

And remember, the wealthy are the ones who fund all the companies and products we use everyday.]]>Jul 16th 2010 1:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/I actually support nuclear and clean coal (surprisingly), because they are good base load supplies of energy ( I've done my research too!), but currently there are few incentives for a company to do this other than the federal government doing this. Keep in mind that utilities are not like a regular business, those are, and need to be regulated to death. I want our government to force these companies into going with alternatives whenever possible, and to build more nukes. The government pays for it anyways. Power companies are just administrating the grid and keeping track of billing. Thats why power companies can just switch the areas they serve. (I used to have Florida Power, and then they switched with Progress Energy)

And the tax breaks on the rich, get rid of them, why is our government looking out for the top 2% so much, its not like they are going to put it back into the economy. According to the CBO (congressional budget office), for every dollar that this country looses in revenue we get 1.02 in return, for every dollar spent in unemployment insurance we get 1.68 back, WTF is wrong with the GOP! They are going out of their way to protect the top 2%, leave the middle 89% to fend for themselves and the bottom 9% (unemployed), they call them hobos. (a congressman did)]]>Jul 16th 2010 2:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 4:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
No, thanks. I'll stick to gas cars.]]>Jul 16th 2010 10:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
Yeah, kind of like paying for the electricity when you plug in at home. Do you think electricity is free?]]>Jul 16th 2010 10:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
Unless you know nothing about industrialization, as production increases, the prices for these electric vehicles will drop substantially. Even with limited production, the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S are targeted at the masses in terms of price and not the super-rich.

Further more, it's not as if gas is free. Electricity is currently and will continue to be far cheaper than gas -- the Tesla Roadster, a sport car, can be fully charged for under $5. Complaining that you pay less for it in a highly convenient location (on the street) and not more at the pump is just silly.

Lastly, consider for a moment that there will be FAR more charging stations thanks to the ubiquity of electricity, and the relative ease of installation. There will be charging stations at home, in public street parking, at work, in private parking lots, at the grocery store, etc, etc, etc. Not only are thousands of chargers more convenient than hundreds of gas stations, it implies that there will be far more options available than just street charging.

Electric is here to stay. Out of the gate, it's cleaner, cheaper, produces stronger, lighter, quieter vehicles, requires less maintenance, and is FAR more convenient in most cases. As battery technology continues to improve (Lithium Sulfur batteries, Silicon Nanotubes, etc), motor technology, and production continues to ramp up, electrics will overtake gas cars in about every metric other than pollution, weight, production cost, and maintenance cost.]]>Jul 16th 2010 10:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
ConEd here in NYC is crying for customers to stop using so much electricity or else their old installations where they provide electricity to neighborhoods will blow up. If ConEd can't even supply demand on electricity because is reaching at max capacity in summer.... what makes you think they will be able to support charging thousands of cars?

Yes, it might be cheaper but in areas not so good, these stations will be vandalized and cost of maintenance/replacement will be higher in the long run.

This system might sound good but it does not work for millions of people in NYC that park on the streets when they get home because for sure there won't be tons of these charging stations around side streets of apartments.]]>Jul 16th 2010 10:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Thats because NYC's and the rest of the country's electrical grid in ancient. We need to get a smarter grid, and build more power plants, of the solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear kind. Now if only the DOE, and the Democrats can just get cap and trade past congress, then we will see major change.]]>Jul 16th 2010 11:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
It may not work *now* but it will work as the NYC power infrastructure grows to meet the new electricity demands placed upon it.

The same argument can be applied to any new mass technology. Why start building cars if there are limited roads? Why build cellphones if there are few towers? Why create a novel OS if it has few developers? Why build a printing press if only a few people know how to read? The point is that the former increase the demand for the latter.

There *are* costs above that of current electricity prices to consider especially infrastructure costs. However, it should be worth noting that there is also substantial infrastructure cost to traditional gas distribution above the cost of the substance alone. We do not think of these costs, because they are already a part of the price we pay for fuel. The price for electricity and the required infrastructure for high-consumption electric devices (ie. electric cars), will follow a similar path in the the cost of electricity will reflect the demand for it.

It may not be ideal *today* to roll out thousands of charging station but in time the infrastructure will support it.]]>Jul 16th 2010 12:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 11:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 2:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
I'm sure a whole ecosystem of businesses around this will develop.]]>Jul 16th 2010 1:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 10:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 11:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 11:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 12:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 11:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/
And how do you go about refilling the hydrogen? You might as well route gasoline underground to pumps the same way.]]>Jul 16th 2010 12:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/They actually already have then in California, there was actually an article about it here.]]>Jul 16th 2010 1:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/The whole point is to go beyond petroleum. ]]>Jul 16th 2010 1:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 11:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 11:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 1:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Yes, If i remember correctly there was an article here in Engadget about the top EV manufacturers getting together to make a universal port.]]>Jul 16th 2010 1:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 3:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 16th 2010 7:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 17th 2010 2:28AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/16/coulomb-gets-in-an-empire-state-of-mind-switches-on-nycs-first/Jul 17th 2010 2:27AM