[Bruce_S]

You can't even tell the difference between a Horse drawn Carriage and an electric car?

No! In part because early EVs looked just like horse carriages! Kudos to Dolan for providing the pic!

[Keith_McClary]

You can't even tell the difference between a Horse drawn Carriage and an electric car?

No! In part because early EVs looked just like horse carriages! Kudos to Dolan for providing the pic!

Were there any electric-horsepower hybrids?

[Keith_McClary]

Still better than a car with no fuel at all.

I'm thinking there will be expensive fuel, resulting in lower car sales and some auto companies going broke. If they're not bailed out, their part supply will dry up.

The best post PO cars will be those with a surviving manufacturer.

[Bruce_S]

The best post PO cars will be those with a surviving manufacturer.

Well, we have been adjusting to our post peak existence for more than a few years now, and we still have nearly all the manufacturers we had before it happened. So, lots have survived, but I'll admit, not deservedly so.

[Shaved Monkey]

This sounds like the answer

Harold Bate, chicken farmer and inventor from Devonshire, England, says you can power your motor vehicles with droppings from chickens, pigs or any other animal of your choice... even with your own waste! To prove his statement is no idle boast, Harold has been operating a 1953 Hillman and a five-ton truck on methane gas generated by decomposing pig and chicken manure for years. He claims that the equivalent of a gallon of high-test gasoline costs him only about 3d and that the low-cost methane makes his vehicles run faster, cleaner and better than they operate on "store bought" fuel.

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_lib ... _bate.html

[DomusAlbion]

I was researching the all electric Nissan Leaf. Even with Federal tax credits the car and its charging station would cost more than the fuel for our two ICE vehicles for 10 years. Of course that is given the current fuel costs. Our current vehicles are late model (2007 & 2010) and are fully paid for. So sometime between 6 & 10 years from now we will undoubtedly buy one all electric car and keep my Ford truck until the wheels fall off.

IMHO it's too early to go with this new technology.

[Shaved Monkey]

This sounds like the answer

Harold Bate, chicken farmer and inventor from Devonshire, England, says you can power your motor vehicles with droppings from chickens, pigs or any other animal of your choice... even with your own waste! To prove his statement is no idle boast, Harold has been operating a 1953 Hillman and a five-ton truck on methane gas generated by decomposing pig and chicken manure for years. He claims that the equivalent of a gallon of high-test gasoline costs him only about 3d and that the low-cost methane makes his vehicles run faster, cleaner and better than they operate on "store bought" fuel.

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_lib ... _bate.html

From NATIONAL ENQUIRER June 1970. One would have hoped for more credulity.

lol
hope this is more convincing
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/bate%27s+c ... t+as+a+nut

[gollum]

At present prices I have to admit it doesn't matter what I drive, but should oil go up the Volt, Cruze diesel, or a Volkswagen diesel will all be good options in a less than perfect world. Should fuel become unavailable to consumers the Volt has real advantages but at a pretty substantial cost. Of course if Israel attacks Iran next year Volt owners will have bought one of the best investments available the past ten years.

[DomusAlbion]

Of course if Israel attacks Iran next year Volt owners will have bought one of the best investments available the past ten years.

Too true, Gollum. It's all a calculation based on probabilities and available cash. We would rather use the money to finish our farm infrastructure and eliminate the last bit of debt we have. If a Persian Gulf War erupts we're all screwed and for us it's better to have the farm than transportation or a job.

[gollum]

Too true, Gollum. It's all a calculation based on probabilities and available cash. We would rather use the money to finish our farm infrastructure and eliminate the last bit of debt we have. If a Persian Gulf War erupts we're all screwed and for us it's better to have the farm than transportation or a job.

Absolutely agreed, I drive a 2004 3/4 ton diesel that gets 20 MPG and live 22 miles from where I work, to save fuel I went to 12 hour shifts and work less days. I could buy a volt or even a smaller car but for under a grand I have 150 gallons of diesel stored in a tank in my chicken coop as insurance against fuel being unavailable. While I would like a VOLT I just can't justify the cost or going in to debt to get one. Like you my priorities are on getting debt free, home improvements, and maybe some thermal night vision next year.

[DomusAlbion]

Like you my priorities are on getting debt free, home improvements, and maybe some thermal night vision next year.

Oooo, night vision! But the cost of anything but a 1st generation device is very expensive. If you know otherwise let us know. We're going with lights, motion sensor devices and "night vision" (read infra-red) capable cameras.

[gollum]

Oooo, night vision! But the cost of anything but a 1st generation device is very expensive. If you know otherwise let us know. We're going with lights, motion sensor devices and "night vision" (read infra-red) capable cameras.

Basic thermal viewers start at two or three thousand dollars, and second generation starlight viewers often go for under a thousand on ebay if you don't mind used. Any of these things is much cheaper than a VOLT. Don't get me wrong I think the VOLT is an awsome car and really want one in the future but not at the cost of $35k in debt at this time.

[Bruce_S]

Of course that is given the current fuel costs.

A pretty big assumption, and one which speaks volumes when coming from the moderator of the one of the largest peak oil websites on the internet.

So sometime between 6 & 10 years from now we will undoubtedly buy one all electric car and keep my Ford truck until the wheels fall off. IMHO it's too early to go with this new technology.

Amazing. EVs once ruled American roads, certainly the "new" versions are "new" cars, but a new technology they ain't.

Does your calculation change if, say, suddenly there was gasoline rationing next week? This deep into a post peak world it seems bit reasonable to figure that kind of scenario into your economic calculations as well.

[DomusAlbion]

Of course that is given the current fuel costs.

A pretty big assumption, and one which speaks volumes when coming from the moderator of the one of the largest peak oil websites on the internet.

So sometime between 6 & 10 years from now we will undoubtedly buy one all electric car and keep my Ford truck until the wheels fall off.

IMHO it's too early to go with this new technology.

Amazing. EVs once ruled American roads, certainly the "new" versions are "new" cars, but a new technology they ain't.

Does your calculation change if, say, suddenly there was gasoline rationing next week? This deep into a post peak world it seems bit reasonable to figure that kind of scenario into your economic calculations as well.

Each individual's calculations are different. I'm retired, my wife could retire at any time and will probably do so before 2016. We're pretty well set as is. It takes me about two months to burn through a tank of gas in my truck. During the growing season I go through 5 gallons of diesel a month in the tractor, I've got 500 gallons stored in an underground tank and about 80 in the above ground tank. (you do the math). The farm will be paid for by the spring of 2013. We could close and lock the front gate at any time and we'd live quite well. If rationing came about I would think that agriculture would get a good allotment, well above those in a city or suburb.

So the calculation for our situation says "Electric would be nice, it would be green, but we can wait."

[Ferretlover]

Where do you live again? *heehee*
I am thinking that it will most certainly, one day, reach the point where a Radio Flyer wagon will be considered a luxury!

[Bruce_S]

Does your calculation change if, say, suddenly there was gasoline rationing next week? This deep into a post peak world it seems bit reasonable to figure that kind of scenario into your economic calculations as well.

Each individual's calculations are different. I'm retired, my wife could retire at any time and will probably do so before 2016. We're pretty well set as is. It takes me about two months to burn through a tank of gas in my truck. During the growing season I go through 5 gallons of diesel a month in the tractor, I've got 500 gallons stored in an underground tank and about 80 in the above ground tank. (you do the math). The farm will be paid for by the spring of 2013. We could close and lock the front gate at any time and we'd live quite well. If rationing came about I would think that agriculture would get a good allotment, well above those in a city or suburb.

Sounds good. My solution has similar ends, but not in a rural area. Find someplace centrally located so that, if necessary you can walk everywhere. That way, a bicycle makes everything easily within reach. Scooters even more so.

But I'll end up acquiring a Volt or Leaf because I enjoy wandering a bit further than I can get on a bicycle in any reasonable amount of time. If there is reasonably priced fuel, I can span the country in a Volt. If there isn't any, I can EV 40 miles out and back, with refueling at the other end of the commute. I can span some pretty large cities within that kind of range.

[Revi]

Here's the perfect peak oil car. We built it. It goes about 30 miles on a charge, and if you run out of juice you can park it in the sun and it will recharge. You can drive it for a penny a mile and recharge it on a regular 110 plug. We have driven it and other cars for about 4 years now. It only costs about $200 a year for insurance and the 4000 miles we've driven has cost us $40.00 in electricity. Check it out at sunnev.com

[Bruce_S]

Here's the perfect peak oil car. We built it. It goes about 30 miles on a charge, and if you run out of juice you can park it in the sun and it will recharge. You can drive it for a penny a mile and recharge it on a regular 110 plug. We have driven it and other cars for about 4 years now. It only costs about $200 a year for insurance and the 4000 miles we've driven has cost us $40.00 in electricity. Check it out at sunnev.com

Excellent. Worrying about fuel for local transport does seem a bit silly sometimes, when useful things like this can literally be turned out by someone with a garage and some tools.