U.S. behind the times, but claiming the prize.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Why is it that the U.S. manufactures certain things and claim to be the 1st, and the inventor of it, when some of those particular items are already in use in other countries???

Latest example: On FoxNews they had a story where U.S. has now taken the idea of the Golf Cart and put it into cars. They claim to be the first maker of Electric Cars!!!!

Their cars needs a 6 hour overnight charge to run for 40 miles (about 65k's) and then they are flat! They also have a 1 Gallon tank of petrol to run a 1 litre motor in case your battery goes flat before you reach your 40 mile destination!!!!!

They say that the 'Electric car' will be ready for sale in 2010 (Chrysler I think), with Ford chasing them and also about to release an Electric Car in 2010.

Now, we all know that electric cars have been around since the 1950's. The Prius has been very popular around the world (and is more efficient than the U.S. one), the English have been using electric cars and Milk Vans successfully for over 20 years!!!

Why then, do the U.S. claim to have just now invented the Electric car????
It doesn't contain any 'new' technology either. Just a battery D.C. motor and a 1 litre engine.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Sorry Ken - but maybe you just heard all of that wrong? The US have never claimed to have invented the electric car - it was a Scot that did that - and in 1840, not 1950. What they are now claiming is that they have a manufacturing process that will make it cheap enough to provide a totally-electrically-driven car - that will also have petrol as backup - the "VW" of the modern age as it were.

The "hybrids" that the Japanese have put into production will one day be criticised so heavily - for the total cost of production in terms of energy, as well as for the cost of disposal. They do not run on electricity alone, but require the electric and petrol engines to cut-in-and-out as they go - alternating drive power. Also - don't ever be involved in a prang with a Prius - run! They are so incredibly toxic they will be the target of the bloody greenies soon enough - even though they are best buddies now.

Why is everyone so critical of the USA these days? Jeez! They've done just about everything else better, bigger and earlier than just about everyone.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Originally Posted by Omaroo

Why is everyone so critical of the USA these days? Jeez!

I'm not. But on the FoxNews story they claim to have 'invented' the electric car. Not a cheaper manufacturing method. It is probably FoxNews to blame for the way it was worded.

If they had said that (cheaper manufacturing method), I would be happy to hear it, but they didn't.

Originally Posted by Omaroo

it was a Scot that did that - and in 1840, not 1950

Invented in 1840, but popular since the 1950's. Geez, ya gotta watch what ya say round here!!!!

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Fox - I have it and I really have to say that the way Discovery, History and NatGeo present material borders on hype. I gotta say I can't stand their presentation style - which is, I'm afraid, tainted by American TV's idea of style. Even my American wife cringes every time she hears some boof-head going on about a "mega-machine" or whatnot.

I'm going to blame Fox, not America too.

FYI - whilst a Scot invented the concept of an electric-powered vehicle (a crude carriage), it was an American, Thomas Davenport, who is credited with building the first practical electric vehicle -- a small locomotive - in 1835!

Anyways - interesting, huh!

[Calin]

If the US news story claims they are the first in the world to invent the electric car, then well technically they are correct !! All you simply need to do is re-define what the world is ... in the US they are the world !!, the rest of us are aliens.

I agree to some degree with Amaroo that they've [US] done just about everything else better, bigger and earlier than just about everyone ...

Better weapons, bigger wars and pollution and earlier every year ...

But hey I'm not biased

No harm in poking a bit of fun at the US, they've been poking fun at us for decades and vice versa .... but we all just good mates

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Please don't make this into a 'Lets bash America' thread.
Probably my fault for the way I worded the the original post.

It is probably more to do with 'over-zealous' and bad reporting.

But we can turn it into a chat about the electric car.

6 hours on charge to get 40 miles!!!!!!!!!!! I thought technology was waayyy beyond that!

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

6 hours on charge to get 40 miles!!!!!!!!!!! I thought technology was waayyy beyond that!

Maybe it's coming down to a price-point that they've achieved. An electric DC motor (or 4 for a car - one for each wheel) must chew several hundred amps when accelerating a family-sized vehicle to 100kmh. If you take a standard 100A/Hour wet cell battery, you'd only get around the block before it was stuffed. Put enough (like a dozen) of these full-sized car batteries in your boot and you'll probably get 40 miles, or 60km. You'd then need to charge them all for a few days to get the next trip out of them and they'd weigh half a ton.

Is 6 hours so bad? 60km total, or 30km return radius is plenty for a great many city dwellers to get to work and back. Probably no good in the country, but I dare say it wasn't designed for country miles at this stage. If you're at work for longer than 6 hours, then you'd charge it there - effectively doubling the distances and giving you a daily range of 120km.

For them to develop a battery that's small and light enough not to have to take a trailer to carry them behind you and still go the distance is pretty amazing really.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Yes Chris, probably aimed at Urban buyers. Work and back, then onto the charger each night.

Or country folk, may make the General Store and back, then onto the windmill each night

[CoombellKid]

A far as they're concerned if they buy the patent, they invented it.

When I was in Canada a few years ago I met up with a mate of mine who
was working with a band touring through the US and Canada. We were
down at a pub and one of his US working buddies claim how he had toured
the world with different acts, When I asked where he had been he rattled
off a bunch of US cities... I still giggle about that.

btw, 6 hours on charge to get 40 miles.... hmmmm barely make my local
corner store lol

regards,CS

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

I'm pretty bad at slagging off on Americans at times, but must admit the vast majority I've met in real life and on the net have been very nice people. What really sticks in my craw is the fact that a lot of the things the US has produced were actually conceived by people in other nations but their Government/Business sector were too thick to see the potential. The jet engine and hovercraft are a couple that come to mind. If there's an efficient electric vehicle being developed in the US, all I can say is Good On Yer Guys.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Fox News is THE problem with mainstream American media.
A biased right wing, republican agenda underpins its whole editorial focus.
"Fair and balanced" indeed!
Thanks Rupert...
Rant Rant Rant!!!!

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

[quote=CoombellKid;285498]A far as they're concerned if they buy the patent, they invented it.

When I was in Canada a few years ago I met up with a mate of mine who
was working with a band touring through the US and Canada. We were
down at a pub and one of his US working buddies claim how he had toured
the world with different acts, When I asked where he had been he rattled
off a bunch of US cities... I still giggle about that.

Yep, I've noticed that too. Sometimes the lack of knowledge of what exists outside the USA leaves me shaking my head

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

Originally Posted by dugnsuz

Fox News is THE problem with mainstream American media.
A biased right wing, republican agenda underpins its whole editorial focus.
"Fair and balanced" indeed!
Thanks Rupert...
Rant Rant Rant!!!!

Not just Fox mate. I have a look on the Telegraph site most days and all the "Headlines" seem to be about entertainment bimbos and what they been up too lately. "Lifestyles of the rich and stupid" as John Laws described it. Have to go digging to find some real news.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

[quote=Glenhuon;285502]

Originally Posted by CoombellKid

A far as they're concerned if they buy the patent, they invented it.

When I was in Canada a few years ago I met up with a mate of mine who
was working with a band touring through the US and Canada. We were
down at a pub and one of his US working buddies claim how he had toured
the world with different acts, When I asked where he had been he rattled
off a bunch of US cities... I still giggle about that.

Yep, I've noticed that too. Sometimes the lack of knowledge of what exists outside the USA leaves me shaking my head

Sorry, but got to add my own...
Met a US merchant seaman in a New York bar (sounds like a dirty joke, but 'No'...read on). I said I was from Scotland - he said "Oh Yeah, that's just below Finland, kind up up from Germany right!?"
I hope he wasn't the navigator!!!
Doug

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

[quote=dugnsuz;285504]

Originally Posted by Glenhuon

Sorry, but got to add my own...
Met a US merchant seaman in a New York bar (sounds like a dirty joke, but 'No'...read on). I said I was from Scotland - he said "Oh Yeah, that's just below Finland, kind up up from Germany right!?"
I hope he wasn't the navigator!!!
Doug

[Tannehill]

Hokay, Ken, my friend, I'll take up your gauntlet...gotta stretch my nationalist muscles after a fun year here in Oz, as I prepare to return to the land of extremes. (In North Florida where I lived for a year, the large roadsigns just south of Gainesville Florida alternated between saying "Nude Girls Next Exit" and "Jesus Saves"...I kept waiting for the follow-on sign declaring that "Jesus Saves Nude Girls Next Exit" but it never appeared.)

Um, what's the link. I couldn't find the source article. I need the facts so I can distort them in my reply....

Oh, and by the way, its YOUR countryman (Rupert) who drives all this, as said....

Scott AKA Stranger in a Strange Land....

PS see you Friday for some non-demoninational photon absorbing....

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by Glenhuon

Not just Fox mate. I have a look on the Telegraph site most days and all the "Headlines" seem to be about entertainment bimbos and what they been up too lately. "Lifestyles of the rich and stupid" as John Laws described it. Have to go digging to find some real news.

Fox and the Telegraph are own by the same bloke. Who happens
to be Australian married to a chick who use to work in the Chinese
secret police lol....

Poor BD this is getting right off topic, sorry mate

regards,CS

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by Tannehill

In North Florida where I lived for a year, the large roadsigns just south of Gainesville Florida alternated between saying "Nude Girls Next Exit" and "Jesus Saves"...I kept waiting for the follow-on sign declaring that "Jesus Saves Nude Girls Next Exit" but it never appeared

That's a classic

regards,CS

[GrahamL]

Nude Girls Next Exit

phew scott ..from somone who regularly misses exits when in the city .
I'd never hear the end of it if I took that on.

as for rupert you guys can have him .. we regularly discard /embrace
well known personalities at will wether they are /were aussies or not .hope your stay was a memorable one

[Outbackmanyep]

Originally Posted by dugnsuz

Fox News is THE problem with mainstream American media.
A biased right wing, republican agenda underpins its whole editorial focus.
"Fair and balanced" indeed!
Thanks Rupert...
Rant Rant Rant!!!!

Don't forget Channel 10.......