1y ago

xkcd #2948: Electric vs Gas

Alt text:

An idling gas engine may be annoyingly loud, but that's the price you pay for having WAY less torque available at a standstill.

Electric Vehicles @feddit.uk

xkcd.com /2948/

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I'm big into motorcycles and all the electric motorcycles are like 100 lbs more and go through tires like twice a year compared to my gas powered motorcycle changing tires once everyother year and can go fraction of the distance. Idk I want to think electric is the future but with these limits I'm still not too interested. If hydrogen ever comes to motorcycles like Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki want, I'll definitely get one of those but I can't recommend any electric motorcycles right now and before you say anything I would recommend a Surron if you check your welds before you buy those are great commuters but probably not a motorcycle.
- Yeah, a general "electric vs. gas" comparison which elides the two big disadvantages of electric in familiar applications (which aren't to be found in the motor) seems slightly subpar for xkcd. It's valid from a certain narrow engineering perspective but not too helpful if what you're thinking about is motorcycles.
  If fossil fuels were so easy to give up we'd have done it by now.
- Long term we'll get lighter batteries.
  
  That's what people keep telling me
  
  And over time power density in batteries has increased. So far.
  Graphically: https://www.epectec.com/images/battery-comparison-energy-density.jpg
  From ArsTechnica: https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/05/eternally-five-years-away-no-batteries-are-improving-under-your-nose/
  And from Cleantechnica as of January 2024: https://cleantechnica.com/2024/01/30/the-rise-of-batteries-in-6-charts-not-too-many-numbers/
  People just won't stop telling you this, it seems. ;-)
  
  Well they never provided evidence like you did. Thanks friend.
  
  You betcha BB! Have a great day!
- all the electric motorcycles are like 100 lbs more and go through tires like once a year
  compared to my gas powered motorcycle changing tires twice a year
  ...so, you're changing tires less on an electric motorcycle? I don't see the issue
  
  Sorry I edited the post poorly 😞

724 comments