So electric cars are the future. That's what people keep saying, and what the government keeps pushing for, and what every motorist with half a conscience believes, whether they like it or not.
I know electric cars are coming for good. Petroleum based transport is going to be reserved for underdeveloped countries for a few decades longer than everyone else, and within a century, will be for rich enthusiasts only, if at all. That's a shame, because the internal combustion engine is a wondrous piece of engineering and gives a wonderful, powerful output, which car design has revolved around for more than a hundred years.
But there are worse things that could replace the petrol car: the bus, bicycles, trains, roller-skates... all of those are less favourable than an electric car. In fact, electric cars are good. Very good. What they lack in manual transmission they make up for in maximum power from zero revs. But I'm going to miss changing gear, I'm going to miss it a lot.
But welcoming us into this overdue electronic age is something somewhat of a disappointment: the Tesla Roadster.
I was looking forward to it. On paper it looked good. Very fast, convertible, very cheap to run and based on a supremely good car (the Lotus Elise). There isn't anything not to like. Why is it a problem?
Well, when some people criticise the electric car, they criticise the range. On the Tesla Roadster, it is about 244 miles. And that is its problem: it is being designed to go for 244 miles on a single charge. A two-seater, roofless sports-car has enough batteries to take it for nearly 250 miles at a time. To me, that's a serious problem.
Battery technology has not solved the problem of efficiently storing charge. Keeping electricity available requires heavy batteries that weigh the car down enormously. And 250 miles of that charge is heavy. This causes the car to be sluggish and sloppy in corners, where the makes-lots-of-tiny-explosions-in-a-metal-block powered Exige has the vehicle whipped, because an engine simply weighs so much less.
So, in doing almost everything right with the Tesla, they made that mistake. They chose to load it with large, heavy batteries to take it long distances instead of being nimble. And how are you going to entice a true petrolhead if they have to spend a small fortune on a car too heavy to take corners well? Sure, it's quick in a straight line and can drive for hundreds of miles... but that's wrong for a Lotus: they've turned a Lotus into an American muscle car.
I love muscle cars in general, but it isn't what a small two-seater should be about. It shouldn't be about range or straight-line speed, it should be about 'Look! We have an electric car for you and it's better than the petrol version'.
Now, their reasoning for doing this is obvious: the American market. But in doing so, they're alienating a group very important to electronic adoption: the car enthusiast.
If the Tesla Roadster were lighter and had a 60 mile range, it would be the perfect track-day car. Car enthusiasts would go crazy for them, and their pursuit of the combustion engine would fade faster.
And it isn't just the Tesla Roadster either. The Tesla Model S has a 300 mile range. The Ecotricity 'Wind Power' car has a 150 mile range. Elektrikar, 200+ miles. Liberty Electric Car's e-Range Rover, 200 miles. Phoenix Motorcar's SUV, 250+ miles.
And when you think about it, for the urbanite, this range is ridiculous. On a daily basis, I drive less than 20 miles. The longest trip I go on is 53 miles each way. 250 miles at a time is completely unnecessary, and yet if I adopt one of these cars, I have to carry 250 miles worth of electric charge storage wherever I go. It's SUV syndrome: sell people stuff they don't need, even if they'll never use it.
But there's the problem. Average American consumers are scared of a short range, and car enthusiasts tend to hate unnecessary weight. But instead of compromising, the car manufacturer went, as usual, in favour of the American market.
But there is a solution.
Divide the battery into five separate cells, each removable and replaceable by the owner. Each cell powers the car for 50 miles. For everyday city use, and track-day use, the owner has one cell in his vehicle, giving him short range, but low weight and fantastic handling. The car goes from sluggish to nimble instantly. For carrying passengers and longer trips, add a few more cells. You don't need the handling, and you can use the range.
As well as greatly increased versatility and an appeal that stretches beyond the 'I only use my car for long distance driving' mentality, this will entice new buyers, as you can make having five battery packs an option. This will take the initial price down significantly, and mean that fewer batteries need to be manufactured and distributed. This decreases the abundance of corrosive chemicals and also increases efficiency further by carrying less weight in the car.
Having removable batteries also means that someone can charge a battery without the car being present. It also sets a precedent for swapping stations instead of charging stations.
Best of all, it makes cars more fun to drive. But until then, I'd rather have an £8000 Elise than an £80000 Roadster. And I can still change gears.
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