[Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
[Main General Bulletin Board | BBFAQ |
Prev by Date | Next by Date | Post Followup ]
Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos
that's our dilemma also... Posted by Snowmobile [Email] (#686) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Snowmobile) on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 08:49:52 In Reply to: The EV/hybrid issue, Noel, Thu, 10 Oct 2013 08:14:18 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The only reason for us to buy a newer car is that an older car is no longer practical to take on a long trip (ie sufficient risk of failure of something that is hard to source). Around town, the old cars are fine - worst case we get a tow home or to our saab indy.
The hybrids + EVs save the most fuel around town, not on the highway, and as you point out, EV range makes them basically impractical on the highway.
Really what you and I need (if an EV were to be in the picture) is an (old used) EV for around town and a new repairable anywhere fuel efficient ICE touring car for the highway... ie backwards from what the market is. $80k on a Tesla isn't a solution for us either, but I mostly like the car otherwise!
I keep thinking it would be fun to convert a decent Saab shell to an EV. There are a few around the net (a 96, some NG900's, some Sonetts). There was a thread over on the 9-5bb that got nixed on this, and I know there are some who find it distasteful, but imho it is better than sending a good shell to the crusher over a bad tranny... all the still good ICE parts can feed other "purist" cars... with care in terms of battery replacement, the original handling can be maintained. The main problem is time, and then also cost: to get a good system going costs more than what the car would be worth fully restored. That will improve. Maybe in another 5 years I might try this. By that point I will probably need to do some c900 consolidation anyway (2 weakening trannies and a so-so 2.1L)...
->Posting last edited on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 08:51:35.
No Site Registration is Required to Post - Site Membership is optional (Member Features List), but helps to keep the site online
for all Saabers. If the site helps you, please consider helping the site by becoming a member.