That comment has so much bullshit in it - here is a sampling:
>The statement that electric motors have fewer moving parts so they last substantially longer is a fallacy
No, it is true on all counts. I'd explain in detail, but this is so weird I dont really know where to start.
>90% of a vehicle's maintenance has nothing to do with its motor
Rubbish. In a gasoline (or diesel) powered car, the majority of maintenance is to do with the engine and its auxiliary systems such as fuel delivery, ignition, cooling, starting etc.
>electric motors need oil changes too
This is the best one of the lot. Not sure if a moron or a troll.
I should have stated "electric vehicles" vs "electric cars".
However you really don't have the slightest idea about the motor that's in the Tesla. Which is a 3 phase induction motor. There's a lot that goes into converting DC battery power to AC and then controlling the torque. Heat is another issue that will have to be dealt with as well and the latest announcement from Tesla is that they will be adding a water cooled system to the induction motors in the future.
A property serviced gas motor doesn't need much more beyond oil and spark plug changes and can last for several hundreds of thousands of miles. The majority of the consumables are in the wheel systems, tires, brakes, suspension, bearings, heating and cooling the cabin, etc.
I'm sure you're an idealistic kid that thinks green is good... and knows that ignition=starting, but the fact remains that gas engines have a 100 years of service history and electric car motors don't which means...
>I'm sure you're an idealistic kid that thinks green is good
I am the engineering manager for the Australian branch of one of the world's largest oil and gas contractors. I graduated with 1st class honours in mechanical engineering, and have 25 years of work experience. Idealistic - yes, thinks green is good - yes, my career notwithstanding. Kid - I wish...
>However you really don't have the slightest idea about the motor that's in the Tesla ... ... There's a lot that goes into converting DC battery power to AC
Actually, I have a pretty good idea about both of these things. A really very good idea in fact, helped a bit by my visit last week to the factories that make high speed AC motors and inverters that drive them.
well hey... I thought the ignition/starting thing was funny. I like the idea of green too. I don't see tesla as green. the tech isn't there yet. and if you've been on this planet as long as I have... you know there is NOTHING revolutionary about induction motors (circa 1889) or lithium batteries(circa 1979)... I don't like the idea of highly subsidized innovation. If products can't stand on their own... forcing them down the consumers throat doesn't make them better.
I know all that. I don't agree with the original comment, and was not defending it. I was defending the right of its author to have his comment seen and discussed.
I disagree on the downvoting response to the comment. The answer to a flawed argument shouldn't be downvoting. The answer should be a dismantling of the assumptions and the argument.
Downvoting is a tool for silencing a comment. Some comments should be silenced. Trolls, childish behaviours, one-liners should all be silenced. Generically, stuff that does not lead to a productive discussion.
I know many people genuinely believe the stuff written on the comment I was referring to. This is not a comment that should be silenced. Better than silencing the guy through downvotes would be to correct him and enlighten all those who believe electric motors require oil changes.
>The statement that electric motors have fewer moving parts so they last substantially longer is a fallacy
No, it is true on all counts. I'd explain in detail, but this is so weird I dont really know where to start.
>90% of a vehicle's maintenance has nothing to do with its motor
Rubbish. In a gasoline (or diesel) powered car, the majority of maintenance is to do with the engine and its auxiliary systems such as fuel delivery, ignition, cooling, starting etc.
>electric motors need oil changes too
This is the best one of the lot. Not sure if a moron or a troll.