How I wish that sleek designs weren't reserved for electric cars

"BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast." (boxerfanatic) 01/28/2014 at 14:44 • Filed to: Coupes

1

14

Caddy ELR... Loved it's shape and look since it debuted as a concept.

It is a thoroughly modern, clean, sleek fastback coupe that isn't inexorably tied to 40-50 year old traditions.

But why can't a standard vehicle with a standard drivetrain look this good? Why must it be built on a pile of hundreds of pounds of lithium batteries mined from the third world, and running the risk of becoming an unforeseen inferno?

Heck, if a car like that was fuel-based hybrid, with a nearly full-time LNG burning power generation plant powering electric traction motors (and a Volt-like high-speed kinetic engaged cruise mode), with a minimum amount of battery ballast on board, that is easily replaceable, or capacitors rather than batteries...

But just something affordable, long-range, reliable, safe, and reasonably sporty...

THAT LOOKS THAT DAMN GOOD!

Why can't any other mainstream coupes look anywhere near that good?

Brian Silvestro > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 14:46

2

It's literally the most expensive FWD car on sale. That's what pisses me off about it. It's such a good looking car but ruined by everything else.

Textured Soy Protein > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 14:51

3

Well in this particular case there is in fact another option.

spanfucker retire bitch > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 14:51

2

My only disappointment with the ELR is the fact that for $75,000, it doesn't use the electric Motor in the Spark instead of the one in the Volt. You know, the motor that produces over 400lb/ft of torque instantly in that small little sub-compact car?

Why they decided against using such a punchy electric motor in such a premium vehicle is beyond me. Also, I don't think it's drastically different from the older CTS Coupe model, is it? The profile is very familiar.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Textured Soy Protein 01/28/2014 at 14:55

1

I want to like CTS...

but it is much bulkier, with an insanely high tail, than ELR.

Plus any car like that, really should be a hatchback, not a tiny trunk-lid on a hugh-jass.

ELR is better proportioned, and much more lithe, while being similarly sleek.

Bad Kev > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 15:19

0

ELR has a very small trunk and a high rear belt-line as well. :/

Evan, Pope Of Jalopnik by Self-Appointment > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 15:57

1

I really don't care for these at all. Pretty much the antithesis of what I would want in a car. And that's fine, we all have different opinions. But I also think the price is insane. It's not 30k nicer than a Volt. No way.

Bonhomme7h > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 16:06

0

Why can't any other mainstream coupes look anywhere near that good?

Because most buyers want windows on their car. You know, to see outside.

gator8 > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 16:18

0

and running the risk of becoming an unforeseen inferno?

Riggghhttt... Because normal gasoline cars NEVER catch fire. Fact: between 2006 and 2010 there were roughly 150,000 vehicle fires per year in the US alone.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > gator8 01/28/2014 at 16:57

3

As a percentage of how many MILLIONS of cars on the road.

Lithium is MUCH more flammable than gasoline in an oxygen atmosphere, and can auto-ignite itself.

Gasoline requires a specific aeration, and an external ignition source.

Lithium also burns at 1500 degrees F, far hotter than gasoline, as well.

Take a look at any video of a ruptured lithium cell battery, and read about how much CARE they require to maintain a proper charge, and to be balance-charged properly.

This is a 5 amp/hour 2-cell pack. A tiny, tiny fraction of what an electric car would have, buried DEEP in the chassis, out of sight, and not easily removable.

Batteries could be damaged, without any outward sign, and then ignite themselves later, like say at night, while the car sits in your garage.

A gasoline powered car doesn't just ignite itself without an obvious leak and ignition source, as a matter of the nature of organic chemistry.

Lithium is a more dangerous chemical..

and that is before the HORRENDOUS impact of lithium strip mining, and processing, before the resulting battery is even charged from an external energy source.

organic chemistry, and petrochemicals are more energy dense, more stable in an oxygen atmosphere, and less detrimental to recover from the earth than lithium, and other rare-earth metals and rare chemicals.

Batteries on a small scale are not a problem, if treated with care.

Batteries on a large scale are not a solution, and can be a problem.

http://theenergycollective.com/nnadir/221226/…

http://www.dailytech.com/Study+LithiumI…

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Bonhomme7h 01/28/2014 at 17:06

0

That has more window real estate than GM's own Camaro.

And NHTSA SUV-Side-Impact regulations are what make sure that the window sills are so high on passenger cars. Tall, heavier vehicles side-impacting lower-height vehicles...

For Sweden > gator8 01/28/2014 at 17:10

0

You have to remember that Risk = Hazard * Probability.

The probability of an Li battery electric car catching fire is low, but the hazard of such an event is very, very high; much higher than a petrol or diesel car.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 17:15

0

Science, bitch!

Battery Tender Unnecessary > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 17:29

0

Yeah, the statistics are more damning if you only include new cars sold during the same period as the Tesla and even more if you only include luxury sedans.

There are millions of poorly maintained, old rust buckets click-ity-clacking down the road that are much more likely to catch fire, skewing the stat he quoted.

Bonhomme7h > BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. 01/28/2014 at 19:52

0

Regulations only can't be blamed, most designers hates windows.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=cadil…