[interfixus]

The missing second part of that exposition:

The $1 gasoline is poured into a horrendously complex, noisy, brittle, contrived piece of technological megadebt.

Electricity goes to one motor per wheel it needs to drive. In 1912 and in 2018.

[rdtsc]

So why didn't the clean and efficient design dominate then?

[jandrese]

Because the batteries sucked. They take too long to recharge, don't hold enough charge, are heavy, are bulky, and cost too much.

As ugly as a gas engine is it does offer quick refueling, long range, and low cost. It's just more practical, especially with turn of the century technology.

[dsfyu404ed]

>. It's just more practical, especially with turn of the century technology.

Both 19th/20th and 20th/21st according to the sales numbers

[jandrese]

Yep. Fast charging is still an unsolved problem for electric cars (15 minutes for a 85 miles is not fast enough IMHO) although some electric scooters have swappable battery packs which do fit the bill.

I do fully expect we will have these problems licked before the next turn of the century.

[mr_overalls]

Although Tesla abandoned the idea because of lack of interest (which I do find strange), a swapping station solves this problem. A depleted battery can be swapped for a fresh one in less time than a gasoline fillup requires.

[felipelemos]

Tesla uses the battery as a structural part of the chassis. A swappable battery simply would not be possible.

[mywittyname]

Piston engines are quite simple and can be extremely reliable.

There is typically a trade-off between maintenance and replacement. Piston engines require on-going maintenance, but can last a really long time. Electric motors require almost no maintenance but need to be rebuilt/replaced more often.

[Gibbon1]

Your average gasoline engine is kaput after 5,000 hours. Same deal with standard automatic transmissions.

Electric motors, power electronics, and simple reduction gears can last 5-10 times longer.