Comments on: Biden To Announce Fisker Auto Plant In Wilmington Delaware http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/ Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:48:32 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: ferrarimanf355 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196180 ferrarimanf355 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:20:18 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196180 <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20091027/OPINION03/910270324/UAW-workers-may-derail-Ford-s-success" rel="nofollow">Also, the UAW is doing a fine job of shooting themselves in the foot.</a> Also, the UAW is doing a fine job of shooting themselves in the foot.

]]> By: onwatch http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196157 onwatch Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:41:08 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196157 Don't you think a little Design Gestalt Adjustment is needed here with the 'Karma'. This thing looks like Salvador Dali! Don’t you think a little Design Gestalt Adjustment is needed here with the ‘Karma’. This thing looks like Salvador Dali!

]]> By: ferrarimanf355 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196156 ferrarimanf355 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:34:09 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196156 I'd rather have the Fisker, because Henrik Fisker is nowhere near the pompous asshole that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is. I’d rather have the Fisker, because Henrik Fisker is nowhere near the pompous asshole that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is.

]]> By: alinaustex http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196147 alinaustex Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:52:56 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196147 There supposedly is a design team in Shanghai working on a "solar centripetal charged electric car" The gist of the concept is that a portable carport made up entirely of state of the art solar cells are used to mechanically load a centrifuge during daylight hours. Then when the car comes home at night the ccentifuge revereses its direction and that mechanical power is used to charge the car batteries all night. Its been described to me as the "twisted rubber band " recharge system. Has anyone heard of this system/design coming from the PRC ? Slightly OT -fuel cells are starting also to come into there own - a prototype air force drone has had good success using an electric fuel cell engine - Attackerman had an article listed last week but I am not internet tubes adroit enough to provide a link -but the drone had a full payload -could this not be adapted for our civilan cars ? There supposedly is a design team in Shanghai working on a “solar centripetal charged electric car” The gist of the concept is that a portable carport made up entirely of state of the art solar cells are used to mechanically load a centrifuge during daylight hours. Then when the car comes home at night the ccentifuge revereses its direction and that mechanical power is used to charge the car batteries all night.
Its been described to me as the “twisted rubber band ” recharge system. Has anyone heard of this system/design coming from the PRC ?
Slightly OT -fuel cells are starting also to come into there own – a prototype air force drone has had good success using an electric fuel cell engine – Attackerman had an article listed last week but I am not internet tubes adroit enough to provide a link -but the drone had a full payload -could this not be adapted for our civilan cars ?

]]> By: hctomorrow http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196138 hctomorrow Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:52:25 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196138 I just want to know where all the lithium for these li-ion cars that everyone's rushing to make is supposed to come from. If we're not very careful we could just end up in hock to Bolivia and China instead of Saudi Arabia. I also think we should be very, very skeptical of these deals where a company is given big tax breaks and loans to 'create jobs'. My former home town of Indianapolis loved to give out deals like that, left and right, and it's ruined them. I just want to know where all the lithium for these li-ion cars that everyone’s rushing to make is supposed to come from. If we’re not very careful we could just end up in hock to Bolivia and China instead of Saudi Arabia.

I also think we should be very, very skeptical of these deals where a company is given big tax breaks and loans to ‘create jobs’. My former home town of Indianapolis loved to give out deals like that, left and right, and it’s ruined them.

]]> By: bmaz http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196136 bmaz Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:44:12 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196136 I think they have a real shot Ken. They have had a plan and have been executing on it. I first learned of them about a year and half ago through a couple of investment bankers helping them raise some money. What they said they were going to do, and the timetable for doing it, has played out pretty impressively. I think this Wilmington Delaware bit announced today is the real key for them. Their plan was to start off with a limited production high end model and then ramp up production capability for ever more affordable models based on the prototype technology. The Wilmington plant is ready made to set them up for just that with the Nina platform. It is pretty exciting. I think they have a real shot Ken. They have had a plan and have been executing on it. I first learned of them about a year and half ago through a couple of investment bankers helping them raise some money. What they said they were going to do, and the timetable for doing it, has played out pretty impressively. I think this Wilmington Delaware bit announced today is the real key for them. Their plan was to start off with a limited production high end model and then ramp up production capability for ever more affordable models based on the prototype technology. The Wilmington plant is ready made to set them up for just that with the Nina platform. It is pretty exciting.

]]> By: orionATL http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196133 orionATL Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:39:12 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196133 thanks, bmaz. "Henrik Fisker is a designer..." that explains why the interior shot of the "eco sport" with its stylish steering wheel caught my attention. thanks, bmaz.

“Henrik Fisker is a designer…”

that explains why the interior shot of the “eco sport” with its stylish steering wheel caught my attention.

]]> By: KenMuldrew http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196132 KenMuldrew Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:37:55 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196132 That is one beautiful car, but those solar panels on the roof are surely just to run an air conditioner to keep the interior cool; it would take weeks to generate enough juice to run the car for any substantial distance. Still, if you live in Arizona, a cool interior is probably as important as a heater is here in Canada. The lithium-ion batteries are a bit worrisome, too. Having used LiFePO4 batteries all summer for an ebike, I can say that it is a remarkable technology. Very robust and they never even get warm. Of course you can't dump charge the way you need to for a vehicle like the Karma, so perhaps they had no choice. I sure hope Fisker thrives. That is one beautiful car, but those solar panels on the roof are surely just to run an air conditioner to keep the interior cool; it would take weeks to generate enough juice to run the car for any substantial distance. Still, if you live in Arizona, a cool interior is probably as important as a heater is here in Canada.

The lithium-ion batteries are a bit worrisome, too. Having used LiFePO4 batteries all summer for an ebike, I can say that it is a remarkable technology. Very robust and they never even get warm. Of course you can’t dump charge the way you need to for a vehicle like the Karma, so perhaps they had no choice.

I sure hope Fisker thrives.

]]> By: bmaz http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196131 bmaz Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:27:06 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196131 Henrik Fisker is a designer born in Denmark that has been operating out of a studio in Southern California (Irvine) for quite a while. He did a lot of the design refinement for the newer Ford lines, Aston Martin DB 9 and Vantage and on the BMW Z Series vehicles as well as consulting with other companies. He has been quietly assembling the prototype for the Karma that is pictured and production capability for nearly three years under the name Fisker Automotive; financed by private investors, venture capitalists and, now, the govt. loan described in the post. Henrik Fisker is a designer born in Denmark that has been operating out of a studio in Southern California (Irvine) for quite a while. He did a lot of the design refinement for the newer Ford lines, Aston Martin DB 9 and Vantage and on the BMW Z Series vehicles as well as consulting with other companies. He has been quietly assembling the prototype for the Karma that is pictured and production capability for nearly three years under the name Fisker Automotive; financed by private investors, venture capitalists and, now, the govt. loan described in the post.

]]> By: orionATL http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/10/27/5378/#comment-196130 orionATL Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:17:00 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/?p=5378#comment-196130 by the way, where did fisker come from? are they new? new to automotive? a boutique automotive manufacturer? by the way, where did fisker come from?

are they new?

new to automotive?

a boutique automotive manufacturer?

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