Regarding the future of electric power:
"Lead by the explosion of Electric cars in the coming years & the
advancement of battery technology, do you envision a battery bank
strong enough to power larger boats in the not to distant future? I
understand there may be such a thing now, but I am reffering to a
viable option based on price and weight."
I do not think that the term 'explosion' quite fits.
Groups such as this one struggle to network info, but the key is to have large quantities of mass produced electric drive parts available in the same manner that an ICE can be salvaged from a scrap car.
There is only one thing holding back the whole development, and that is politics, as it is obvious that if we eliminate the massive cash flows generated by the so-called 'servicing' of vehicles, then the economic impact would trigger another hedge fund type happening, in my opinion.
In India, they have a simple, low cost, plug in only electric car. In North America, many journeys, especially by the second car in a 2 car family, are way under the endurance limits of current battery technology. But instead, we are waiting for GM, a company that cannot even make it's own logo badges on vehicles durable enough to look good after a year, to develop some complicated expensive vehicle.
Bear in mind now, that very same simple Indian car will automatically be upgraded each time battery technology advances. All they have to do then its make it so it doesn't visually like like crap, and it would be a global winner!
Hybrids have their place - fossil is still the way to go for masses of power and good range. But in the long term, that is an unsustainable lifestyle.
All it needs is some vision, such as in Germany, where a politician has taken the risk, and they are moving ahead with sustainable power systems.
If someone influential like Obama (or whomever) was to get a law in place making it so that oil companies have to use just 1% of their profits in investment into sustainable power, that would set the path, but politics as well as corporate cultures in the so-called free world are set up to have short gratification periods.
But such a Bill in government would simply get tied up and crushed in party politics. The mindset has to change from trying to attain an unsustainable short term 'American Dream' to one where long term planning can rule.
IMO, we are on the brink, but it needs a kick in the butt to trigger it to take off. The good thing is, the longer it takes, the more advanced the technology gets, so the greater the chance of sustaining the trend once it actually does 'explode'.
So, the answer is yes, in the future, larger boats will be electric. So will smaller ones. So will cars. So might even be aircraft - all you need is a semi-airship that has the control of a plane, but the weight carrying capability of a Zeppelin.
John
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