Posts by neostar

Quote from LargeCar

But still only 250 mile range, that is about what I get on my first tank. Hope they come up with an EV that can match diesel performance. I wonder if they could cover the roof of the trailer with solar panels to extend the milage?

LC

Solar panels don't work for direct recharging. The way solar panels work (it takes a lot of panels) for effectively recharging vehicles is through a storage battery. The panels charge up the storage battery over time with a modest rate then in turn the battery recharges the car at a fast charge rate.

There has been experimental cars with solar panels on them but they are a joke and not meant for realistic consumer production.

The technology that is being feverishly being worked on in labs all over the world are dry batteries and super-capacitor tech. Both show promise but require more research and testing.

Dry batteries a.k.a solid state batteries have better capacity to weight ratios and generate less heat this would lead to much larger capacity (range) and better recharging for cars in the future.

Super-capacitors would in theory recapture something like 90% of the energy back during regen braking (right now the best effort is under 10% recapture). This would in theory have cars capable of 1000 mile ranges on a single charge.

Time will tell when these techs come to fruition (hopefully in the next 5 years).

Quote from LargeCar

Electric cars are great for some, not so much for others. When they make a one ton dual rear wheel crew cab that I can hook my fifth wheel and slingshot trailer to (74.5 combined feet and 30 to 31k lbs) and drive from Oklahoma to Washington in two days I'll think about it. I can, and have, added dual accessory fuel tanks to my truck for extra range, can you add extra battery packs to any production EV? Of course the Slingshot is not for everybody either.

LC

The keyword here is "when" not "if". If this bad boy is about to hit the market you know your dreams will be fulfilled in the coming years....

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/…freightliner-semi-trucks/

And don't think you are limited to only a handful of models when thinking electric. As someone already stated earlier, modding is a thing....

Quote from billythekidd

I am just curious... right now how much does it cost to charge your car every 100 or so miles? Do you foresee this changing in the future... You know.. the free lunch thing.. Someone is going to want to make a bunch of money.

Even though I am signed up to the two major charging networks on the East coast I don't know what the refueling cost would be exactly since I haven't done a long distance trip but I can say it would be more than charging at home but much less then fueling with the equivalent cost of regular unleaded. Matter of fact, competition would ensure the cost of electric charging would never be as high as petrol because the possibility of offsetting electric fuel cost with solar panels at commercial charging stations will always be there.

So power companies can't establish a monopoly like big oil has been doing for the past century. The threat of renewable tech will keep that in check. No more BS excuses to jack up prices of fuel like in the past, i.e. random refinery explosions, increased tensions in the middle east, opec decisions... etc etc.

Matter of fact, the reason why we aren't seeing gas prices soar with the recent middle east flare up is because big oil knows they can't get away with it anymore because it would further accelerate the electric car market share. Sure you can credit Trump's administrations use of the oil reserves all you want but big oil won't let gas prices spike like they use to do 6-7 years ago. It would speed up their inevitable demise. In fact your can credit the threat of electric cars for the relatively stable low gas prices we have had for the past 4 years for this very reason. Big oil was hoping by keeping gas prices as low as possible that the electric car demand will dwindle away and the electric car makers would go bankrupt, hah! We have electric SUVs and Trucks on the way so the oil barons have lost the war.

In case you are wondering, it costs me 11 cents per kilowatt of energy at my house. To fill up my 60kWh battery (the car gives me an avg of 4 miles per kwH)

the cost for a full tank is thus $6.60 for 240 miles of range.

Looking at a typical sedan with an avg mpg of 25 @ $2.75 per (premium) gallon a full tank of say 10 gallons would cost me $27.50 for 250 miles range.

So basically my electric car fuel bill is 24% the cost of a comparable gas car.

I estimate paying for commercial electric fuel (for the occasional long distance trip) would cost between 40% to 60% of the equivalent gas bill.

Remember the rest of the time you are paying 24% the cost. That's not factoring savings from no more oil changes, no more nickle and dime costs for complex ICE system wear and tear failures (pulley belts, radiator components, clutch replacements, more frequent brake replacements etc etc) and you can see why more and more people are starting to see the light about electric.

All these benefits and you will not compromise performance one iota. Matter of fact performance goes up not down with electric. My family car nissan leaf has more pick-up than any of my past ICE cars ever did (outside my Pontiac trans-am).

Will cost of electric car ownership go up? Yup, once local/federal govt. realize they need to make up for the loss of gas tax revenue, I expect to see increases in car property tax and/or car registration fees. It's only natural.

Quote from Edward Neal

well - my wife and I already took the plunge on solar for our home, with a system that exceeds 100% of our consumption by a good amount - usually our annual production exceeds consumption by about 5,300 kWh - - as far as an electric car goes we will wait, 20 minutes every 100 miles - - seriously? not acceptable

Perfectly acceptable to me and thousands of others, also acceptable to large companies putting millions on the line laying down charging networks constantly and continuously as I type this.

Quote from Edward Neal

my wife and I thought about getting a Tesla for her next car, love that the model S comes with lifetime free charging at supercharging stations, but decided that at this time the charging infrastructure is not yet sufficient. its great for around town, but if you want to take long trips you need to be willing to map every trip out such that you hit charging stations and on top of that you have to be willing to spend the time it takes to charge at each stop - in other words many times you route might not be as direct as you would like, or as scenic as you would like and you will spend more time sitting waiting and not driving.

We currently have a solar home, 59 panels capable of producing 15.64 kW of power and it would be great to keep a little around town car charged and we currently feed enough extra into the grid each year to easily cover what an EV would use, but despite that we are not willing to spend 20 minutes for about a 50% charge or well over an hour for a full charge every few hundred miles when with gas we can get a full tank in under 5 minutes

Personally I am not convinced charging technology will ever be able to match what people are used to for fueling times - they might have to find a way where depleted battery packs can simply be swapped for a fully charged pack at battery stations, but this would require EV makers to agree on some universal design which is highly unlikely

If I installed solar panels in my house I would only do it with sufficient battery storage (minimum 50kWh). This would allow me to keep my home powered and provide level 2 charging to my electric car. It would not be wise to install a solar panel system without battery storage. I could care less about selling excess energy back to the grid.

Times are a changing. Tesla no longer offers life-time free charging for one thing. Fast charging rates are dramatically increasing year over year for another. If you buy the latest high-end electric like the Porche Taycan you are looking at insane charging capability to the tune of 250kW peak rate.

"While 90 percent of Taycan charging will be done at home or work, one factor that separates the Taycan from other high-end battery-electric vehicles is the speed of its fast charging. The 800-volt battery architecture allows charging at up to 270 kilowatts on launch. Future Taycan models with larger batteries could charge at rates up to 400 or 500 kw, Porsche said, while 400-volt vehicles are limited to roughly the 250-kw peak rate Tesla is now rolling out at its Supercharger sites."

This capability effectively negates long charge times during a long range trip.

Also this kind of capability will eventually trickle down to the mainstream electric market in a couple of years.

But for now, the rule of thumb for typical recent electric cars like mine is 100 miles between charge. Here's the thing that most non-electric drivers don't understand. If you are in a 60kWh plus battery car like mine, as long as you have access to a level 3 charger every 100 miles then charging times are no more than 20-30 minutes per stop. The reason for this is that your car's fuel state does not drop below 40% when you stop to recharge if you charge every 100 miles on your trip.

This means that your effectively recharging 40% of your battery each time (80% capped for heat issues) which reduces heat build-up (saves battery wear) and minimizes charge time at a given stop. This is only possible with large battery cars so even though my car has max range of 240 miles per charge I would never use it like that for long distance. I would use that range between charges all the time for daily local use.

Sure the driving studs out there will claim they don't need or want to stop every 100 miles (1h20 minutes of driving) cause they don't need to empty their bladders or stretch legs like normal people. Do you need a 20 minute break every 80 minutes or so of driving, of course not, but is it safer for driving long distances and healthier for your body, you betcha. Do the math, if you travel say 500 miles per day (typical normal person) then you would incur 100 to 150 minutes of delay for recharges in a given day. That's 1.5 to 2.3 hours lost per ~7.3 hours of driving vs. 50 minutes lost for gas stops.

And yes charging networks have progressed to the point where I have mapped out level 3 charging stations every 100 miles along the East coast on I-95. Ditto for the west coast. Cross country through remote areas, different story. But that's just one flavor of long distance travel and not the end all be all for car travelling.

As much as I applaud Tesla as a company for leading the electric revolution their cars are way too expensive to operate. Insurance rates are through the roof and replacement/repair is tedious and cumbersome. Nissan, Chevy and Hyundai are the car makers that are making reasonably priced and very capable cars for the mainstream in Today's market.

So yeah contrary to what you might assume, electric car long distance travel is very doable and enjoyable for those open-minded to give it a try.

Oh by the way, Tesla hyped up a battery swap tech a few years ago to much fanfare, but it's clear they abandoned it for logistical reasons. An Israeli battery swapping company went bankrupt before it ever got off the ground so battery swapping will not happen, ever.

Well right now in my 2nd gen leaf, I pay $6.67 for 240 miles of transportation whereas the sling costs me around $27 bucks for that exact range. Oh and my leaf is a snappy FWD (0 to 60 in under 7). Not bad for a 4k lb sedan.

No combustible fuel will match the efficiency of electric and if and when the cost of electric fuel goes up because of demand, I will simply invest into solar panels and get my gas for free (after it pays for itself of course). Can't do that with combustible fuel.

Also in case you haven't notice, diesel is slowly phasing out for non-commercial vehicles. Ever since VW got caught cheating on pollution standards for their "clean" diesel line they have quickly adopted electric propulsion. The other car makers are following suit. The fact that 18-wheelers, school buses and city buses are all being electrified should be a sign for the naysayers that Diesel/gas days are numbered.

Quote from LargeCar

An electric Slingshot would just be a hopped up golf cart.

I'm in favor of a diesel front wheel drive Slingshot, which mine will be if the four banger ever let's go.

LC

I think I ran into a few super fans of diesel recently. They like to remind me of their superior diesel engine use by unloading a ton of exhaust when I am behind them in my sling. Really classy group. I try to catch up to them to get their autographs but alas they are too fast for me. All I can do is daydream of meeting them in person and being in awe of their superior intellect.

Quote from edwardaneal

I guess we all like different things - - one of the things I love the most about the slingshot are the smells and the sounds, takes me back to the days when I built mini bikes and go karts - - - gasoline, exhaust the visceral feeling of being connected to everything the slingshot is doing

I love it - - if I had wanted clean quiet and sanitary I would not have wanted a slingshot in the first place - or any other motorcycle for that matter

but hey - this is just me, and the great thing about all of this is that there are different options for all of us

Agreed. Everyone has their prefs.

For me the smell of gas fumes can be nauseating when having been away from it for so long. I remember the first few days after buying the slingshot it was truly a shock to the system for me. I had been so used to not being immersed in gas fumes for years that it actually made me queasy at times sitting in traffic and sucking in the exhaust of not only the sling but the other cars around me. It took a few days to finally get used to it again.

Thankfully the thrill of driving does not require gas fumes and oil stains anymore. Now I can be one with the road and not suffer the crap that comes along with the 100 year-old tech that is the internal combustion engine.

All I want is to feel the rush of air, the sounds of rubber meeting the road and the exhilaration of the fast performance drive. Oil and gas not required.

As much as I love my one of a kind look of the slingshot I am very much looking forward to an electric alternative next year.

For those that are curious, here is a short promo video. I am keeping my fingers crossed that vanderhall is not having production issues with their electric variant. Morgan threw in the towel two years ago due to battery supply issues and there has been nothing but crickets for Edison 2 news in the past year.

I really really want this fun toy now that I have had my slingshot craving satiated.

Quote from edwardaneal

Electric might be great for a family car, but I am not sure I would like it in a slingshot - seems boring that there would be no performance mods and personally the one thing that makes the vanderhalls a no go in my book is front wheel drive - - I hate front wheel drive. one of my greatest joys is stomping on the gas in my sling and power oversteering through a corner

Considering electric cars are breaking all the performance records on the books right now, I don't think they should just be family cars. Although true, you are dealing with front-wheel drive, the fact that you are only sitting 4 inches off the ground combined with the lack of obnoxious noise of an exhaust system as well as annoying belt system means you are enjoying a driving experience on a totally different level compared to the slingshot.

Having that instant torque along with the agile high-g turning that a 1400 lb chassis provides means one hell of an exhilarating driving experience that I am happy to sacrifice the stick-shift and rear-wheel drive for. It's hard for anyone who has not driven a high performing electric car to understand this so I understand the misconception of it being boring.

In the end, it's just you, the sounds of the wind/tires, and an insane level of acceleration and sense of speed (remember you can literally touch the ground with the palm of your hand when sitting in the thing) that the slingshot simply will never be able to deliver. I will gladly trade my batmobile in for that.

wokka

Its only Achilles heel will be it's range (for long distance travel) and recharge times when not at home. Advertising a 200 mile range is a stretch, realistically I don't expect more than 150 miles range (120 when driving hard).

No issues for me since my preferred driving habit is to cruise through ritzy neighborhoods and scenic areas around town at low speeds with my dogs who love taking in the sights and smells. Being able to do this without hearing the wailing of the gearbox and noises of drive belt will be an effing pleasure each and every time.

Seriously Polaris should have named the slingshot the "banshee" cause the gearbox howling noise blows big time. And no, changing the gear oil will not get rid of that damn noise. There is a harmonic resonance going on at around 15 mph and you simply can't avoid it. It's should have been called the banshee.

Quote from Ruptured Duck

No MT offered will be a mistake. No real reason it could not be offered alongside an auto or CVT.

I have also wondered when or if an electric version would or could be offered. Loose drive train keep one drive motor. Batteries in front and where gas tank is located. Although the rear gas tank location is sitting rather high for good CG. Brings me to another point I have always wondered about for better handling. Relocation of gas tank into two set low in the two rear storage cubbies would bring the rear weight location much lower and in line with most of the vehicle.

If polaris came out with an electric version of this sexy beast (with no belt drive) I would buy it in a heartbeat. It's the only reason I will be trading in my beloved batmobile for an electric vanderhall ($35k) at the end of next year.

0 to 60 in 4 seconds (no turbo needed) for the vanderhall, no oil changes, no gas, no tune ups, charge at home for pennies on the dollar, no obnoxious belt noises or belt adjustments, nuff said. BTW I have owned an electric car for 7 years now, greatest effing car I have ever owned (240 miles on a full tank of charge).

Something tells me polaris has no plans for electric for at least 5 years, it's just a hunch.

Quote from WingShot

I would for sure repack those bearings, but water and bearings do not make good partners. You may or may not have rust forming from them running dry after bearing gets wet. Its not going to be a fast death of the bearings and they may be saved, but I would want them replaced , especially if you can get them under warranty.

I plan to keep a careful ear out for bearing noise for the next 2 years. So far, after a hundred miles of noise free operation (now that I know how to avoid the problem) I am confident the bearings are fine for now.

I have no desire to have my sling sit at a dealership for weeks on end for them to get at the bearings for inspection (pretty sure they will charge me to grease them) nor do I want to invest in the tools and research to do it myself. So as long as they hold-up these next two years I will be happy because by then I will trade her in.

Never buying a polaris product again.

Bigdog

"Damaged bushings can trigger clunking and creaking when you increase the car’s speed or turn a sharp corner. How? A malfunctioning bushing can make the suspension and frame parts move abnormally. That leads to sounds specifically coming from the steering system of the vehicle.

Going further regarding a worn bushing, this damaged component weakens the bond between two car parts. The weak connection results to misalignment. Every time the misaligned parts return to their original positions as the vehicle moves, they make clunking noises which are noticeable due to the rhythmic movement of the car.

Meanwhile, bushings that continuously connect to their metal casing because of worn rubber create squeaks as the vehicle is in motion. To solve all these clunks, creaks and squeaks, a mechanic must fix or replace the damaged bushings. Do not be surprised if the mechanic tells you that the root of the problem is just a tiny disc made of rubber. It only proves how important bushings are."

https://www.globalcarsbrands.com/what-are-bushings/

too lazy to study the service manual to figure out if bushings are used in the axle housing.

Quote from Bigdog

I don’t think it’s an intentional thing.....there aren’t that many slingshots on the road....so there is a lack of qualified SS mechanics.....they sell way more quads than anything....so they take priority....my opinion....

You are right about having to wait.....nobody can just walk into my dealers service shop.... they require an appointment......if you have a warranty issue...first, they have to prove to Polaris the part is defective....then, Polaris has to ok the job and most likely third, the dealer has to wait for Polaris to send them the replacement part/s. They may stock small repeat problem parts ....but anything major not so much.

This all process takes time and then throw in any new quad dealer preparations...and you have a lot of no riding time.

The good news is that now I know how to cause the noise, I know how to avoid it in the future. I washed the sling today and minimize the amount of water and soap I used around the rear wheel while still getting it clean. I took it for a ride and the sound did not come back. The only thing I can't control is getting caught in heavy rain or driving on lots of wet roads after the rain which I am positive will bring back the noise for a few hours of driving.

I have a few weeks before I can make an appt for them to take a good look. The way I figure if the sound doesn't come back after a few more washings I think I will chalk it up to design flaw and not a manufacturer defect.

I did get a chance to consult with an experienced mechanic who I trust and after giving him the details he concludes it's either the bearings or bushings (if they exist) in the axle housing that are having an issue with moisture. He confirmed my belief that since it doesn't make noise when dry then the bearing's integrity is fine. Since the noise goes away once the moisture is gone, He feels it can go either way of it being a defect and more a flaw in design.

So in the coming weeks, if I can't easily bring back that obnoxious noise from my weekly washings then I am just going to accept it and avoid the hassle with the dealership. Going to ride her hard till the end of next year and trade her in for a new shiny toy.

Quote from Bigdog

Maybe the axle bearings need repacked with grease....

let's hope it's that simple, I really want it to be that simple of a fix. Alas I will have to leave my sling for god knows how many days if not weeks before they will get to it. It's so bad they told me to call them a week after the holidays before I can even set an appointment with them. This is Polaris's achilles heel when it comes to slingshot sales potential.

Polaris dealerships have no customer service incentive especially when dealing with warranty issues. I know this tends to be more common among motorcyle/rec vehicle dealerships but boy is it annoying. If down the road I was considering buying a new model sling (don't plan on it, ever) the dealership's poor customer service reputation would be the biggest deterrent and the first warning I would give to any prospective buyer.

Ironically Polaris just sent me an automated email advertising extended warranty packages.

Lol, the last time I was offered extended warranty packages on my new car, I told the dealership that if this automaker's car were to fail on me after 5 years of normal use, I would never buy that brand again and move on to another. They had no answer to that. I have owned 6 new cars in the past 30 years (averaging 5 years before trade-in) and never had an issue with any of them. I know polaris is not in the same category.

Best quote I have seen about polaris products: "It's a polaris ATV so drive it as hard as you want for less than two years then get rid of it as fast as possible before it explodes".

lol that smoke it's like simulating a rocket blast.

I figure the 0-60 numbers would not be record breaking but personally I could see it as a worthy challenge finessing throttle control to get the best possible 0-60 and 0-100 numbers. I mean clearly you have all the power and torque at your fingertips now it's all about gently managing the throttle to get the best acceleration/traction.

Then again is it because the sling is now a whole lot heavier thanks to the horsepower hardware that makes it useless to measure 3-wheel 0-60 performance?

This does confirm why I thought people were itching to get the two wheel conversion kits.

Quote from Bigdog

I hope that’s the real issue....for one it helps all of us to identify a problem.

Don't forget I did have a consistent noise in the belt that I clearly show in the garage video. That's what was throwing me off. This is all good info to know down the road. Just remember it may not be the bearings directly if there is a rubber o-ring somewhere in the the axle assembly that could be the culprit as well but it is indeed something in the axle reacting to moisture.

"479hp and 498lb of torque"

Those numbers are amazing but I have to ask how do you handle the start in 1st gear. With a single rear wheel how do you work it to avoid losing grip at the start?

At what speed can you safely punch it?

Really curious as to what your best 0 to 60 and to 100 times are.

Really amazing to see that much power in such a small frame.