“Try to imagine how the additional necessary electricity would be generated.”
I’m curious, your statement triggered a question. Isn’t it more efficient to take a refined petroleum energy, such as gasoline, and burn it directly in a gasoline engine to produce power as opposed to taking a petroleum based energy, burn it in a electrical generating plant, then transfer it to a battery, then use it to run an electric motor?
When considering voltage loss during transmission and the energy cost to mine the lithium and construct the batteries, more energy will ultimately be spent to move a given mass from point A to point B. Assuming the rest of the components on a vehicle be it Electric or Internal Combustion is roughly the same.
In a word, no. Conversion efficiency in a central power station is on the order of 45%. Conversion efficiency of a gasoline engine is on the order of 20%. Yes, there are losses down the electricity conversion train, but they are nowhere near the direct losses in IC.
In a word, no. Conversion efficiency in a central power station is on the order of 45%. Conversion efficiency of a gasoline engine is on the order of 20%. Yes, there are losses down the electricity conversion train, but they are nowhere near the direct losses in IC.
I see an analogous situation play out almost every weekend with my neighbor. He uses a battery-powered weedwhacker to cut overgrown weeds in his yard. He does a small portion of the yard, and the batteries die. The next day, after recharging the batteries, he cuts a little more. He never really gets the job done without being frustrated.
Meanwhile, I'll use my gasoline-powered weedwacker, and cut everything neat in my back yard, side yards, front yard as well as my other neighbor's yard - in about the same time it took the battery-lover to do a small section. And I have plenty of fuel in the tank for several more weekends.
Gasoline-powered devices are very efficient and powerful. Battery-powered devices, not so much, and needs much improvement. They are useful for small gadgets like powered hand-drills, but not yet ready for heavy tasks (like a vehicle for moving cargo for extended periods).
No. The generating plants are far more efficient than automobile engines.
B.O.E. says about 25% overall for an electric car’s coal-to-wheel efficiency.