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electric Car conversion
CNN ^

Posted on 08/14/2008 8:32:27 AM PDT by wyowolf

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Larry Horsley loves that he doesn't buy much gas, even though he drives his '95 Chevy S-10 back and forth to work each day. Larry Horsley's pickup has a set of neatly arranged electronics where his engine once was. 1 of 2 Horsley, a self-described do-it-yourselfer, simply plugs his truck into an electric wall outlet in his Douglasville, Georgia, garage and charges it overnight, instead of buying gasoline refined from mostly imported oil.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: ecar; electriccar; energy; transportation
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To: wyowolf

Thanks!


21 posted on 08/14/2008 9:19:24 AM PDT by the anti-liberal
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To: wyowolf

How does he think they produce the electricity?


22 posted on 08/14/2008 9:28:26 AM PDT by Daveinyork
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To: wyowolf

I think a 427 Hemi in a Prius would be more fun.


23 posted on 08/14/2008 9:30:56 AM PDT by garyhope (It's world war IV, right here, right now courtesy of Islam. VRWC. TWP.)
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To: the anti-liberal

Electricity from the grid, obviously; it’s easier to control pollution from a few big sources than a lot of little sources (or, better yet, avoid generating the pollution in the first place by using nuclear generators).


24 posted on 08/14/2008 9:33:05 AM PDT by steve-b (Intelligent design is to evolutionary biology what socialism is to free-market economics.)
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To: the anti-liberal
How much is his monthly electric bill now? You beat me to it. My power bill is more than I spend on gas now. Maybe I could get the government to send me a rebate and bail me out.
25 posted on 08/14/2008 9:33:17 AM PDT by kcordell
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To: the anti-liberal
Well, I believe that from a $$ per gallon/Ah comparison, E is cheaper. As for the enviro factor, here's a PDF report that can explain it better than I.

Powerplant EV emissions impact

26 posted on 08/14/2008 9:38:59 AM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: kcordell
Imagine your monthly bill after charging up a car every night!

Personally, I really want a motorcycle (can't afford one right now, but I really, really want one! :^D ).

27 posted on 08/14/2008 9:39:04 AM PDT by the anti-liberal
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To: AFreeBird
Thanks! I'll check it out when I'm not at work.

(I noticed that it's written by the 'Electric Vehicle Association,' which makes me wary of bias.)

28 posted on 08/14/2008 9:41:25 AM PDT by the anti-liberal
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To: steve-b
(or, better yet, avoid generating the pollution in the first place by using nuclear generators)...

And Hydro, Solar, Geo-thermal...

29 posted on 08/14/2008 9:42:51 AM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: AFreeBird

For a comparison of E and G to be meaningful the cost of conversion (in this case - in other’s the cost and production of batteries, etc.) ought be taken into account.


30 posted on 08/14/2008 9:44:39 AM PDT by the anti-liberal
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To: the anti-liberal

I suppose there might be some bias, just like there’s bias on the other side of the coin. Still, he lists 22 different sources for his info.


31 posted on 08/14/2008 9:45:42 AM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: the anti-liberal
True, but in this case, the economy of scale (for EV) are not there yet, so I don't know if it is a fair comparison. The tech is still changing and advancing.

But on thing is true, the E motor is more efficient than it's gas counter part in converting its energy into work.

32 posted on 08/14/2008 9:49:55 AM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: AFreeBird

Thanks - it’s something we’ll just have to keep our eye on, and to make sure irrational ideology doesn’t get in the way (on both sides).


33 posted on 08/14/2008 10:02:24 AM PDT by the anti-liberal
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To: AFreeBird

Whichever — the point is that electricity generation offers more options and more ways to prevent or avoid pollution problems.


34 posted on 08/14/2008 10:19:50 AM PDT by steve-b (Intelligent design is to evolutionary biology what socialism is to free-market economics.)
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To: AFreeBird
the E motor is more efficient than it's gas counter part in converting its energy into work.

True.

However, the entire system for gas engines is something like this: pump oil, transport, refine, transport to station, fill tank, burn fuel, work.

For the electrical car it's something like: pump or dig fuel, transport, burn fuel to produce electricity, transmit electricity, charge battery, run electrical motor, work.

The electrical system has more stages, each with its efficiency loss. The electrical system is still probably more efficient, but not nearly as much so as most people think. The relevant issue is how much of the fuel winds up producing work, not the efficiency of an electric motor, which uses electricity that has nalready been produced with its efficiency losses in the process.

35 posted on 08/14/2008 5:51:50 PM PDT by Sherman Logan (qui)
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To: Sherman Logan

all of which is why nuclear is thesolution. The wackos piled on artifical work to decrease overall efficiency andrun up costs.


36 posted on 08/14/2008 5:59:48 PM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Conservation? Let the NE Yankees freeze.... in the dark)
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To: AFreeBird; wyowolf
"Battery tech is really the key."

No, a willingness to lose your freedom of mobility, and being gullible enough to spend a ton of money and end up with less than you started with are bigger keys.

Also the snooty ignorance of using electricty, the generation and transmission of which are grossly inefficient, and dirty, and overloading the power grid even further to boot, is an important key.

37 posted on 08/14/2008 6:13:56 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Jimmy Carter is the skidmark in the panties of American History)
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To: bert

I’m a big fan of nuclear. In fact, I think that if I were appointed dictator I could have America importing zero oil in 5 years, largely by switching most electricity production to nuclear, allowing domestically produced liquid fuels to be used for transportation.

However, the demand for “Sherman for dictator!” has not exactly been overwhelming.


38 posted on 08/14/2008 6:48:18 PM PDT by Sherman Logan (qui)
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To: Sherman Logan
allowing domestically produced liquid fuels to be used for transportation

That mostly what they are used for today. Less than 2% of our electricity is generated by petroleum. Much of what is used is petroleum coke and residual oil. Those are left over products from Crude Oil after products like diesel and gasoline are removed.

U.S. Electric Power Industry Net Generation, 2006


39 posted on 08/14/2008 6:58:56 PM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: thackney

My plan was not completely laid out. It would include expanded conversion to electric cars, run on the new nuclear power plants, as well as vastly expanded drilling for new oil.

Since I’m conquering Canada and Mexico, their production will in future be classified as “domestic.” Chavez better watch out, or he’s next.

As dictator, I don’t have to deal with financial, political or environmental considerations.


40 posted on 08/14/2008 7:07:07 PM PDT by Sherman Logan (qui)
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