I can assure you that it will be made of metal.
To be socially acceptable to the masses of greenies, they must be made of recycled 2 liter plastic bottles and aluminium drink cans. (: More of the former and less of the latter to reduce the weight.
Since we don't make electricity from oil in this country, electric cars have the potential to reduce our consumption of Jihad Juice by 90%.
Our electricity is generated from nuclear and conventional natural gas/coal fired, and wind generators in our area. A good deal of the energy generated is wasted in the distribution process. Electric cars and batteries just add another wasteful link in the distribution of that energy. Vehicles powered by petroleum products will be around for a while longer based on their scientific and economic merits unless outlawed by the EPA and legislation. Nevertheless, we can still produce a lot of plastics and other synthetics from our oil.
I'm not anti-electric cars but they are not a must-have for me at this time. As long as social engineering attempts to influence the laws of science and economics in their favour, there will be people who believe them to be a solution to a non-existent problem.
Naw, the average loss for transmission is 6%.
“Electric cars and batteries just add another wasteful link in the distribution of that energy.”
Electric motors have efficiencies over 90%. Granted, the main energy loss is at the power plant, whether it be coal, natural gas, or nuclear. However, these plants are more efficient that the combustion engine under your hood. For all these reasons, and a few others, electricity costs about half of what gasoline costs on a per-mile basis.
“Vehicles powered by petroleum products will be around for a while longer based on their scientific and economic merits unless outlawed by the EPA and legislation. Nevertheless, we can still produce a lot of plastics and other synthetics from our oil.”
No doubt.
“I'm not anti-electric cars but they are not a must-have for me at this time. As long as social engineering attempts to influence the laws of science and economics in their favour, there will be people who believe them to be a solution to a non-existent problem.”
From what I've read, the “social engineering” issue seems to be the biggest holdup for conservatives. However, I do think there is a valid public interest in promoting electric vehicles. After spending a trillion dollars fighting the last oil war in Iraq, I think it is an extraordinarily good use of a few billion dollars to encourage a new technology that will prevent us from ever needing to worry about energy security again.
I think it is silly how some conservatives (not you, just in general) will gripe about a couple billion but are not bothered by spending our blood and a trillion of our treasure. One of the biggest electric car advocates I know is a conservative, Obama hating, lib-bashing Chevy Volt owner with an NRA sticker on his bumper. He was a desert storm veteran so he has strong opinions regarding why he bought his Volt.
I swear, if so many republican politicians had not been deluged with the hundreds of millions of dollars of campaign contributions that the Koch oil billionaires spread around, the Volt would never have been the political football that it turned out to be. I think the oil industry in general soiled their pants at the idea of a car with which you could drive the first 40 miles every day on electricity (and which only used gasoline if you needed to go on a trip).