[theBuckwheat]

Any vehicle that relies on the electric utility grid to recharge its batteries is in essence powered by coal. If anyone boasts that these vehicles do no emit any pollutants, they are not including those emitted by the power plant, which in the case of coal is not insignificant.

A vehicle requires several dozen kilowatt-hours of energy to travel 100 miles, an amount of power that forces the power plant to burn many pounds of coal.

Coal generates slightly more than 50% of the electricity in the US.

see:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question481.htm

[drlevy88]

The plant will burn the coal more cleanly than the car could.

[RussP]

A car like this charged with nuclear-generated electric power is the ultimate combination.

See my webpage on nuclear power at http://RussP.us/nucpower.htm

[theBuckwheat]

Let me add that electric utilities, particularly in the northeast US burn oil because of the emissions restrictions. To the extent that recharging the batteries in an electric vehicle requires the utility to pump more oil into the boiler at the power plant, the car does indeed burn oil.

To a great extent, electricity in this country is fungible, even more so than hydrocarbon fuels are. Increasing the demand on the electric grid to recharge vehicle batteries will indeed increase the amount of coal, natural gas and oil that is consumed by utilities.

Environmentalists love to lecture the country that we are not "paying the full price" of oil, yet they refuse to recognize the "full price" to the environment for electric and hybrid vehicles. I say disclose the full price and let the consumer make an informed choice. Enviros would rather just make the choice for everyone.

[truth_seeker]

"Any vehicle that relies on the electric utility grid to recharge its batteries is in essence powered by coal."

Or natural gas, or nuclear, or hydroelectric, etc.

[wmfights]

"Any vehicle that relies on the electric utility grid to recharge its batteries is in essence powered by coal."
_____________________________

In my part of the country we get 70% of our electricity from nuclear power plants.

[Bubba_Leroy]

There is also the issue of what to do with the 6,831 lithium-ion cells that will need to be replaced every year or so.

[davisfh]

"Any vehicle that relies on the electric utility grid to recharge its batteries is in essence powered by coal. If anyone boasts that these vehicles do no emit any pollutants, they are not including those emitted by the power plant, which in the case of coal is not insignificant."

Exactly!! And, by the way, when someone comes up with a vehicle thusly powered that will tow a 6 ton fifth-wheel trailer from Mississippi to California, would you please, for God's sake, FreepMail me?

When pondering things of this gravity, it is always helpful to remember never to urinate into a gale force wind.