Reality check on plug-in cars

Seattle Times ^ | February 22, 2009 | Danny Westneat

[reaganaut1]

If the plug-ins are not economical yet, that shows the need for more government subsidies and mandates. I'm joking, but Obama would say this with a straight face.

[Paladin2]

Turbo-Diesels do just about as well, at a lower initial cost and with a longer life expectancy and no range degradation.

[Jeff Chandler]

Gasoline and Diesel are the only fuels which make sense for transportation.

But some folks like to live on wishful thinking.

[Cicero]

Yes, let’s just throw a few trillion at it, while we shut down the coal plants and the nuclear plants and raise the taxes on the power utilities. So people can have a choice of whether they want to use their electric ration to light their houses or run their cars.

[Piquaboy]

Repair costs for hybrids are out of sight.

[ozark hilljilly]

I've never understood the popularity of a plug in car.
Do they think the electricity just jumps right out of the wall outlet from thin air?
Something must generate that power. Burning coal, nuke, water turbines, etc. It always seemed counter productive to the point it was “Good for the environment”.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Sixth grade math wins again. Too bad it’s become an arcane, dark, unknown study among the ruling elites who know better. After all, their feeeeeelings are so much more important than irritating facts and simple calculations.

[Poseidon]

Didn’t read the whole article but if it’s like all the rest, it doesn’t take into account the electricity consumption at that ‘lil ‘ole plug in the wall. I know that many in Liberal Amerika think that electricity just magically appears at the wall socket but here in the real world we know that there is a “cost” to producing electricity.

[Poseidon]

I guess I was busy editing my reply when you beat me to the punch. I defer to you O Wise One.

[Beagle8U]

I had a ford escort station wgn that would get 47 mpg highway, going 70-80 mph with the AC on full blast.

PS..It didn’t take 12 hrs to charge, with $10 or so in elec, and it didn't have a freaking $8000 battery that has to be replaced every 3 years!

[mountainlion]

It takes a 1200 pound battery to store as much energy as 10 gallons of gas. Imagine the freight cost of hauling an extra 1200 pounds along with you.

[mysterio]

We need to build a whole bunch of nuclear plants whether we’re going the electric car route or not.

[Pessimist]

“Not counting the cost of the electricity”

That’s particularly lame then.

[PUGACHEV]

Since we haven't yet found the secret to perpetual motion, or some way around the Second Law of Thermodynamics, there is no free energy. The volts we draw from the battery to drive our green cars have to be put there most likely by burning coal, gas, or oil, in some distant power plant. So, I don't see the point.

[ozark hilljilly]

O wise one??? LOL!!
Seen my tagline?
; )

[o_zarkman44]

Wait till everyone in the city gets a plug in car, and plugs them in at 5pm when getting home from work.

It will create peak demand spikes. Without power generation the grid will fail. The lack of common sense is astounding.

But we need to hurry up to save the Earth so who needs to worry about meeting long range needs?

[null and void]

Gasoline and Diesel are the only fuels which make sense for transportation.

Nonsense. Coal has twice the volume energy density of diesel...

[RainMan]

WA Ping

[hoosierham]

I think many liberals believe deep down in MAGIC;as in something for nothing.

As long as the noise and smoke(exhaust) is kept away from them,they FEEL so good about the electric car.

Many liberals are terrible at math and cost-benefit analysis.They just FEEL enough electric can be made by tiny ,unobtrusive windmills and solar panels.They ignore the manufacturing and maintenance costs,and the need for storage.

That said,present technology could convert the roofs of most of America's private homes and many commercial buildings into energy sources.The trouble is it would only cost 5 or 10 times as much as just using modern coal and nuclear power plants.

[null and void]

So people can have a choice of whether they want to use their electric ration to light their houses or run their cars.

We can keep people in cold, dark cities.