Posted on 05/06/2009 11:30:24 AM PDT by reaganaut1
In a move that will help cut oil use and greenhouse gases, at least eight big automakers are gearing up to sell new types of electric cars. GM, for example, plans to sell its Volt in 2010, while China wants to become the world's largest producer of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). And a few entrepreneurs, such as Segway inventor Dean Kamen, are designing novel prototypes.
Leading the charge is President Obama. He wants carmakers to put a million PHEVs on US roads by 2015.
Advocates of these next-gen cars, however, often act like someone who takes for granted that a light will go on whenever they flip a switch. They fail to ask two critical questions:
Will electric utilities be able to build enough power plants for all these electron guzzlers? And, even if they can, will new plants simply burn coal or oil in the same old dirty way – negating to a degree the anticarbon benefits of hybrid-electric cars?
Only a handful of studies have looked at these questions. "It seems that general excitement with the idea of PHEVs springs from the perceived possibility of a 'free lunch,' " states the latest study, done by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "There are some concerns, however, about whether this lunch is really 'free.' "
The study says many electric-car owners will likely want to charge their vehicles in the evening during peak usage, rather than at night – even with lower rates. The result may be a rise in coal or oil burning by utilities. And all electricity consumers could see rates rise by 40 percent or more.
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
We need more coal and nuclear power plants!!
People act like electricity is magically produced.
Big F@@@ing DUH!
I’ll take an 85% efficient electric motor over a 40% efficient internal combustion engine any day. Whatever increase in energy output is required will cost far less than pipelines, refining, cracking, and exploration. Closed-loop nuclear is probably the best bet for generating sufficient power, but i’m sure there will be others.
It’s a great time to be alive, folks.
Plus wait till they have to dispose of those batteries.
“Will electric utilities be able to build enough power plants for all these electron guzzlers? And, even if they can, will new plants simply burn coal or oil in the same old dirty way – negating to a degree the anticarbon benefits of hybrid-electric cars?”
We know that B.O. will not allow any new Nuke power plants so that leaves fossil fuel power plants.
But B.O. and his crowd care less. It’s just like the Clintons that “feel your pain” when your home electric bill goes up 40 percent so your neighbor can plug in his electric car.
“Closed-loop nuclear is probably the best bet for generating sufficient power”
Not as long as your idol B.O. is in office.
I’m a Liberal, I feel good about myself, don’t confuse with the facts. That about sums it up.
In LiberalUtopia it is. Just like money and wealth grow on trees.
The short of it is we are deliberately spinning our gears with an unworkable solution.
Smartgrowth socialists insist that freedom of travel is overrated, you should move near “downtown” or “doto” if you are “trendy” and ride public transportation or walk or bike ride.
And travel between cities is just plain wasteful in their worldview.
Though I have difficulty understanding in thermodynamic terms, everything I have heard quoted is for very low costs per mile for the plug-in hybrids and the like. It doesn’t make much sense to me sense you have to convert energy twice, from power line to battery and then from battery to locomotion, which is a waste of energy. However, it seems that electric power is much cheaper than gasoline power.
Can anybody explain the claims for low cost/miles for electric vehicles, or is this just a mirage?
It’s really worrisome to have these people running things.
If that.
And the heavy metal mining required for the raw material of the batteries will create environmental nightmares the likes of which have never been seen before.
But results don't matter. It's INTENTIONS that matter.
just like ethanol wouldn’t have an impact of food/prices.
Barack has already stated that he knows his policies are going to force energy costs to rise. He’s okay with it.
Americans have lived “too high on the hog” for too long and we are being taken down a few pegs.
In the name of global socialist justice.
Bingo!
You know what gets me...
It’s not like we haven’t been asking these questions. I mean it is not our fault they weren’t listening.
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