Regarding engineering, even with all the losses in electrical power generation and distribution it is still more efficient than a petroleum powered car overall is it not?
We've also been hearing for years and years that LED lighting is "just around the corner"... Even I was becoming very skeptical if LEDs would ever make the grade in real world lighting uses. Suddenly it has.
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>> “Regarding engineering, even with all the losses in electrical power generation and distribution it is still more efficient than a petroleum powered car overall is it not? <<
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Silly!
Chances are that the electricity that you use comes from petroleum or natural gas, and your use of that oil/ gas in an electric car is less than 50% as efficient as an IC engine.
Yup, as lights burn out around my house I’m replacing them all with LEDs. They look exactly right; only difference, trivial at that, is the LEDs turn on _faster_. Wasn’t long ago there was no apparent chance they’d ever be bright enough or have the right color temperature.
“even with all the losses in electrical power generation and distribution it is still more efficient than a petroleum powered car overall is it not?”
Nope. If you want to just look at energy and not cost, electric is not always a best efficiency. Coal is about 33% efficient at the plant, but add in all the other losses to get to the wheels of the car and that drops significantly.
Natural gas can be closer to 45% efficient, and is much better, but still does not warrant leaving gasoline behind due to it needing to be used at power stations. Transportation of natural gas to gas stations like gasoline drops its efficiency considerably since its energy per gallon is much less than with gasoline.
Gas engines in cars are about 30% efficient, but delivery of gasoline and it production is still within range of any other alternative.
There are many economic factors with all energy production from getting it from Earth to refining to distribution and storage vessels and engines. Toss in the convenience factor such as quick fill ups versus hours of charging, and gasoline and diesel are two excellent fuels.