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Post by AztecWilliam on Sept 30, 2010 12:13:05 GMT -8
(You know, I can't in good conscience let Joe do all the work in this section of AzM.  Here goes.) My wife and I drive three vehicles. One is a Ford F150, used for hauling different things, including furniture, fire food, and Rotties Karl Otto and Hedy Lamarr the Movie Star. Another is a Toyota RAV4, which I use to go to work (when I get the urge to work!) or ball games. Both are paid for! The third is a Toyota Prius. We easily get 42-45 MPG, sometimes over 50! Generally a nice car. But are electric cars the wave of the future? What's the best strategy for the U.S. with respect to industrial policy? Here are some views unlike those we are used to hearing. What do you think? blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2010/09/28/chitty-chitty-bang-bang-the-electric-car-industry-isnt-going-to-save-us/AzWm |
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Post by The Great Aztec Joe on Sept 30, 2010 13:14:47 GMT -8
As a Naval Nuclear Reactor Plant operator I learned a hell of a lot about energy generation. Each time you convert energy, you have losses. Assuming that the electricity that we are using is part hydroelectric and part Coal and part nuclear (All three sources are near to us and tied into the grid we use, the reality is that electric cars are very inefficient. When we burn coal to generate electricity a good percentage of the coals energy is wasted in the hot gasses that go up the smokestack. A good percentage of the electricity is lost to heat and electromagnetic wave generation as the electricity is passed over hundreds of miles of wire in the Electric Grid. The same thing applies to the electricity from Nuclear plants and hydroelectric plants. Waste! Waste! Waste!
If, indeed, our present climate problems are related to carbon gas generation, in charging up an automobile battery bank we are using a hell of a lot more energy in that electric car than we would be using in a gas powered auto.
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Post by The Great Aztec Joe on Sept 30, 2010 13:22:44 GMT -8
We would do far better if we were to create solar cell electricity and use that power to make hydrogen and oxygen fuel for fuel cells and then use fuel cells to drive electric cars. No CO2 or CO emission at all from the automobile or the conversion of sea water to fuel. You just have to have sunshine and God gives us that in abundance.
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Post by AlwaysAnAztec on Sept 30, 2010 14:11:17 GMT -8
On the waiting list for the Nissan Leaf. Can't wait.
They will be made right here in Tennessee.
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Post by aztecwin on Oct 2, 2010 11:21:09 GMT -8
Put the recharge system on the car roof and the roof of your garage and you have something to talk about.
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Post by The Great Aztec Joe on Oct 2, 2010 18:04:06 GMT -8
Put the recharge system on the car roof and the roof of your garage and you have something to talk about. If an economical system could be designed to recharge an electric car, I would support that. Right now they are taking power from the grid, and that is horribly wasteful and will eventually result in electric rates skyrocketing. If you are getting that energy from a fossil fuel plant, half of it is wasted before it turns the tires of the electric auto. The electric car is the most wasteful car on the road. |
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Post by aztecwin on Oct 6, 2010 8:18:55 GMT -8
Put the recharge system on the car roof and the roof of your garage and you have something to talk about. If an economical system could be designed to recharge an electric car, I would support that. Right now they are taking power from the grid, and that is horribly wasteful and will eventually result in electric rates skyrocketing. If you are getting that energy from a fossil fuel plant, half of it is wasted before it turns the tires of the electric auto. The electric car is the most wasteful car on the road. It could be the most efficient if someone in addition to me would use their head or imagination. |
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Here goes.)
