Rethinking the Role of the Automobile

[palsan]

Originally Posted by BailOut

I wish I owned an EV or PHEV, and they're coming.
Yes, I talk the talk, and walk the walk. Is there anything else you would like to know about these kinds of things?

Bailout,

I'm not trying to pick a fight - in fact I commend you for your efforts.

I'm not convinced that electric vehicles are the answer to energy conservation. You must remember that electricity doesn't just appear - it takes energy to produce it!

In many cases electricity is produced from fossil fuels (the same ones you are trying to conserve by using EV's).

Even where electricity is produced from water movement (hydroelectric) or from the sun/wind (solar panels, wind turbines) etc. energy and resources are required to make the equipment to convert those forms of energy to electricity and to store the electricity to be available when needed.

I'm no engineer but I believe that when you actually add it all up an EV actually uses more energy per mile travelled than an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. I say this not as a statement of fact but based on reading somewhere that the ICE is currently the most efficient way of producing power.

One other point, just because one form of energy is cheaper to buy doesn't necessarily mean that its cheaper to produce. I'm not sure about where you live, but here in Ontario (Canada) electricity is highly subsidized so a comparison between electricity & gasoline to run a vehicle is an apples to oranges comparison. While it may be true that electric vehicles "save" energy for an individual (debatable), its unlikely that the overall impact to the economy/environment is positive.