All electric vehicles?
I guess electrically powered vehicles are coming but seems to me they are presently only a rich person's toy with present technology. By that I mean, they're only good for around town and short trips ...
Forum Discussion
valhalla360 wrote:Lantley wrote:
I think what's missing in all of this is the internal combustion engine is a dinosaur.
An electric engine is so much more efficient that we can now see the internal combustion method is obsolete!
Yes changing the infrastructure presents a few challenges, but that's the easy part.
Changing everyone's mindset will be harder than the actual physical / scientific changes.
We currently have the knowledge to make electric cars reality.
Implementing those changes will take time. But the days of the internal combustion engine are numbered.
Once the "fuel" reaches the motor, electric is more efficient but when you consider from the fuel source to the wheels...at best it's a wash.
Most power is still fossil fuels and the generating efficiency then transport over the grid have significant losses. Then storing it in the batteries adds more...it's only if you ignore these losses that you get a big efficiency jump.
Even renewable like hydro has issues. They can scale back water usage at the hoover dam late night currently to save water in the reservoirs but if suddenly they need to run at 95% of max 24-7 because EVs are soaking up any production capability, do they run the reservoirs (already having issues) dry?
Can transporting power over the grid be anymore inefficient than trucking gasoline to gas stations? Transporting crude via tankers or refined oil products via rails? None of those methods are ultra efficient!
Granted there is a tipping point, but I could charge an EV at my house right now without much effect on the grid. Especially if I charged at off peak times.
