Make it go from Indy to Evansville without charging. Okay, I can deal with a battery change at former gas station - We aren't there and ain't gettin there soon. Now, I AM buying that scooter...
Electricity is made in huge quantities in power stations. The most common type of power station is powered by coal. So what is the ecological advantage of an electric car?
Whit, That is an excellent question. I have the answer. 1) Current gas burning engines are efficient at about 25%, this means the calories or btu capacity of the fuel is turned into heat, and 75% of it is lost through the radiator and atmosphere as waste heat, wasted energy from a highly polluting energy source. 2) About 75% of the nations electricity is produced from coal, which makes a lot of CO2 and yuckey poo soot. Then a little of it is made with natural gas at 50% as much CO2 and no yucky poo soot, but fracking damage. The rest comes from hydro, wind, solar, nukes, which we can generalize as making zero CO2 or soot. 3) Electric car engines operate at about 90 to 95% efficiency, very little of the energy is lost and fails to contribute to propelling the wheels to roll. 4) There are two things here, the high pollution load of each energy source, and the efficiency of making heat roll the wheels. I do not recall the values, but those who study this have figures on it I have seen. The electric automobile creates a smaller carbon foot print than a gas or diesel powered one.
The problem with plug-ins is that they still need to be plugged in.
When you draw electricty from an outlet, you have to look at the source and what is "fuelling" the generation of the electricity. Most likely it's coal.................
We need to focus more on mass transit, bicycles and walking.
Illumination Guy True the problem is we are plugged in. My point here was not to make coal burning for electric cars guilt free, but there is a difference in the harm level to the planet, and the least damage to the environment is the electric car. From a 21% to 58% advantage to electric car depending on the age of the coal plant, percent of alternative input, and most importantly the method of calculation. Google footprint electric car vs gas.
Sarge, you don't need a car right now, wait a few years, maybe the scooter then later a car with some newer tech we don't know of yet, or public transport.
I have to admit, the gas powered dentist tool scared me a bit.
ReplyDeleteMake it go from Indy to Evansville without charging. Okay, I can deal with a battery change at former gas station - We aren't there and ain't gettin there soon.
ReplyDeleteNow, I AM buying that scooter...
Sarge
Electricity is made in huge quantities in power stations. The most common type of power station is powered by coal. So what is the ecological advantage of an electric car?
ReplyDeleteWhit,
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent question. I have the answer.
1) Current gas burning engines are efficient at about 25%, this means the calories or btu capacity of the fuel is turned into heat, and 75% of it is lost through the radiator and atmosphere as waste heat, wasted energy from a highly polluting energy source.
2) About 75% of the nations electricity is produced from coal, which makes a lot of CO2 and yuckey poo soot. Then a little of it is made with natural gas at 50% as much CO2 and no yucky poo soot, but fracking damage. The rest comes from hydro, wind, solar, nukes, which we can generalize as making zero CO2 or soot.
3) Electric car engines operate at about 90 to 95% efficiency, very little of the energy is lost and fails to contribute to propelling the wheels to roll.
4) There are two things here, the high pollution load of each energy source, and the efficiency of making heat roll the wheels. I do not recall the values, but those who study this have figures on it I have seen. The electric automobile creates a smaller carbon foot print than a gas or diesel powered one.
fringe -
ReplyDeleteThe problem with plug-ins is that they still need to be plugged in.
When you draw electricty from an outlet, you have to look at the source and what is "fuelling" the generation of the electricity. Most likely it's coal.................
We need to focus more on mass transit, bicycles and walking.
Illumination Guy
ReplyDeleteTrue the problem is we are plugged in. My point here was not to make coal burning for electric cars guilt free, but there is a difference in the harm level to the planet, and the least damage to the environment is the electric car. From a 21% to 58% advantage to electric car depending on the age of the coal plant, percent of alternative input, and most importantly the method of calculation. Google footprint electric car vs gas.
Sarge, you don't need a car right now, wait a few years, maybe the scooter then later a car with some newer tech we don't know of yet, or public transport.
ReplyDeleteRed Skeeter;
ReplyDeleteAsk for the laughing gas.