Orangehair- you're right about an electricity plant. But one big thing to remember- only electricity is American based, does not pose security issues to obtain, we have an unlimited supply and are never forced to compromise our values, American lives or money to keep. No ICE will ever top that- ever.
On to the engineering: I read your post- I must say my research disagrees a little.
It is true that, given our current sources of electricity, we would still be using fossil fuels (mostly coal; 70% by some estimates) to generate most of the electricity that would run our electric cars. However, it is worth pointing out several things that make the switch to electric cars worthwhile even if we never moved away from “dirty†sources of electricity:
1) It is much easier to regulate and control pollution from single large point sources (power plants) than it is to control it from a couple hundred million cars.
2) When new technology becomes available that can either reduce the pollution from power plants (i.e better pollution control devices) or nearly eliminate it altogether (i.e. a wholesale switch to wind or solar), it is much easier to implement those new technologies for a handful of power plants than it is for a couple hundred million cars.
3) Distribution of electrical energy is hugely more efficient than distribution of liquid fuel energy, therefore, even if fossil fuels are powering our cars through power plants, the amount of fossil fuel used per mile of car traveled is way less.
4) The conversion of electrical energy into movement in an electric car is roughly 80% efficient. The conversion of fossil fuel energy to movement in a gas powered car is roughly 30% efficient. This means much less wasted energy in an electric car.
5) Electric cars have a fraction of the amount of moving parts and, hence, lubrication requirements of gas powered cars, which mean less petroleum products used for lubrication as well.
On to the engineering: I read your post- I must say my research disagrees a little.
It is true that, given our current sources of electricity, we would still be using fossil fuels (mostly coal; 70% by some estimates) to generate most of the electricity that would run our electric cars. However, it is worth pointing out several things that make the switch to electric cars worthwhile even if we never moved away from “dirty†sources of electricity:
1) It is much easier to regulate and control pollution from single large point sources (power plants) than it is to control it from a couple hundred million cars.
2) When new technology becomes available that can either reduce the pollution from power plants (i.e better pollution control devices) or nearly eliminate it altogether (i.e. a wholesale switch to wind or solar), it is much easier to implement those new technologies for a handful of power plants than it is for a couple hundred million cars.
3) Distribution of electrical energy is hugely more efficient than distribution of liquid fuel energy, therefore, even if fossil fuels are powering our cars through power plants, the amount of fossil fuel used per mile of car traveled is way less.
4) The conversion of electrical energy into movement in an electric car is roughly 80% efficient. The conversion of fossil fuel energy to movement in a gas powered car is roughly 30% efficient. This means much less wasted energy in an electric car.
5) Electric cars have a fraction of the amount of moving parts and, hence, lubrication requirements of gas powered cars, which mean less petroleum products used for lubrication as well.
