Electric car misconceptions
April 18th 2012 14:38
I had the misfortune to overhear some of my coworkers talking about electric cars and how they were no better than gas cars because they still draw power from big coal plants. It took all my will-power not to barge over there and put them in their place. Today I'd like to clear up a couple of these misconceptions regarding electric vehicles (EV's).
1) Because EV's use electricity a gas engine is just the same. Wrong. EV's take advantage of economies of scale. Thousands of V4, V6, and V8 engines are not nearly as efficient at generating power as one large coal or oil power plant. Also, some electricity on the grid is provided by renewable means such as wind or solar, whereas a gas engine is always fueled by gas (or maybe a biofuel, but see my other post about that).
2) EV's don't cut emissions that much because they are powered by traditional fuels on the grid. Wrong. Power plants generate electricity around the clock, and produce a steady state of emissions. Add on vehicle emissions and that's a lot! However, advocates of EV's and smart-grids are emphasizing off-peak charging to take advantage of this round-the-clock power generation. Therefore, EV's grab electricity that is already available and don't generate any extra emissions!
Armed with this knowledge, bring it up with those who are skeptical of the impact that EV's can have on the environment and the state of fossil-fuel consumption.
EV's like the Nissan Leaf have invaded traditional auto markets.
1) Because EV's use electricity a gas engine is just the same. Wrong. EV's take advantage of economies of scale. Thousands of V4, V6, and V8 engines are not nearly as efficient at generating power as one large coal or oil power plant. Also, some electricity on the grid is provided by renewable means such as wind or solar, whereas a gas engine is always fueled by gas (or maybe a biofuel, but see my other post about that).
2) EV's don't cut emissions that much because they are powered by traditional fuels on the grid. Wrong. Power plants generate electricity around the clock, and produce a steady state of emissions. Add on vehicle emissions and that's a lot! However, advocates of EV's and smart-grids are emphasizing off-peak charging to take advantage of this round-the-clock power generation. Therefore, EV's grab electricity that is already available and don't generate any extra emissions!
Armed with this knowledge, bring it up with those who are skeptical of the impact that EV's can have on the environment and the state of fossil-fuel consumption.
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