bagwell

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/...ck-to-gasoline

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

And what happens when everyone switches to electric? Oops, PG&E raises the price

There is no ONE solution to energy. In fact the green image of EV's is masking harmful processes to make and dispose of batteries. Oh well, ignorance is bliss.

doge

" Internal combustion engine vehicles use lead-acid batteries, and their recycle rate is about 98% in the US. The newer batteries for electric vehicles, such as those made of lithium-ion, include even more valuable and recyclable metals and will have a life well beyond the vehicle. In fact, a Belgian company plans to use Tesla Motor's electric vehicle battery pack material to produce an alloy it can further refine into cobalt, nickel, and other valuable metals as well as special grades of concrete. Technology will soon allow for EV batteries to store energy produced by solar or wind power"

https://content.sierraclub.org/evguide/myths-vs-reality

Vladi

Once solar panels, geothermal or whatever becomes more efficient to give you autonomy to make your own electricity then EV would be 0 pollution thing. Day like that will come but so will "the solution" from bureaucrats to tax us all, just like in Spain. After all they live off state owned and operated utilities and have nothing against getting a cut to tell you who will be your exclusive cable provider.

mmarshall

It's not as easy as it sounds. In most states, utility companies can't just jack up rates at will. Either a State Corporation Commission or some other type of utility-regulator has to approve rate-increases (and has the authority to order rollbacks). And that is usually not done unless the utility shows a lot of evidence that it needs the increase to keep up with the cost of generating.

1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

Survey maybe be skewed. I'm a big electric car fan but I don't ever see the day that we won't need a gas car. There will always be a combustion car around. We will never eliminate the gasoline car entirely.

Right now, I have 2 Gasoline cars. In the future, I see myself with an Electric Commuter daily car and Gasoline car for long distance travel.. I want to ask those people on the Survey how do they travel 600 miles? Do they stand around for 2-3 hours at the recharge station every 300 miles? In a Gasoline car, it takes like less than 4 mins to fill up a tank and be on your way.. This is my point in why gasoline cars may never go away..

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

obviously not sportscar owners but appliance owners

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Ford could probably make a killing from an Escape EV. They dropped the first and second generation hybrid when the third generation debuted in favor of the C-Max Hybrid and EV. That car though doesn't offer AWD.

gengar

I'm shocked it's only 9 out of 10. I don't think that's actually good news for EVs in their current state. At this point it's still such a huge decision that is largely dependent on each owner's specific circumstances, and no one would switch to an EV unless fully aware of all the implications (especially negatives) and having the positives significantly overcome those negatives. There's a huge degree of self-selection involved. If the satisfaction were any lower, it'd mean that EVs were simply awful.

bagwell

you missed this part...


Nice post...here's link info...!

ELECTRIC VEHICLES: MYTHS VS. REALITY
Myth 1: Switching to an electric vehicle will just mean that the same amount of pollution comes from the electricity generation rather than from the tailpipe — I'll just be switching from oil to coal.

Reality: According to a range of studies doing a ‘well to wheels’ analysis, an electric car leads to significantly less carbon dioxide pollution from electricity than the CO2 pollution from the oil of a conventional car with an internal combustion engine.[1][2][3] In some areas, like many on the West Coast that rely largely on wind or hydro power, the emissions are significantly lower for EVs. And that's today. As we retire more coal plants and bring cleaner sources of power online, the emissions from electric vehicle charging drop even further. Additionally, in some areas, night-time charging will increase the opportunity to take advantage of wind power -- another way to reduce emissions.

A caveat to consider is that when coal plants supply the majority of the power in a given area, electric vehicles may emit more CO2 and SO2 pollution than hybrid electric vehicles. Learn where your electricity comes from, what plans your state or community has for shifting to renewables, and whether you have options for switching to greener power.

Myth 2: Plug-in cars will lead to the production of more coal and nuclear plants.
Reality: Even if the majority of drivers switched to electric, the existing electrical grid's off-peak/nighttime capacity for power generation is sufficient without building a single new power plant. Studies have shown that electric vehicle owners will largely charge their vehicles at night when there is plenty of capacity on the grid. In some areas, new "smart charging" allows you and the utility to set up a system by which you and other electricity users distribute the load evenly during charging so that the system is not overwhelmed by increased demand.

Myth 3: Electric car batteries pose a recycling problem.
Reality: Internal combustion engine vehicles use lead-acid batteries, and their recycle rate is about 98% in the US. The newer batteries for electric vehicles, such as those made of lithium-ion, include even more valuable and recyclable metals and will have a life well beyond the vehicle. In fact, a Belgian company plans to use Tesla Motor's electric vehicle battery pack material to produce an alloy it can further refine into cobalt, nickel, and other valuable metals as well as special grades of concrete. Technology will soon allow for EV batteries to store energy produced by solar or wind power.

Myth 4: My electricity bill will go way up.
Reality: While you'll spend more on electricity, the savings on gas will more than cover it. If you drive a pure battery electric vehicle 15,000 miles a year at current electricity rates (assuming $.12 per kilowatt hour though rates vary throughout the country), you'll pay about $500 per year for the electricity to charge your battery, but you'll save about $1900 in gas (assuming $3.54 per gallon, a 28 miles per gallon vehicle, and 15,000 miles driven). So $1900 minus $500 equals $1400 in savings - a 74% reduction in fueling costs. Some utilities are offering EV owners lower off-peak/nighttime rates. The more we successfully advocate for these off-peak incentives, the lower your electricity payments will go.

Myth 5: Electric vehicles will just fail again like they did before.
Reality: Manufacturers are serious this time -- rolling out more than a dozen new plug-in models in the next couple of years. With higher gas prices and climate change worrying many consumers, stricter fuel economy standards for new vehicles required of auto manufacturers, and billions of public and corporate dollars being spent on an EV infrastructure and research in the US, EVs are here to stay.

Myth 6: My battery will run out of juice.
Reality: It is true that fueling an electric vehicles takes a different type of planning than for longer range conventional cars. However, the majority of drivers in the US drive less than 35 miles each day, sufficient for a fully charged pure electric vehicle (most can go 70 to 130 miles on one charge), and an extended range electric vehicle (that drives about 35 miles on electric and then the gasoline power kicks in). Using a 220-volt outlet and charging station, a plug-in hybrid recharges in about 100 minutes, an extended range plug-in electric in about four hours, and a pure electric in six to eight hours. A regular 110-volt outlet will mean significantly longer charging times, but for plug-in hybrids and extended range electrics, this outlet may be sufficient. Most of the time, the battery will not be empty when you plug in, thus reducing charging time.

Most people will charge at home. However, some businesses and public entities are beginning to install 220-volt public chargers. Some are installing fast-charging stations along highways and in public places that can re-charge a car to 80% of battery capacity in less than 30 minutes.

Myth 7: Electric vehicles are much more expensive than traditional vehicles.
Reality: While the initial sticker price of EVs is higher than traditional vehicles, you need to do the math to account for a variety of factors. For individual consumers, there is currently a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for the purchase of an electric vehicle, as well as a partial federal credit for the charging unit. Several states have additional tax credits on top of the federal ones. Additionally, the average plug-in vehicle driver will save between $700 and $1600 a year in fuel (the cost of electricity compared to gasoline). Due to a cleaner, more streamlined system under the hood, an EV may save the average driver about 46% in annual maintenance costs, according to one federal government study.[4]

Myth 8: Electric vehicles aren't available in my state.
Reality: Several plug-in vehicle models are available nationwide, and many others are available in many locations. Plug-in vehicle makers include Nissan, General Motors/Chevy, Tesla, Ford, Mitsubishi, BMW, and Toyota. Check your local dealerships to check on availability.

Myth 9: Charging an EV on solar power is a futuristic dream.
Reality: The technology to power your EV with solar power is already available. The investment in solar panels pays off faster when the solar power is not only replacing grid electricity, but replacing much more expensive gasoline. According to Plug In America, EVs typically travel three to four miles (or more) per kWh (kilowatt hour) of electricity. If you drive 12,000 miles per year, you will need 3,000-4,000 kWh. Depending on where you live, you will need a 1.5kW-3kW photovoltaic (PV) system to generate that much power for your vehicle using about 150 to 300 square feet of space on the roof of your home. According to SolarChargedDriving.org, for both vehicle and other home electricity needs, you will need about 7-10 kW of solar power in total on your roof. If your solar system is already in place but does not have enough panels for both home and vehicle charging needs, you may be able to buy a converter that can handle another "string;" micro inverter systems may be particularly good for this. Utility credits for the daytime solar power can offset the cost of charging the car at night. If solar PV isn't feasible at your home, find out if your utility offers a green energy option.



* Union of Concerned Scientists. “State of Charge: Electric Vehicles’ Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings Across the United States.” April, 2012. http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documen...ons-report.pdf

MIT Energy Initiative. "The Electrification of the Transportation System." April, 2010.

Electric Power Research Institute and Natural Resources Defense Council. "Environmental Assessment of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles." 2007. Cited February 16, 2011.

Touchstone Energy Business Energy Advisor. "Getting Charged Up Over Electric Vehicles." Cited February 16, 2011.

LeX2K

I think it is sad you actually believe what you wrote. Do you have any idea on how complex the recycling and disposal of an entire car is? But you know what we don't have to worry about with an electric? The disposal of the used oil, oil filters (many end up in landfills), air filters, fuel filters, emissions components, transmission oil etc. etc. that all goes away.

And that is not even taking into the account the massive increase of efficiency of the electric over a gasoline powered auto. AND the electric can and is powered by clean energy, this is impossible with a petrol burning car. Ignorance is bliss I guess.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

bagwell, i like how you simultaneously promote ev's and also salivate over the 700+hp fire-breathing mustang.

bagwell

hail yeah!

I wouldn't want a 700hp Mustang as a DD....it'd be nice to have an EV as a daily driver

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

And if the charging station is on the grid? Coal-Fired PowerStations are non-renewable.

Like I said above, there is no one solution to energy. This is why I like hybrids though, you tend to get a good balance of performance and efficiency. Still waiting on a GS plug-in.

___

This article is about Ford though. If 9/10 surveyors say they won't go back to ICE, then I refer back to this post:

Ford's sitting on a potential gold mine.

Toys4RJill

For me, this is the way I look at it.

My Corolla is a $21K car and I absolutely love it. It does not cost me all that much in gas ($45 a week) and get about 675km on a tank. I would gladly pay $2-3k more if they could make it electric with a range of 80km per day. I would like it to still have the gas engine which would only be used if the my range was to exceed 80km a day limit.

The issue is not that the Corolla burns to much gas, its that I may never need to visit a gas station again as I could get my short range electric car as well as a gas tank that comes with it for range.