We Don't Need No Stinking Sparky Cars

Well, I'll give the author half marks. He gets it that adopting electric vehicles won't really do anything about CO2 emissions, but he still apparently believes that CO2 emissions are a problem worth addressing, which they are not.

From what I can research, the Chevy Volt battery is only 16Kwh, which seems oddly small if a "basic BEV" is viewed to be 24Kwh. On the other hand, since nobody is buying them, I guess it really doesn't matter.

gordinkneehill: awesome comment.

What's missing in that chart is the smug emissions

I have maintained for years that the price is the indicator. the main input for all manufactuing is energy.

Syd, the Chevy Volt isn't really a pure electric, like the Nissan Leaf. It's a "plug-in hybrid" which can run for some distance on battery juice alone, and then its on-board gasoline engine kicks in to drive a generator to provide ongoing power.

Climate Depot has more stories on electric cars, including this one on Tesla.

http://www.climatedepot.com/a/17964/Watch-Now-Climate-Depots-Morano-on-Fox-News-on-fed-tax-dollars-to-electric-cars-The-old-adage-about-Who-killed-the-electric-car--while-I-think-Energy-Sec-Chu-killed-the-electric-car

This is hilarious. Infinite mpg! From GM's FAQ page about the Volt.

Q: How many miles per gallon will the Chevy Volt get?
A: A bit of a trick question. For the first 35 miles it will get infinite mpg, because no gas will be burned. When the generator starts, the car will get 37 mpg (35 mpg city/40 mpg highway) thereafter. One can calculate the average mpg per for any length drive starting with a full battery:

http://gm-volt.com/chevy-volt-faqs/

Electric cars not only emit more CO2 in some cases as illustrated; but the electricity to recharge them is about 50% supplied by burning dirty coal and creating toxic pollution like mercury which is a lot worse than a bit more CO2.

We're just using the wrong energy source -- wind power should be the future way of powering automobiles. All one needs is a set of sails on the vehicle and one is ready for travel. Trips might be a bit erratic, but then that would put the adventure back into traveling. Overpasses might be a bit of a problem if ones cars mast was too high, but wind power is best used on highways.

People would have to become numerate again in order to figure out how to estimate trip times based on wind speed and direction. Small towns in the interior US would see an influx of tourists as travelers stayed for days waiting for the wind to pick up again so they could continue their journey. Women would benefit as, instead of male drivers helping out female drivers to change a tire, women would be helping male drivers sew up ripped sails.

For those windless days, a set of foot pedals could be provided for the driver and all passengers thus increasing the physical fitness of the population in the process.

Once we've gotten the population used to highway travel by wind, then we can bring in a major innovation in the form of a more reliable, albeit slower, mode of transport -- the horse.

Thanks Kate, gona have fun sending this to my neice, she owns a Prius and works for Sierra. Can't wait to get her reply.

The comments section was very interesting, quite a debate there between young Oz-Bob and John Peterson the author. Young Oz the dreamist meets Peterson the real world investment consultant.
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