Who killed the electric car?

[Charles Stucker]

Naw, I have never heard of walking. Yep, couch potato indeed.

That much of your post is believable

 

[jjreview]

Lack of demand killed the electric car. The same thing that is killing BioFuels right now. People do not want the hastle of short range, long charge times, searching for fueling stations, less airconditioning. They whine why can't I just use gas? It was so much easier & faster.

Well, I don't like biofuels because I disagree with using arable land for ethanol corn, when there are still hungry people in the world, this seems insane. I don't like feed corn for the same reason. I'm not a vegetarian, I am just willing to pay more for beef.

Anyways, I have to agree with you on the electric car. Although you seem a bit gruff in your posts, you make a good point which is that the car wasn't "there" yet.

I think the Germans are doing great. Hybrid is just another word for efficient (non-wasted energy). So a hybrid diesel might get 100 mpg. Why don't we go that way BEFORE bio fuels?

 

[Charles Stucker]

Lack of demand killed the electric car. The same thing that is killing BioFuels right now. People do not want the hastle of short range, long charge times, searching for fueling stations, less airconditioning. They whine why can't I just use gas? It was so much easier & faster.

Well, I don't like biofuels because I disagree with using arable land for ethanol corn, when there are still hungry people in the world, this seems insane. I don't like feed corn for the same reason. I'm not a vegetarian, I am just willing to pay more for beef.

Add to your list the little problem that corn based ethanol has a very small energy return - you use almost as much to make the ethanol as you get back. Sugarcane has a good yield but corn does not. Moronic politicians and thier idiot supporters ignore the fact and push for "renewable energy" as a slogan rather than a true plan.

 

[jeffrockit]

Several things not addressed is where do you get the power to recharge these electric cars....coal fired plants would be a big source. That would somewhat negate any energy savings of the electric car. Also, how do you dispose of the spent batteries as they are not an infinite recharge.

 

[KissMy]

Well, I don't like biofuels because I disagree with using arable land for ethanol corn, when there are still hungry people in the world, this seems insane. I don't like feed corn for the same reason.

Why do you people think this is starving people? Soybeans were ground & pelletized into turkey, chicken & cattle feed before Bio-Diesel came along. The only difference now is the Bio-Diesel plant squeezes the soy oil out of the bean first before pressing them into pellets for feed. There is the same nutritional feed value after the oil is taken out except it is now low fat & healthy. It feeds about the same amount of animals. Bio-Diesel is a great bridge fuel that will run in all current diesel motors until they get hybrids or electric working. The true Energy Returned on Energy Invested for Soy Bio-Diesel is over 4:1

This is similar in Ethanol Production from corn. The people do not understand that animal feed comes out of these plants & feeds the same animals as before & uses the same production energy as before. This is all left out of the energy return equations. In the case of corn ethanol the starch is converted into ethanol but the protein remains in the Distiller Dried Grains (DDGS). The starch was bad for animals & caused cows to produce methane gas & abdominal pains. Even though only 1/3 of the corn remains by weight in DDGs, it has 3 times the feed value by weight. This remaining high protein DDGS feeds almost the same amount of animals as 3 times the corn would have. There is little food loss. We still export much of the corn & DDGs after feeding all of our people & animals. The true Energy Returned on Energy Invested for Ethanol is over 2:1

 

[RetiredGySgt]

And even though several people have pointed it out, you all are STILL ignoring the fact that our Electrical net is antiquated and short on extra energy to power millions of cars. UNLESS we build more coal fired plants, or Nuclear. But we need a good number.

60 percent of our electrical grid comes from FOSSIL FUELS. You want to had millions of cars to that grid without any idea how to create the electricity or the cost it will be in every thing from cash to the environment.

 

[Toro]

My friend Joe did it.

 

[JiggsCasey]

And even though several people have pointed it out, you all are STILL ignoring the fact that our Electrical net is antiquated and short on extra energy to power millions of cars. UNLESS we build more coal fired plants, or Nuclear. But we need a good number.

60 percent of our electrical grid comes from FOSSIL FUELS. You want to had millions of cars to that grid without any idea how to create the electricity or the cost it will be in every thing from cash to the environment.

this.

repeating the obvious, for effect: ... electricity is not an energy source.

 

[Screaming Eagle]

Wouldn't it have to be alive first before it could be killed?