1. Not as a general rule, but as an overarching dogma, for Progressive environmentalists, ideology trumps both science and cost-benefit analysis. Any concerns are irrelevant so long as green energy initiatives can lead to a press release claiming sustainability.
Which brings us to electric cars.
2. When the Democrats burnished their environmental creds by banning utensils from the Capitol dining room that werent able to be composted, they searched for utensils that they could compost. But, the spoons melted in soup so many more had to be used. The knives had a hard time cutting butter. And, they didnt actually biodegrade afterwards: they had to be processed ina aspecial pulper and then driven to Maryland in giant emission-belching trucks. (Berezow and Campbell, Science Left Behind, p.2.) And, in the same vein, electric cars are another example of putting activism ahead of science.
3. An electric car requires an array of battery cells, almost 500 pounds worth. http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/Battery-and-Electric-Vehicle-Report-FINAL.pdf
a. GMs EV1 NiMH (nickel metal hydride) weighed in at 1,150-1,400 pounds.
Nickel Metal Hydride | GREENDUMP and Berezow, Op.Cit., p. 99.
b. The Chevy Volt has a lithium-ion battery that weights in at 435 pounds. GM press release: CHEVROLET VOLTS REVOLUTIONARY VOLTEC ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEM DELIVERS EFFICIENCY WITH PERFORMANCE
4. The batteries are expensive, listed at $3,000-$4,000. Prius hybrid owners have been quoted at $7,000 and up.
Behind the Hidden Costs of Hybrids - HybridCars.com
a. It is unclear what replacement cost will be when labor is included.
5. Since the batterys ability to recharge declines with use, it must be replaced at about 100,000 miles. And the nickel metal hydride leaks energy- about 20 percent of capacity within the first 24 hours. http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/Nickel_based_batteriesbnn
6. The batteries pose a dramatic detrimental effect on the environment due to polytetrafluoroethylene binder and nickel foam materials. Life cycle environmental assessme... preview & related info | Mendeley
7. Basically, electric vehicles are dragging a lot of extra weight made of toxic materials in order to use stored energy that combustion vehicles can simply generate on the go. Berezow, Op. Cit., p.66.
8. And, of course, the elephant in the room is highlighted by this question: when you charge your electric car at night, where is the electricity coming from? No, the wall is not the correct answer. Probably, a coal-fired power plant .back to square one.
9. When the cost of replacing the batteries and the cost to recharge the batteries are considered, the cost to run a small electric car (non-hybrid) is about three times more than a conventional economy gasoline car. Since the cost of electricity tends to more or less follow the cost of fuel, it is unlikely that this ratio will change in the future. Electric cars are fun to have and drive, but you will not save money, nor will you really help the environment.
Electric Cars. Critical Questions and Ansswers regarding Electric Cars including how to build an electric car, safety, and are they in fact cheaper to run than conventional electric vehicles.
a. One of the biggest challenges for alternative powertrains is that consumers often have unrealistic expectations for the fuel-saving abilities of these vehicles, Marshall said. And particularly with hybrids, actual fuel performance often doesn't live up to the vehicle's EPA estimate. There is a real need to educate consumers about the technology and its benefits. J.D. Power | A Global Market Research Company
10. Environmentalism is all hype. The electric car doesn't save the environment...in fact poses a greater problem for the environment than conventional modes; doesn't cause less pollution- energy still comes from the same place as now; what the heck is it about?
a. In fact, more than half of the Prius buyers surveyed this spring by CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., said the main reason they purchased their car was that it makes a statement about me. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/business/04hybrid.html
Which brings us to electric cars.
2. When the Democrats burnished their environmental creds by banning utensils from the Capitol dining room that werent able to be composted, they searched for utensils that they could compost. But, the spoons melted in soup so many more had to be used. The knives had a hard time cutting butter. And, they didnt actually biodegrade afterwards: they had to be processed ina aspecial pulper and then driven to Maryland in giant emission-belching trucks. (Berezow and Campbell, Science Left Behind, p.2.) And, in the same vein, electric cars are another example of putting activism ahead of science.
3. An electric car requires an array of battery cells, almost 500 pounds worth. http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/Battery-and-Electric-Vehicle-Report-FINAL.pdf
a. GMs EV1 NiMH (nickel metal hydride) weighed in at 1,150-1,400 pounds.
Nickel Metal Hydride | GREENDUMP and Berezow, Op.Cit., p. 99.
b. The Chevy Volt has a lithium-ion battery that weights in at 435 pounds. GM press release: CHEVROLET VOLTS REVOLUTIONARY VOLTEC ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEM DELIVERS EFFICIENCY WITH PERFORMANCE
4. The batteries are expensive, listed at $3,000-$4,000. Prius hybrid owners have been quoted at $7,000 and up.
Behind the Hidden Costs of Hybrids - HybridCars.com
a. It is unclear what replacement cost will be when labor is included.
5. Since the batterys ability to recharge declines with use, it must be replaced at about 100,000 miles. And the nickel metal hydride leaks energy- about 20 percent of capacity within the first 24 hours. http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/Nickel_based_batteriesbnn
6. The batteries pose a dramatic detrimental effect on the environment due to polytetrafluoroethylene binder and nickel foam materials. Life cycle environmental assessme... preview & related info | Mendeley
7. Basically, electric vehicles are dragging a lot of extra weight made of toxic materials in order to use stored energy that combustion vehicles can simply generate on the go. Berezow, Op. Cit., p.66.
8. And, of course, the elephant in the room is highlighted by this question: when you charge your electric car at night, where is the electricity coming from? No, the wall is not the correct answer. Probably, a coal-fired power plant .back to square one.
9. When the cost of replacing the batteries and the cost to recharge the batteries are considered, the cost to run a small electric car (non-hybrid) is about three times more than a conventional economy gasoline car. Since the cost of electricity tends to more or less follow the cost of fuel, it is unlikely that this ratio will change in the future. Electric cars are fun to have and drive, but you will not save money, nor will you really help the environment.
Electric Cars. Critical Questions and Ansswers regarding Electric Cars including how to build an electric car, safety, and are they in fact cheaper to run than conventional electric vehicles.
a. One of the biggest challenges for alternative powertrains is that consumers often have unrealistic expectations for the fuel-saving abilities of these vehicles, Marshall said. And particularly with hybrids, actual fuel performance often doesn't live up to the vehicle's EPA estimate. There is a real need to educate consumers about the technology and its benefits. J.D. Power | A Global Market Research Company
10. Environmentalism is all hype. The electric car doesn't save the environment...in fact poses a greater problem for the environment than conventional modes; doesn't cause less pollution- energy still comes from the same place as now; what the heck is it about?
a. In fact, more than half of the Prius buyers surveyed this spring by CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., said the main reason they purchased their car was that it makes a statement about me. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/business/04hybrid.html
