shallowdeep
Posts: 343
Joined: 9/1/2006
From: California
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quote:
Why is it that we are allowed to have all-electric homes, but not all-electric vehicles?
In short, you can run power lines to a stationary house, but it's a bit more difficult to do so for a mobile car.
As a result, unlike with a house, a car needs to store its energy. Storing chemical energy in the form of gasoline is simple, provides a high energy density, and can be refilled quickly. Storing electrical energy in batteries has some disadvantages. Batteries add expense and weight to the vehicle, have poor energy density relative to gasoline, and require much more time to recharge. So, while battery powered cars may work for many commutes and short trips, they don't have the flexibility to easily take longer trips: likely a deal-breaker for many. As a result of these limitations, you don't see too many of them and, barring some major advances in battery technology, it's likely to stay that way. Of course, if you really want to buy a state-of-the-art, all-electric vehicle, no one is stopping you. The price might though...
Electric cars do have some benefits, but not all the ones sometimes ascribed to them. They are quiet and don't waste energy while idling in stop-and-go driving, although the latter benefit is shared with hybrid gas/electric vehicles. The idea that electric vehicles are clean and efficient, however, isn't necessarily true. While the actual battery charging and electric motor can be very efficient, the vehicles are ultimately only as clean and efficient as the source of electricity: the power grid. Unfortunately, the current grid leaves much to be desired in these respects. Similarly, while not needing to pay at the pump may be a nice feeling, the electrical energy you use isn't free - the cost will be showing up on your utility bill. Electricity can be produced from more than a single refined petroleum product, so there is at least a potential advantage in price due to multiple sources. However, many utilities charge tiered rates for heavy use to encourage conservation, which could hurt electric car users. I'm not sure whether electric vehicles or efficient gasoline ones would come out as the cheaper option currently... it would be interesting to look into.
It may also be worth noting that since vehicle transportation accounts for a large portion of energy use, the current grid couldn't support switching a large percentage of cars to batteries. New power plants would be required which would take time, and the supply and demand rebalancing would likely affect electricity rates. So, there is something of an infrastructure problem to deal with as well.
I believe that focusing on improving the efficiency of the current grid and reducing its environmental impact should be the current priority. A better grid will make a future transition to battery powered electric vehicles or fuel cell powered vehicles a significant improvement over internal combustion. With the current grid, there may be some improvements over internal combustion, but the benefits are limited. For the present, reducing vehicle weight and making more widespread use of gas/electric hybrids (possibly including hybrid plug-ins) makes more sense than pushing widespread "all-electric" vehicle adoption.
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