Comments on: Together on electric cars http://www.carboncommentary.com/2009/04/08/548 A critical appraisal of issues in the move to a low-carbon economy Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:02:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Green Policies Central to Upcoming UK Budget | AvailableGreenEnergy.com http://www.carboncommentary.com/2009/04/08/548/comment-page-1#comment-2291 Green Policies Central to Upcoming UK Budget | AvailableGreenEnergy.com Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:03:50 +0000 http://www.carboncommentary.com/?p=548#comment-2291 [...] most headline grabbing policies are likely to come from plans to ‘green’ vehicular transport within the UK. The government sees opportunity for the UK to become a world leader in the field of [...] [...] most headline grabbing policies are likely to come from plans to ‘green’ vehicular transport within the UK. The government sees opportunity for the UK to become a world leader in the field of [...]

]]> By: Dave http://www.carboncommentary.com/2009/04/08/548/comment-page-1#comment-1930 Dave Wed, 15 Apr 2009 21:40:23 +0000 http://www.carboncommentary.com/?p=548#comment-1930 Gotty, It's easy to be negative about new things-- such as electric cars. Yes "the energy cost is high". But have you considered the energy cost of current (petrol/diesel) cars? Do you know that a petrol engine basically wastes about 4/5ths of the fuel energy as heat? (An electric powertrain wastes about a mere 1/10th of the electricity). Have you considered the challenge of peak oil? What about climate change? The future is either electric cars, or no cars at all. I don't have a problem with no cars at all (if we have better trains and buses and more bicycles) but being realistic I think electric cars probably have some place. I challenge you to sell us any other option. Business as usual? No thanks. Biofuels? Not in Northern Europe. Hydrogen? Where you gonna get it from? Electric cars are the only option, whether we like it or not. On your second point yes cars should not be simply about showing off--but the good news is that electric motors are actually briliant energy converters (electricalmechanical), much better than petrol/diesel engines, so you can have your cake and eat it in this regard. Batteries-- more progress required, but research is moving forward very quickly in this regard, faster than people realise. Gotty,
It’s easy to be negative about new things– such as electric cars. Yes “the energy cost is high”. But have you considered the energy cost of current (petrol/diesel) cars? Do you know that a petrol engine basically wastes about 4/5ths of the fuel energy as heat? (An electric powertrain wastes about a mere 1/10th of the electricity). Have you considered the challenge of peak oil? What about climate change? The future is either electric cars, or no cars at all. I don’t have a problem with no cars at all (if we have better trains and buses and more bicycles) but being realistic I think electric cars probably have some place. I challenge you to sell us any other option. Business as usual? No thanks. Biofuels? Not in Northern Europe. Hydrogen? Where you gonna get it from? Electric cars are the only option, whether we like it or not.

On your second point yes cars should not be simply about showing off–but the good news is that electric motors are actually briliant energy converters (electricalmechanical), much better than petrol/diesel engines, so you can have your cake and eat it in this regard. Batteries– more progress required, but research is moving forward very quickly in this regard, faster than people realise.

]]> By: Green Policies Central to Upcoming UK Budget « Green Electricity http://www.carboncommentary.com/2009/04/08/548/comment-page-1#comment-1920 Green Policies Central to Upcoming UK Budget « Green Electricity Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:54:34 +0000 http://www.carboncommentary.com/?p=548#comment-1920 [...] most headline grabbing policies are likely to come from plans to ‘green’ vehicular transport within the UK. The government sees opportunity for the UK to become a world leader in the field of [...] [...] most headline grabbing policies are likely to come from plans to ‘green’ vehicular transport within the UK. The government sees opportunity for the UK to become a world leader in the field of [...]

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