Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Don't think so locally. One must remember that the supply chain is also fossil fueled. Once peak gets serious what will fuel the supply chain?
I'd have to take a slightly less doomer-esque Howard Kunstler stance there. Trains and more localized production are the solution. Trains can be run on electricity, or maybe even a modernized version of steam power; ships as well, and we aren't going to run out of coal anytime soon. I don't think the whole world will come down because of it, but I also wouldn't count on a new revolutionary technology to magically appear and save us either.
I'd have to take a slightly less doomer-esque Howard Kunstler stance there. Trains and more localized production are the solution. Trains can be run on electricity, or maybe even a modernized version of steam power; ships as well, and we aren't going to run out of coal anytime soon. I don't think the whole world will come down because of it, but I also wouldn't count on a new revolutionary technology to magically appear and save us either.
all true to a point. One thing is sure life will slooooow down a bunch as transportation takes longer.
Rare earth elements are needed to build the batteries for hybred cars. China currently has 95.7% of the rare earth element reserves on the planet. It seems to me that we would be trading one modest problem of importing oil from many countries to a huge problem of importing rare earth elements from one country with a questionable past and motives. Nobody gives much thought to how these batteries are built, how rare the materials needed to build them are or where the materials come from. Oil is much more available than rare earth materials.
A large number of the power plants that generate the electricity burn oil!
So what is that "large number?"
Never mind, Oil is a very minor fuel for electricity in the Continental US.
Quote:
Nuclear power anyone??
No Thanks.
But how bout cancer and hazardous waste?
Real Deal -- Electricity is already surplus, and renewable can handle all the growth from electric ground transportation -- if there even is much growth -- but also phasing out Coal and Old Nukes as it expands.
Also consider it the nations electric grid can supply , let alone carry, the electric load of cars and all the other ever increasing use of electricity for everything we do in our high tech world.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gixxer1K
That plus the Grids cannot handle the power usage when we have a heat wave like we did last week. What do you think will happen when millions of electric cars are plugged in? Typical of the Govt. though putting the cart before the horse!
Most electric cars (currently) are charged at night when the electrical grid isn't overloaded and usage is very minimal. For instance, temperatures are cooler at night (even in the desert, my property in Eastern AZ is hitting 65 degrees at night currently), most people are asleep and during that time of day most businesses are closed. About the only businesses open at night are IHOPs, gas stations, some fast food drive throughs and Wal-Marts. This is basically why the point you mentioned (e-cars overloading the grid) isn't a prime concern.
Also, to combat grid overload during the day, we have solar on the horizon for that.
Last edited by Alphalogica; 07-14-2010 at 05:35 PM..
I've brought this up before but I think it's still relevant:
If you want to make a good investment, buy a home within electric car range of a population and/or job center. In 10-30 years such properties will be hot commodities.
Don't forget telecommuting/virtual reality and communications in general can and will play an increasing role. i.e. What are we doing now?
Rare earth elements are needed to build the batteries for hybred cars. China currently has 95.7% of the rare earth element reserves on the planet. It seems to me that we would be trading one modest problem of importing oil from many countries to a huge problem of importing rare earth elements from one country with a questionable past and motives. Nobody gives much thought to how these batteries are built, how rare the materials needed to build them are or where the materials come from. Oil is much more available than rare earth materials.
Yes where oh where do we get all the lithium and nickel?
They still have significant technology hurdles to surpass to make electric cars work. Carrying one person in 70 degree weather, fine, put the car under load going up hills, with kids on board with the AC going and the power drops like a rock. What do you do if the battery runs down stuck out in town somewhere?
The other issue that I have seen, having been a party to some of the cold weather testing that goes on is that in cold weather, the batteries are as useful as a block of ice. Good luck starting the car or going anywhere.
Also except for a few wonky people, your average American consumer is not going to want to plug their car in for 8-16 hours every night recharging their car. Until someone comes up with a 300 mile range and the ability to zap the batteries in 3 minutes, forget it.
Electric cars have been around since the car was "invented" in 1885. There was some significant production of electric cars in the early 20th century. They never caught on for these practical reasons and still haven't.
And besides where does all this electricity come from? The electrical grid is out of date, the neoconfusionists lead by barack obama are opposed to building new power plants, so where does it come from?
Also, to combat grid overload during the day, we have solar on the horizon for that.
Solar again needs some significant technology jumps. At the moment with solar when you compare the costs of panels and maintenance, it takes decades to get your money back and break even and that outlasts how long the panels will actually survive. Solar in our lifetimes will only ever been a supplement and in places like where I live, pretty useless for much of the year.
Wind isn't reliable either as Denmark has found out, with coal fired plants still running the same they did before. Wind again is a supplement but not a savior.
People say well I'll rig up a bunch of solar panels and wind turbines at my house and I'll run my electric car off of that. Well go ahead, but to me spending a $100K at a minimum on all that junk doesn't make much sense.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Typical of the Govt. though putting the cart before the horse! 
