Jones Beene wrote:
That is - figuring that the average passenger vehicle in the United
States is getting 22.4 mpg according to the Bureau of Transportation
Statistics and the average US driver travels 13,000 miles yearly. In
total, the average US driver uses 580 gallons of fuel each year =
$2,300+ per year.
That's about right. The EIA had average driving distance of 11,766 in 2001.
However, some people commute longer distances. They would be good
candidates for the Volt.
If we assume that the cost of batteries is $20,000 and that a full
replacement guarantee is only good for 50,000 miles - then the
yearly amortized cost of the batteries alone - even if the electric
power is FREE which it isn't of course, could end up being a lot
more than the average cost of gasoline....
Not to mention the pollution is not eliminated - it is simply moved
to the grid plant.
That is incorrect:
1. Electric cars consume much less energy per mile so there is not as
much pollution in the first place.
2. Pollution abatement at most power plants is much better than for
individual automobiles (except for CO2 of course).
3. A large fraction of electricity comes from pollution-free sources
such as nuclear power and hydroelectricity. In some states, at
nighttime when cars will be recharged, nearly all electricity comes
from baseline nuclear power plants, or wind power in Texas.
The diesel will actually get better net efficiency - than going from
grid-->home-->batteries-->vehicle, because of all the loses at every
step -- so there is even less net pollution than with the Volt.
I doubt it. I have read they are about equal. Certainly not if the
electricity if generated with uranium or wind. Electric power
generation efficiency is improving faster than automobile engine
efficiency, as old coal-fired plants are being phased out and more
wind power comes on line. If the US builds 10 or 20 more nuclear
power plants it will be very difficult for any form of ICE to rival
electric power for low pollution.
Bear in mind that you have to factor in the energy used to refine oil
into Diesel fuel. Preparing the fuel at a power plant is usually less
energy intensive than this.
- Jed
