I'm not sure how much we can generalise here. There is obviously a big difference between the environmental impact of an electric vehicle that you charge from a diesel generator in your back yard and one that gets its charge from hydro. I am also not clear on the total environmental cost of biodiesel.
Bill Silvert ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Bryant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, April 13, 2007 10:12 PM Subject: Re: Fuel efficient/zero emissions automobiles > Ernie, > > Could you provide some data source for this claim? I understand > that electricity is produced with fossil fuels but I also believe > that electric cars are so much more efficient than internal > combustion heat engines at providing transportation. So how do the > efficiencies compare between CO2 emissions at the source (tailpipe vs > smokestack)? > > David > On Apr 13, 2007, at 2:03 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> >> Electric cars and plug-in hybrids are only marginally better than >> ordinary >> hybrids in terms of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. They >> only appear to >> be better because most of the energy waste and CO2 happens "outside >> the box," >> back at the power plant. >> >> The best car today in terms of CO2 emissions is a diesel car using >> biodiesel >> fuel. You can find this documented in many places. The best current >> information will probably be found at _www.auto.xprize.org_ >> (http://www.auto.xprize.org) >> Or, search on Wang, Argonne National Laboratory. I can supply >> additional >> information to those that are interested. >> >> We should not be overly optimistic yet about saving the planet with >> better >> cars. Consumption of fossil energy is one of the top three >> environmental >> problems on earth, and cars are at its center. Most of the >> planet's organisms >> may be lost before we get this one under control. >> >> Ernie Rogers >> Driving for efficiency-- 65 mpg >> >> ------------------------------------- >> Wirt Atmar said, >> >> Given the level of concern that people have expressed about >> reducing their >> ecological footprint, particularly in regard to greenhouse gases >> and fossil >> fuel >> usage, I thought that I would mention some of the work that's >> being done in >> automobiles that you may not be aware of. >> >> This next statement is the kind of thing that's going to get me >> kicked out of >> the ecology club, but as Dick Cheney has said, "conservation is a >> personal >> virtue." It's something that you can't force on someone else. It's >> been >> suggested that everyone ought to proactively -- and with some >> significant >> self-sacrifice -- either drive 1970 Tercels or ride bicycles with >> milk >> baskets >> bungee-corded to the back of them. As a practical matter, none of >> this will >> ever >> happen, and it is somewhat foolish to ever imagine that it will. >> If you want >> to >> change the world, you have to do it in a manner that will be >> economically >> profitable to manufacturers and simultaneously attractive to >> consumers. >> >> But in that regard, people are farther along at building comfortable, >> attractive >> energy-efficient, virtually zero-polluting automobiles than you >> might think. >> These vehicles will have not only very close to zero greenhouse >> gas/pollutant >> emissions but will also have truly extraordinary mileage, and I >> thought that >> you >> might like to see them. <SNIP> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> ************************************** See what's free at http:// >> www.aol.com. > > David Bryant > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 978-697-6123 > >
