[USMA:41392] Newton for automobile efficiency

[J. Ward]

Perhaps newtons could be useful for energy consumption of automobiles.  
It would be a way to compare vehicles with different technologies, such 
as gasoline, diesel, electric, hydrogen, etc.  I've seen electric 
vehicles advertised with their "efficiency" expressed in miles per 
gallon.  I assume this is calculated by considering the chemical 
potential energy of gasoline if burned in oxygen.  It seems sad to start 
with a motor whose mechanical and electrical powers are measured in 
kilowatts, with batteries supplying electricity measured in amperes and 
volts, and then to bastardize these standard units into units of 
equivalent gallons of gasoline.  The results are also misleading since 
the efficiency of the power generation were not taken into account, 
e.g., how much coal was used to drive a certain distance?  Anyway, I 
would prefer to use newtons over generically measuring energy in units 
of gallons of gasoline.  Reminiscent of the dreaded BOE....

J.