Steven V Johnson wrote:
OTOH, I could see the possibility of a group of enterprising people customizing their cars & vans with large battery banks to be used as energy storage. They could then cruise the freeways in wait of customers in need of a quick point, click, sale - charge.
Electricity is far cheaper than gasoline per vehicle mile. And the whole problem with electric cars is that they don't hold much energy in the first place. Assume the maximum range increases to 200 miles, or about 1/3rd of a Prius maximum range. With gasoline at $2.30 per gallon, it costs $9.20 to drive a Prius 200 miles, and it would probably take no more than than $3 to $5 worth of electricity.
So you are talking about people cruising the highly looking for an opportunity to sell $5 worth of energy to someone with a fully discharged battery (equivalent to nearly empty tank), or $2 worth someone who still has "half a tank" and needs enough to finish the trip. You would seldom earn more than $20 per day doing this.
If we start to run out of oil and the cost of oil skyrockets, the cost of electricity will go up, but not as much. You will still be talking about ~$20 per day income, adjusted for inflation. Little or no electricity is generated with oil, although it does take oil to mine coal or uranium.
- Jed
