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Plug-in Hybrids: Renewable Energy Solution of the Month
By admin | August 30, 2010
To help support Climate Denial Crock of the Week Go to climatecrocks.com This video inaugurates a new series, that will augment, but not replace, “Climate Denial Crock of the Week”. Many people seem to think dealing with climate change will bring poverty and limit human development. The truth may be exactly the opposite. Moving to a world of where we aren’t fighting each other over the last few drops of oil, where energy is free, will mean a better life, with greater opportunities even for an expanding population. If we make the right decisions, we could be on the verge of the most prosperous period in human history. Climate Denial Crocks will be back soon to tweak trolls and ding deniers. www.ferc.gov www.environmentamerica.org www.udel.edu www.udel.edu newenergynews.blogspot.com climateprogress.org
Topics: electric cars | 25 Comments »
August 30th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
@Farksisten
will probably treat the topic at some time – not in the queue as of now.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Greenman, I really applaud your for your work here on YouTube. Particulary this video series, they’ve blown me away with stuff I didn’t know before.
And speaking of technology, do you have any plans for covering the subject of geoengineering? I read an article about it in a science magazine a few months back, and found it really intriguing.
August 30th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
@greenman3610 Yes, but the problem is that the technology has been around for a very long time and nowhere near enough headway had been made. Cost for the nickel hydride batteries have come down a good bit; from near $8000 – 10,000 down to somewhere under $4000. That’s great… but it’s taken quite a long while. I’m not saying that it isn’t viable. Just that better batteries and charging methods will have to be developed before the general public is going to invest in them.
August 30th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
@upinarms79
think just 20 years ago…
These new fangled “cell phones” are fine, but who wants to carry something that’s big and heavy like a brick?….”
10 years ago
“Who’s going to buy a flat screen TV? They’re so expensive! Just a toy for the rich.”
August 30th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
I would be fine with the idea of using battery-powered vehicles, if only there were an affordable design that could provide longer continuous use by offering more mileage in a day without need to charge for several hours. 200 – 300 miles with an 8 hour or more charging period doesn’t really get it for me. I already own a gasoline-powered car that gets 38 mpg-highway. The swapping station might be a viable idea, however. I’m all for cheaper, cleaner energy… be it wind, solar or nuclear.
August 30th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
@wakeangel2001 They would not only be charging stations, but would be grid feed stations (in the case where electric cars had solar cells on the roof), so that there is a benefit to the grid which gets more power to meet peak demands, as well as a benefit to the car owner/user who gets to recharge their car. Assuming sunlight, and assuming tough solar cells on car roofs (we recently had a hail storm here that has left a lot of cars on the road looking like golf balls).
August 30th, 2010 at 9:45 pm
(CNN) — A highway-worthy airplane moves one step closer to production with a recent weight exemption approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Transition Roadable Aircraft, developed by Massachusetts-based engineering firm (…)
Transition is designed for trips of up to about 450 miles and can travel about 100 miles per hour in the air and “highway speeds” on the ground (…)
the Transition will cost $194,000. The first delivery will occur in about 18 months (…)
Supercar!
August 30th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Thanks for some possitive news!! even if it may not all happen it is good to hear.
August 30th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Why feed the energy from the car battery to your grid? Why not just directly power your house with it? Only surplus goes into the grid.
August 30th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
amazing video! this explains a lot of my questions about electric cars! Thanks
August 30th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
I see, compared to the potential revenue the grid could gain the investment of setting up charging stations around the block (which could be as simple as a weather protected outlet sticking out of the ground) is a minor cost.
August 31st, 2010 at 12:10 am
@wakeangel2001
When apartment buildings and housing projects figure out that charging stations plus electric vehicles produce revenue, you will see them become available. There are a number of initiatives in several states to set up charging stations.
August 31st, 2010 at 1:03 am
this is all fascinating, but I have one question. I live in an apartment in the projects, I and hundreds of neighbors don’t have a garage, we all simply park on the street. I’m certain that this situation is true for millions of city dwellers throughout the world. If we were to get plug in hybrids, where exactly would we plug them in? I think we’re going to need to commit to at least one more change in infrastructure so we can all have outlets available.
August 31st, 2010 at 1:44 am
@tantpwei Their power plants are up to 40% less efficient than our latest plants. Batteries are terribly inefficient (takes 1.6 watts to charge 1 watt). They are also far dirtier. Coal fired power plants produce all kinds of nasty stuff besides co2. Believe me, right now the Chinese are better off with diesel fuel cars.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:07 am
@christo930 Electric cars are more than 80% efficient in converting its energy while gasoline cars’ efficiency less than 15%. So even if the electric power plant is 40% less efficient it still makes plenty of sense to switch to electric car.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:08 am
Don’t forget to vote for Greenman in the Brigher Planet contest.
.
brighterplanet. com/project_fund_projects/138
August 31st, 2010 at 2:19 am
@silatube — oops, that’s 32 MJ/liter, not /gallon. The efficiency numbers are correct though.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:06 am
@rusty1491
There’s about 32 MJ of energy in a (US) gallon of gasoline. That’s about 8.9 kWh. But there is a big problem: burning it in a typical Otto-cycle (gasoline) engine, using that to power wheels, you lose over 80% of it. So you get 1.75 kWh of propulsion.
.
By contrast, the “heat rate” of a modern combined-cycle gas turbine plant is under 7000, making it about 50% efficient. Add in losses in electric cars and you get approximately 40% efficiency: twice as good.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:53 am
@alessandramarcarian
You can indeed recycle Li-ion batteries. Right now it’s generally not done because the supplies of fresh material are too cheap to bother. Also, most of the components (the lithum, iron, and phosphate if it’s LiFePO4 for instance) are basically non-toxic.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:58 am
thanks for yr wise words Greenman!
Better is better!!!
August 31st, 2010 at 4:45 am
The Chinese would be better off burning gasoline as far as co2 is concerned. Despite their electric power plants being all new, they use old technology 40% less efficient than current technology! All these cars do is move the co2 from the tailpipe to the coal fired power plant.
August 31st, 2010 at 5:33 am
SUUUUUUUPAAAAAA CAAAAAAR
August 31st, 2010 at 5:46 am
@alessandramarcarian
Yes, there is already an aftermarket developing for Li-on batteries, as they still work for storage even after their “useful” life as car batteries is over.
As we move forward, more advanced designs using cheaper, more widely available materials are already coming out of labs, that will make it even easier in the future.
August 31st, 2010 at 5:46 am
Hi Greenman, I have one doubt. Is there a recycling process available for electric cars baterries?
August 31st, 2010 at 6:04 am
in the future 50% of cars will be electric, the rest will be powered by the tears of oil executives