Rongnongno Loc: FL

Electric cars pollutes as much if not more than regular cars.
- To charge a car one must use the grid, meaning the energy used is off site in the power plant. This seems ore efficient if it wasn't for the loose regulations when it comes to CO2 emissions.
- Then you have the low efficiency of the batteries. While a modern combustion engine reaches 85% efficiency, the batteries keeps a low 20% of the total power applied. Since the electric system has also a loss that appears negligible of 10% the real efficiency of these cars is 18%. This is far from what already exist.
- Only areas that have fully renewable energy systems can sustain such an energy loss.
- Another obvious source of pollution is due to the chemicals used in batteries. This is rarely mentioned and when it is quickly dismissed. This includes manufacturing AND disposing of the batteries.
- These cars use just as much lubricants than regular cars so there is no 'free pass' here either.

Electric cars do not contribute to society.
- The reason is that by not purchasing gas the driver eschew the gas taxes.
- Tax intensives given by government add insult to injury. Not only the drivers do not pay taxes they receive a credit when purchasing one of these cars.
- In some areas electric cars get 'free charging parking spots'. I have already spotted a few of those in airports.
- Speaking of parking spots... These free charging spots were the closest to the airport access at the expense of handicapped parking. This is not due to the cars themselves but to the stupidity of politicians, as usual.

One technology that has been dismissed way too quickly by the car industry is the Hydrogen 'solution'. Engines and batteries using Hydrogen are more efficient. One is a combustion engine, same as gas but the exhaust is water, not CO2, sulfur and whatever else. The batteries also produce water when they are used. Note that hydrogen cars also pollute due to the lubricants. One advantage thought, catalytic converters that are a major source of pollution when produced and disposed of will not be used anymore. This helps reduce the power loss due to its use in normal cars.

The main advantage of Hydrogen is that it one of the most common element found on Earth and will not run out. By using dialysis water is broken down into Hydrogen and Oxygen at will. This process is both chemical and electrical. The result is also pollution when one really thinks about it. Since there is much less loss in the process of producing Hydrogen than simply charging batteries the transfer of pollution is lessened. Once again renewable energy is the solution to this issue. I am not too familiar with the Hydrogen batteries manufacturing and disposal but I assume safely that this is a source of pollution similar to regular batteries.

When it comes to contributing to society, since the Hydrogen needs to be purchased all the negative issues raised when it comes to regular electric cars does not exist and the driver can be taxed at the 'pump'. Tax incentives to push this are needed at first, there is no question, but these should be faded out as the technology takes hold.

ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca

Hope this doesn't end up like your last post
However I'm totally with you on this subject
The Fuel Cell is what should be powering our Autos, trucks, buses, trains --
All Hydrocarbons belong back in the ground

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Actually Germany has several trains using Hydrogen for the last couple of years and the country is in the process of moving toward Hydrogen big time. It seems that they are moving away from electric trains when possible. Will the frog follow?

pmorin Loc: Huntington Beach, Palm Springs

So the solar panels that I have feeding into my Tesla battery wall, the charging station and the power grid are still adding to overall pollution? I might have to disagree with that idea.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

And power grid equals???

Oh, just a displacement of pollution.

Your solar panels on the other hand does not.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

You have one flaw in your idea of using hydrogen to power automobiles. What if ants decided to suddenly grow to the size of humans? They drink a lot of water. In just a few days, the earth would be devoid of water. Now where would we be? Back to square 1, using gasoline or electric cars. You never thought of that one did you?

Here is my idea: Why not use giant rubber bands and twist them like on balsa airplanes? You would need probably two or three rubber bands and a big, inertial flywheel. While releasing the energy of one rubber band to propel the vehicle, they inertia of the flywheel will wind up the other two rubber bands, therefore, no loss of power. Simple. No ants, no pollution, no problem.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

And your car's batteries are made of what?

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

Interesting. I've thought a lot about these issues. I've read that Mazda is considering the Rotary Engine again but this time burning Hydrogen!

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

FYI--If you live in Indiana, a license plate for an electric car or a hybrid is an extra fifty bucks to make up for the gasoline taxes one doesn’t have to pay.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

All true unless your electric car is solely powered by solar or wind energy; except for lubricants.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

This amount does not even cover a fraction of the taxes levied through the purchase of gas. Good initiative but not sufficient.

Where I live the local taxes are about 41c per gallon. I usually drive a Fiesta that averages 39mpg. I drive this car about 15,000 miles a year. I basically pay $157.00 per year (Florida). This does not include local taxes that are set by counties or cities... Indiana is 33c so the taxes for my car should be $126.00, not $50.00 the difference is about $75.00.

Considering that my car has a good mileage compare this with a car that goes only 30mpg (FL 205.00 IN 165.00), never mind all the gaze guzzlers that barely make 20mpg (FL 307.00 IN 247.00). This still does not include local taxes.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

I noted the exceptions. You forget the battery manufacturing and disposal.

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

True, but still a very good trade-off.

ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca

Hydrogen is the perfect fuel -- You burn it & the exhaust is water -- It is also the most basic elemental building block of the Universe -- Hydrogen is the most prevalent element ----- There is more of it in the Universe then anything else -- Every thing else including us is made from it by way of the Stars --

However on our Planet it's all locked-up / bonded-up with other heaver elements -- Unbinding it takes lots & lots of energy -- Unlike Hydrocarbons (OIL) You just don't pump it out of the ground refine it & stick it into a gas tank & drive away
But "if" we are to continue to live on this Planet without reverting back to the middle ages we must figure out ways of Unbinding it from the other elements & hopefully sticking it into my gas tank!!!!!!