Electric cars Bah!

[C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

Ya gotta be kidding. Electricity is incredibly heavy to store in any 
significant quantity. Electricity works well as a continuous flow, just 
don't try to bottle it! Best current technology (har har.. current .... get 
it?) involves a gasoline engine charging Nickel Hydride batteries... come 
again? Just how can this be more efficient than a straight gasoline engine? 
Funny thing is it gets better mileage in the city than on the highway... 
you figure out why. As for the much touted energy recovery on overrun well 
anyone hear about flywheels? No need for electricity to reap this benefit.

Then there's the incredible inefficiencies of electrical power for 
vehicles. First you gotta generate the stuff. Solar panels? Give me a 
break. Hydro electricity? You know how far away that power plant has to be 
from where you actually need to drive? Gas oil or coal fired power plants? 
Excuse me, just how can this be more efficient than using those fuels to 
drive the vehicle directly? Nuclear power? Hmmmm, maybe a Ford Expedition 
ain't such a dumb idea, and you only need to refuel every decade!!!!

The latest infernal combustion engines are by far the cleanest and most 
efficient solution. Electric cars are a Government boondoggle. Fuel cell 
vehicles ignore the enormously difficult on vehicle fuel storage problem 
and are just as cavalier about fuel generation inefficiencies.

Electric and fuel cell vehicles are about moving pollution from where you 
drive to where the fuel is made...dumb.

And BTW, the limit on the efficiency of an electric motor is the counter 
generation problem. Every electric motor is also a generator. As the motor 
turns it generates a counter current that defeats the current driving the 
motor. As the counter current approaches the driving current in strength 
the electric motor loses torque and stabilizes in speed. The  rev forever 
feeling of a highly strung gasoline engine just cannot be matched by any 
current electric motor (pun intended)

Cheers everyone, and flame away.


Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
91 Alfa 164L, White, original owner

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