Electric cars - why such a big push?

[theotherspongey]

I didn't say anything good/bad about gasoline, now did I?

 

[homeforsummer]

I didn't say anything good/bad about gasoline, now did I?

No, you made an irrelevant point about where EVs get their power from, the same one made by a million other people who don't consider that petrol has a supply chain just like electricity does, in a vain effort to imply that electric cars are somehow "dirty".

 

[theotherspongey]

I never implied that gasoline was clearner then electric. In fact, I made another point about how solar power would be cleaner then the two, although one was not directly stated.

 

[homeforsummer]

I never implied that gasoline was clearner then electric. In fact, I made another point about how solar power would be cleaner then the two, although one was not directly stated.

You'll note I said:

to imply that electric cars are somehow "dirty"

...which isn't the same as implying that gasoline is cleaner than electricity. If by:

I don't really understand electric car hype at all, I mean, where does the car get electricity from in the first place?
That's right, usually a polluting coal/natural gas power plant

...you weren't implying that electric cars were dirty, then what exactly were you implying by bringing it up in the first place?

As for solar power - it's very much an "ideal world" scenario. The technology isn't yet suitable on a large scale. And it's massively inefficient for charging on the move - take a look at the solar challenge cars they run through Australia, which are essentially just large solar sleds with a little bubble for putting a person in - and even those only just produce enough electricity to keep moving.

That said, many early adopters of electric cars have had solar panels fitted to their own houses, which provide most - and often, all - of the electricity they need to "fuel" their EVs. Since the majority of electric cars are charged at people's homes, that's the best place to set up some solar panels. Also has the secondary advantage of reducing - or even reversing - your electricity bills. It doesn't even have to be expensive. In the UK at least there are companies that will set up a solar array for free. You then get your power for free, and they get money that would normally go back to the grid when the panels produce surplus. Everybody wins.

 

[theotherspongey]

You'll note I said:



...which isn't the same as implying that gasoline is cleaner than electricity. If by:



...you weren't implying that electric cars were dirty, then what exactly were you implying by bringing it up in the first place?

As for solar power - it's very much an "ideal world" scenario. The technology isn't yet suitable on a large scale. And it's massively inefficient for charging on the move - take a look at the solar challenge cars they run through Australia, which are essentially just large solar sleds with a little bubble for putting a person in - and even those only just produce enough electricity to keep moving.

That said, many early adopters of electric cars have had solar panels fitted to their own houses, which provide most - and often, all - of the electricity they need to "fuel" their EVs. Since the majority of electric cars are charged at people's homes, that's the best place to set up some solar panels. Also has the secondary advantage of reducing - or even reversing - your electricity bills. It doesn't even have to be expensive. In the UK at least there are companies that will set up a solar array for free. You then get your power for free, and they get money that would normally go back to the grid when the panels produce surplus. Everybody wins.

"...and even those only just produce enough electricity to keep moving."

Cars are for getting you from point A to point B.

"...you weren't implying that electric cars were dirty, then what exactly were you implying by bringing it up in the first place?"

I was implying that the source of the electricity for the electric car is dirty, yes, but the actual technology is as clean as a hybrid's technology, which is cleaner then a gasoline car's technology.

 

[homeforsummer]

"...and even those only just produce enough electricity to keep moving."

Cars are for getting you from point A to point B.

You miss my point.

Even if a solar car can get you from point A to point B, it's still massively impractical because the amount of solar cells needed to (slowly) move one single person on four incredibly skinny tyres is huge. To get a family of four and their luggage from point A to point B, the solar car required would have to be absolutely enormous, and still wouldn't be producing enough power to give the motor enough juice for decent performance.

Solar has a future - as static units for generating electricity to charge regular electric cars. Not on the cars themselves.

I was implying that the source of the electricity for the electric car is dirty, yes, but the actual technology is as clean as a hybrid's technology, which is cleaner then a gasoline car's technology.

So if you already knew that EVs were clean, and were aware that gasoline production is equally - if not more dirty - than generating power for EVs (which implies you were being positive about them), why say this?:

I don't really understand electric car hype at all

You're either contradicting yourself, or you're trying to twist out of what you said because I called you on it and you had no response.

 

[Azuremen]

I never implied that gasoline was clearner then electric. In fact, I made another point about how solar power would be cleaner then the two, although one was not directly stated.

It is called changing the power grid as well. Which will have to happen as Coal and Oil aren't limitless. And you have places like where I live where 90% of the power is hydroelectric and the rest mostly Nuclear, Wind, and Natural Gas.