Will the local gas station on the corner, become something of the past?
World demand for oil has been ever increasing, with no letup in sight. With the industrialization of countries like China, and India has resulted in a substantial increase use of fossil fuels like oil. China has now become the largest greenhouse gas producer.
Iran just announced that it will run out of oil by 2015. Estimates are that oil exports will drop about 12 to 13% each year*. 2007 oil production is off by about 7.5%. This means that the previous estimates of oil reserves were grossly exaggerated. If this is true with one country it could also be true with other countries. The question is. How much oil is really left in the earth?
When oil is in short supply, will result in sharp price increases. Well what are we to do? Stop driving our cars? This would be a very unpopular solution.
Is their alternative to gas or diesel powered vehicles. An electric car could prove tobe a viable replacement.
But wait a second you may think. Are not electric cars slow, and have a limited driving range. Yes that was true at one time. Battery technology has been push ahead by laptop computers, and cell phones increasing thirst for power. With this new battery technology it is now possible to drive 240 miles** on a single charge. It will be possible that you will never have to visit gas station again. All you have to do is plug in your car into the charger when you get home. Come next morning you are all charged up, ready to go. The price of electricity is more stable than gas prices. This is because the energy sources are mostly domestic, are not subject international price changes.
Then their issue of power plant pollution verses tail pipe emissions. Some say all you did with an electric car was make a longer tail pipe. A typical car runs with an efficiency lever of only 25%. This number is pushed down even more when you factor in fuel transport, and refining energy. What you end up with is a number in the mid teens for overall efficiency.
Now electric motor efficiency is about 95%. Battery efficiency is about 80 to 95%. Allso the distance that the fuel is transported is less. When you do all the number crunching an electric car is about 2 to 4 times more efficient then gas powered car.
A number auto manufactures do have plans to producing an electric ca, or are doing research.
http://www.hybridtechnologies.com/
http://www.gizmag.com/go/3889/
http://www.teslamotors.com/
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/10/mitsubishi_acce.html
http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/04/technology/business2_wrightspeed/index.htm
http://www.gizmag.com/go/4458/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7816102/