<VV> New tech. The Volt, for one.

[Dennis PLEAU]

Great topic for VV-talk.  No Corvair content at all.  Please move it there.  It does not belong on the VVs
 
Dennis for vv-help



> From: GPARob at aol.com> Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:48:01 -0400> To: virtualvairs at corvair.org> Subject: <VV> New tech. The Volt, for one.> > I'm sorry, but I've got to comment about the Volt and pollution. I'm a two > Corvair owner- one is a rusted out electric vehicle. The other is a convertible > I bought to put the EV parts into, but fell so much in love with her, that I > won't change her out. So, I'm looking for another someday to convert. > > ANYWAY. I also own a Fiero EV, and a Kewet (look that one up...). As a guy > on the Volt list, hoping for one (Actually, I'd prefer an all electric for > cheaper, with more range), I've heard some misconceptions here. > > First. a HUGE portion of our electricity production comes from Coal. I > believe it's 40 percent. > As EVs charge off the grid normally at night, NO additional power plants or > infrastructure needs to be built for a long time. Here's what happens. The > "Cheap electricity"- Nukes, for example, run full bore day and night. Power > companies have to cycle up the power production as demand increases- usually 10 > am to 4pm.-- ish. So, they wind up starting up additional plants- running > more expensive fuel- be it coal or natural gas. Both are used. For the > forseeable future, NO additional power plants are needed, and the demand for power > will smoothe out somewhat, enabling power companies to reduce the expensive, > and sometimes polluting, start up and shut down cycles. GM has used the > number of millions of EVs. Find a single guy involved in electric power > production that will dispute this. > > A power company guy last week did the math. If we got rid of EVERY SINGLE > gas burning car, and went exclusively to EV, the power companies estimate that > they'd need an additional 6 percent power generation and transmission > capability. SIX percent. And, that's over 10-15 years to get ready for it. > > I'm a little suprised to see the argument that power companies pollute as > much as cars, and EVs pollute by switching the source to the plant. Setting > the pollution of solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and nuke aside for a minute, do > you really think that coal and natural gas plants pollute as much as a car > for the same amount of energy used? Do you think it's harder or easier to > clean up exhaust from a moving single vehicle, or a large scale, fixed location? > > A gas engine car driver forgets that a battery EV is about 90% efficient. A > gas engine car is about 15% efficient, and I'm being generous. When I drive > the Fiero or the CorVolt, I have the energy equivalent of one half gallon of > gas on board, in twenty old school 6 volt lead acid batteries, weighing 57 > lbs each!!! That gives me 75mph capability, and 70 mile range in warm weather. > yes, it's a VERY heavy way to carry energy. But, still, very efficient. > That's part of why they pollute so much less. The last argument I saw > attributed between 10% and 20% the pollution of a gas engine car, only if the plant > was burning the dirtiest fuel possible- coal. (Makes you pause when you see > those "Clean coal" ads, huh?)> > Check this stuff out. It's fascinating. Like, if you convert water to > hydrogen, then put it in a fuel cell, and power your car, it takes three times the > energy required to just charge the batterys in your EV to go the same > distance? Amazing stuff. > > Rob Neighbour> > > > > > **************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial > challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and > calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001)> _______________________________________________> This message was sent by the VirtualVairs mailing list, all copyrights are the property> of the writer, please attribute properly. For help, mailto:vv-help at corvair.org> This list sponsored by the Corvair Society of America, http://www.corvair.org/> Post messages to: VirtualVairs at corvair.org> Change your options: http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/options/virtualvairs > _______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
See how Windows Mobile brings your life together—at home, work, or on the go.
http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093182mrt/direct/01/