Electric Cars Good for planet or just bad?

buglawton

almillar wrote: »

Excellent, so road cars did not get it from F1, as had been said.

You're talking about basic physics at the wheels. Same energy in, same distance travelled. Go back a bit, to the fuel source. The EV USES less power because roughly half the power doesn't get wasted as heat/noise. The same amount of force has to go into moving the same mass at the same speed, but there's not half the used energy going up in smoke. I think you already knew this.

Power isn't used for moving mass, it all goes on friction!

silverwhistle

DrEskimo wrote: »

Yup.

That's a relief, thanks! I can go back to my West Indies Porter in the knowledge that it's not causing too much destruction to my brain!


I'm tempted by a lease Zoe from Evezy and making a space in my terrace house front garden once I've got it (everybody else has in my road..), but I really need someone (insured..) to go into the back of my existing almost 10 year old car to justify it!

DrEskimo

silverwhistle wrote: »

That's a relief, thanks! I can go back to my West Indies Porter in the knowledge that it's not causing too much destruction to my brain!


I'm tempted by a lease Zoe from Evezy and making a space in my terrace house front garden once I've got it (everybody else has in my road..), but I really need someone (insured..) to go into the back of my existing almost 10 year old car to justify it!

Ha....drink away! :beer:

Yea I think you should. A good way to trial it for a month and see if it works for you.
Although don't use it to stage an accident with your old car....EVEZY excess is £1k!

almillar

So you meant less energy, rather than less power?

Sure. I'm just obsessed with kW and kWh (power, power storage).

You also haven't mentioned the energy used to get that energy to the car: refining crude to make petrol or diesel itself takes a significant input, let alone obtaining the crude oil in the first place.

Indeed. Some of our electrical power does require refinement/transport, but going electric gives us a chance to reduce it.

The charging issue will balance itself out although there may be some temporal or locational imbalances along the way. Action is and will be needed but I'm not as concerned as some people.

Me too. And the National Grid seems to agree with us.

there are still people who manage _now_ with no home charging

I've used my home charger a handful of times in 4 years. Public charging in NI is free at the mo, so why would I pay?

Power isn't used for moving mass, it all goes on friction!

Eh? Well, the mass does move in the end, doesn't it? Is my car lying when it tells me my 'MPG' is 4mpkWh? Friction helps a lot, what with allowing my tyres to grip the road, then when they turn, the car moves, instead of just sitting there spinning!