Comments on: Green Spot: Why Electric Cars? http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/05/22/green-spot-why-electric-cars/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:31:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Mathew http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/05/22/green-spot-why-electric-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-26458 Mathew Mon, 25 May 2009 13:28:19 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=714#comment-26458 By the time EVs make up a significant part of the car market, coal generation will be all but eliminated (in Canada). We are a long way from EVs effecting our overall electricity consumption. But I agree with the general idea that they are not zero emission. A car will never be zero emission. Even if the power comes from wind, solar nuclear, hydro - everything has an effect (even hydro power). Also the production of a car is not clean, metals need to be mined, uranium needs to be mined and upgraded. But it will be significantly better than what we are using now. By the time EVs make up a significant part of the car market, coal generation will be all but eliminated (in Canada). We are a long way from EVs effecting our overall electricity consumption.

But I agree with the general idea that they are not zero emission. A car will never be zero emission. Even if the power comes from wind, solar nuclear, hydro – everything has an effect (even hydro power). Also the production of a car is not clean, metals need to be mined, uranium needs to be mined and upgraded. But it will be significantly better than what we are using now.

]]> By: Canadian Dream http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/05/22/green-spot-why-electric-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-26454 Canadian Dream Mon, 25 May 2009 12:28:51 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=714#comment-26454 CM, Agreed. The system is based on oil and changing from that is going to be expensive. I was just pointed out perhaps electric isn't the best if you burn coal/oil to produce the power. An electric bike. Now that is cool. How long does it take to charge both batteries? Rosie, I agree energy consumption to get a product also matters. That is why I saying coal fired power sucks from an environmental stand point. Power generation from coal has mining emissions, power generation emissions (a plant is about 30 to 40% efficient) and then distribution losses. All in all it's a hell of a lot emissions to produce a kWh. Even if an electric car is more efficient I'm not sure it would make up the losses from the entire process. On the other hand if you using hydro power, go ahead and switch to a car now. Tim CM,

Agreed. The system is based on oil and changing from that is going to be expensive. I was just pointed out perhaps electric isn’t the best if you burn coal/oil to produce the power.

An electric bike. Now that is cool. How long does it take to charge both batteries?

Rosie,

I agree energy consumption to get a product also matters. That is why I saying coal fired power sucks from an environmental stand point.

Power generation from coal has mining emissions, power generation emissions (a plant is about 30 to 40% efficient) and then distribution losses. All in all it’s a hell of a lot emissions to produce a kWh. Even if an electric car is more efficient I’m not sure it would make up the losses from the entire process.

On the other hand if you using hydro power, go ahead and switch to a car now.

Tim

]]> By: Canadian Money http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/05/22/green-spot-why-electric-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-26427 Canadian Money Mon, 25 May 2009 03:31:22 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=714#comment-26427 A related topic..Electric Bikes I got to ride my first electric bike today. Cool. I ran into an acquaintenance at a local public market. He had recently bought a stock elec bike at Zellers for under $400. He added a small additional battery, removed the speed governor, and added a switch to control when the second battery came on line. It has two power levels now. It now goes faster than it is safe to. I think he said about 40 km/h and he can get 30 km distance on a charge. Pretty nice for not having to buy insurance or pay for parking. Too bad the Canadian government is not encouraging this type of thing, especially with the recession going on. A related topic..Electric Bikes

I got to ride my first electric bike today. Cool.

I ran into an acquaintenance at a local public market. He had recently bought a stock elec bike at Zellers for under $400. He added a small additional battery, removed the speed governor, and added a switch to control when the second battery came on line. It has two power levels now. It now goes faster than it is safe to. I think he said about 40 km/h and he can get 30 km distance on a charge. Pretty nice for not having to buy insurance or pay for parking.

Too bad the Canadian government is not encouraging this type of thing, especially with the recession going on.

]]> By: Rosie http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/05/22/green-spot-why-electric-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-26208 Rosie Sat, 23 May 2009 00:12:27 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=714#comment-26208 It's worth doing a little more research on this; you've probably read George Monbiot's Heat and others that have calculated that even though there is an increased use of energy to power the cars in the way you explain, there are 2 big pluses with electric cars: it still takes less energy to run them, regardless of the energy source, than it does to bring the petroleum, refine it, distribute it etc to run regular cars (or hybrids, which I would argue are a big scam), and second, they are only releasing carbon once, in the raaw energy production, rather than twice, in the gasoline production AND then in the car emissions. Carbon emissions still need to be at the forefront of our decisions too, although levels of energy consumption are obviously a closely related concern... It’s worth doing a little more research on this; you’ve probably read George Monbiot’s Heat and others that have calculated that even though there is an increased use of energy to power the cars in the way you explain, there are 2 big pluses with electric cars: it still takes less energy to run them, regardless of the energy source, than it does to bring the petroleum, refine it, distribute it etc to run regular cars (or hybrids, which I would argue are a big scam), and second, they are only releasing carbon once, in the raaw energy production, rather than twice, in the gasoline production AND then in the car emissions. Carbon emissions still need to be at the forefront of our decisions too, although levels of energy consumption are obviously a closely related concern…

]]> By: Canadian Money http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/2009/05/22/green-spot-why-electric-cars/comment-page-1/#comment-26181 Canadian Money Fri, 22 May 2009 15:12:08 +0000 http://blog.canadian-dream-free-at-45.com/?p=714#comment-26181 I think the starting point of such a discussion should be that oil is a non-sustainable limited resource. The question then becomes...what do we do next? Alternative sustainable energy sources like solar and wind energy have yet to be tapped in NA the way they could be. The "system" is skewed to oil and there are many vested interests. These interests are strong in Canada. I expect that in time the cost of the remaining oil supplies will become expensive enough to easily justify looking seriously at other alternatives. An example...If the stage were set by government agencies so that individuals could invest in solar panels on the roofs of their homes, (in their fields etc) and if they could sell excess energy into the grid, I expect this alone would go a long way to help things. Any loan for solar panels would then, at least in part, be for investment purposes and this would make the interest income tax deductible. That would be an incentive. I have read that California and Ontario have moved in this direction already. I think the starting point of such a discussion should be that oil is a non-sustainable limited resource. The question then becomes…what do we do next?

Alternative sustainable energy sources like solar and wind energy have yet to be tapped in NA the way they could be. The “system” is skewed to oil and there are many vested interests. These interests are strong in Canada.

I expect that in time the cost of the remaining oil supplies will become expensive enough to easily justify looking seriously at other alternatives.

An example…If the stage were set by government agencies so that individuals could invest in solar panels on the roofs of their homes, (in their fields etc) and if they could sell excess energy into the grid, I expect this alone would go a long way to help things.

Any loan for solar panels would then, at least in part, be for investment purposes and this would make the interest income tax deductible. That would be an incentive. I have read that California and Ontario have moved in this direction already.

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