4 ms·

ICE engines are around 20% efficiency I think, while e.g. a gas turbine in a power plant is around 60%. Very little efficiency is lost in transmission cables a

ICE engines are around 20% efficiency I think, while e.g. a gas turbine in a power plant is around 60%. Very little efficiency is lost in transmission cables and in the electric motor, so it is definitely a lot more efficient to use electric cars as a way of burning fossil fuels. Not to mention that coal plants and gas power plants can be changed to burn biomass or do gasification of biomass. That allows us to avoid fossil fuels entirely. You cannot easily run an internal combustion engine on biomass. Sure you can produce ethanol or biodiesel from plants, but that is not as attractive as gasifying wood pellet. In particular because the latter does not compete with agricultural land.

rlpb 7y ago
You also have to consider the efficiency of the battery of an electric vehicle, though it may well still turn out to be more efficient as you claim.
Someone 7y ago
”Very little efficiency is lost in transmission cables and in the electric motor” It’s not that clear-cut. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car_energy_efficiency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car_energy_efficiency: ”Taking the conversion factor of 2.58 in France into account (see Embodied energy#Electricity), we would find an efficiency of about 0.5/2.58 or 19 %, which corresponds to the order of magnitude of the balance of the combustion vehicles, according to the diagram of the Department of energy (where the efficiency of combustion vehicles is less than 20%). By the way, according to the French energy agency (ADEME), the primary energy consumption of electric vehicles and combustion-powered ones would be approximately equivalent” I think that even ignores the higher weight of electric cars. Because of that, I think it’s better for the world to buy a small ICE than to buy a Tesla (for the local environment, things are different)
- ericd 7y ago
  The French electric grid is predominantly nuclear, so whatever the transmission losses, the EV will be near zero CO2 output.
  - merpnderp 7y ago
    Nuclear is how you spell winning in French. Clean green limitless power.
    - purple_ducks 7y ago
      Until it fails and the surrounding environment and people are destroyed for generations.
      - de_watcher 7y ago
        That's why they're building ITER.

rlpb 7y ago

You also have to consider the efficiency of the battery of an electric vehicle, though it may well still turn out to be more efficient as you claim.

Someone 7y ago

”Very little efficiency is lost in transmission cables and in the electric motor” It’s not that clear-cut. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car_energy_efficiency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_car_energy_efficiency: ”Taking the conversion factor of 2.58 in France into account (see Embodied energy#Electricity), we would find an efficiency of about 0.5/2.58 or 19 %, which corresponds to the order of magnitude of the balance of the combustion vehicles, according to the diagram of the Department of energy (where the efficiency of combustion vehicles is less than 20%). By the way, according to the French energy agency (ADEME), the primary energy consumption of electric vehicles and combustion-powered ones would be approximately equivalent” I think that even ignores the higher weight of electric cars. Because of that, I think it’s better for the world to buy a small ICE than to buy a Tesla (for the local environment, things are different)

ericd 7y ago
The French electric grid is predominantly nuclear, so whatever the transmission losses, the EV will be near zero CO2 output.
- merpnderp 7y ago
  Nuclear is how you spell winning in French. Clean green limitless power.
  - purple_ducks 7y ago
    Until it fails and the surrounding environment and people are destroyed for generations.
    - de_watcher 7y ago
      That's why they're building ITER.