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There isn't enough infrastructure to support all electric transportation, yet. Also not enough cobalt for the current battery technology. If you need to build

by foepys 7y ago

There isn't enough infrastructure to support all electric transportation, yet. Also not enough cobalt for the current battery technology. If you need to build additional infrastructure, why not use a technology that can "recharge" a car within minutes instead of hours?

hanniabu 7y ago
If you need to build additional infrastructure why not use a technology that's used already. The charging issue will be solved. There's lots of theoretical and lab proven work showing it can be done and will be achieved.
_ph_ 7y ago
At least in Germany, the electric infrastructure is mostly up to the task, switching to all electric cars would take only minor improvements, mostly adding more local transformers as the electricity/household is going to raise most of all. Overall, it would mean a mere 20% of more electricity consumed. Also, as charging is a nicely controllable load, electric cars could stabilitze the grid. Modern electric cars can be recharged in well under an hour, so "hours" is off - unless you charge over night, where it doesn't matter. For hydrogen on the other side, you would need a complete new infrastructure. Hydrogen fuel stations have nothing in common with conventional gas stations and are really expensive ($1 million/pump). Also, there are restrictions in setting them up in residential areas and while you might be able to refuel a hydrogen car in not much more than 5 minutes, there is a dead time in which the pump cannot serve the next car until the internal pressure has been restored (like 15 minutes).
- foepys 7y ago
  This is absolutely false. There are currently discussions about net instability due to the missing North-South connection for renewable energy sources. I think you underestimate the sheer amount of power needed for cars, especially in the densely populated southern areas.
  - _ph_ 7y ago
    This is NOT "absolutely false". There are no net instabilities. Yes, there are lacking north-south connections and they are being built. But they don't have to do with the net capacity as such. They have to do with the new requirement of distributing wind energy from the north to the south and solar energy northwards. This was previously not needed, as every country roughly generated enough energy for their needs and there was little far-distance transportation. And I don't understimate the amount of power needed for cars, it can be easily calculated, as the numbers of the cars are known as well as the average distance travelled per car. Do the multiplication and you get about 120 TWh of electricity needed per year. That is for converting any single car to electric. Which will take more than 20 years from now on. Compare that to the 600 TWh of production. This doesn't even calculate in all the electricity spent on fossile fuels, which would be saved.

by foepys 7y ago

hanniabu 7y ago

If you need to build additional infrastructure why not use a technology that's used already. The charging issue will be solved. There's lots of theoretical and lab proven work showing it can be done and will be achieved.

_ph_ 7y ago

At least in Germany, the electric infrastructure is mostly up to the task, switching to all electric cars would take only minor improvements, mostly adding more local transformers as the electricity/household is going to raise most of all. Overall, it would mean a mere 20% of more electricity consumed. Also, as charging is a nicely controllable load, electric cars could stabilitze the grid. Modern electric cars can be recharged in well under an hour, so "hours" is off - unless you charge over night, where it doesn't matter. For hydrogen on the other side, you would need a complete new infrastructure. Hydrogen fuel stations have nothing in common with conventional gas stations and are really expensive ($1 million/pump). Also, there are restrictions in setting them up in residential areas and while you might be able to refuel a hydrogen car in not much more than 5 minutes, there is a dead time in which the pump cannot serve the next car until the internal pressure has been restored (like 15 minutes).

foepys 7y ago
This is absolutely false. There are currently discussions about net instability due to the missing North-South connection for renewable energy sources. I think you underestimate the sheer amount of power needed for cars, especially in the densely populated southern areas.
- _ph_ 7y ago
  This is NOT "absolutely false". There are no net instabilities. Yes, there are lacking north-south connections and they are being built. But they don't have to do with the net capacity as such. They have to do with the new requirement of distributing wind energy from the north to the south and solar energy northwards. This was previously not needed, as every country roughly generated enough energy for their needs and there was little far-distance transportation. And I don't understimate the amount of power needed for cars, it can be easily calculated, as the numbers of the cars are known as well as the average distance travelled per car. Do the multiplication and you get about 120 TWh of electricity needed per year. That is for converting any single car to electric. Which will take more than 20 years from now on. Compare that to the 600 TWh of production. This doesn't even calculate in all the electricity spent on fossile fuels, which would be saved.