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Until electric isn’t dependent on gas, I don’t see the benefit.

by pipeline_peak 3y ago

stuaxo 3y ago
Less pollution from burning fuel next to where people live and work as one.
alexanderchr 3y ago
It's a lot easier to install more solar panels than to swap the propulsion system of a car.
wcoenen 3y ago
> Until electric isn’t dependent on gas, I don’t see the benefit. There is a benefit as soon as the CO2 emissions per kilometer are lower. Let's say the carbon intensity of electricity production here in Belgium is 100 gram/kWh right now. (This number varies throughout the day, depending on how much is being produced by "green" sources versus fossil fuels. Not just in Belgium, but also in the countries we import from. You can track those numbers on electricity maps[1].) I can drive more than 5km with one kilowatt-hour, so that means the carbon intensity of my driving is (100 gram/kWh)/(5km/kWh) = 20 gram/km. The typical emissions of a gasoline car is somewhere between 100 and 200 gram/km. So even though the grid here is not perfectly "green", I am reducing the emissions per km significantly by driving an EV. Those numbers, and the conclusion, may vary depending on your car and grid. In places where a lot of inefficient coal plants are used, the carbon intensity of electricity production can be extremely high at times. Examples include Poland, India and some US states. In those places it may be better to drive a (very efficient) gasoline car instead of an EV, unless you are careful about when you charge. [1] https://app.electricitymaps.com/map https://app.electricitymaps.com/map
HDThoreaun 3y ago
I never go to the gas station anymore. Especially in the winter that alone is more than enough to make ev’s superior.
acdha 3y ago
Electric production in a professionally-maintained power plant is more efficient than a car since vehicles have much more restrictive weight, cost, and safety constraints and the average driver is indifferent about maintenance or efficient operation. When something like 70+% of the total energy is being wasted you have a lot of room for competition. The other thing to remember is lifetime usage: if you buy a new ICE today, it will likely be contributing to fossil fuel demand and emissions in 2043. If you buy an EV, it will be running on renewables for many periods already - note how many places are using software to optimize charging when the power supply is greenest – and each renewable power source which comes online will effectively upgrade your existing vehicle.

Until electric isn’t dependent on gas, I don’t see the benefit.

stuaxo 3y ago

Less pollution from burning fuel next to where people live and work as one.

alexanderchr 3y ago

It's a lot easier to install more solar panels than to swap the propulsion system of a car.

wcoenen 3y ago

> Until electric isn’t dependent on gas, I don’t see the benefit. There is a benefit as soon as the CO2 emissions per kilometer are lower. Let's say the carbon intensity of electricity production here in Belgium is 100 gram/kWh right now. (This number varies throughout the day, depending on how much is being produced by "green" sources versus fossil fuels. Not just in Belgium, but also in the countries we import from. You can track those numbers on electricity maps[1].) I can drive more than 5km with one kilowatt-hour, so that means the carbon intensity of my driving is (100 gram/kWh)/(5km/kWh) = 20 gram/km. The typical emissions of a gasoline car is somewhere between 100 and 200 gram/km. So even though the grid here is not perfectly "green", I am reducing the emissions per km significantly by driving an EV. Those numbers, and the conclusion, may vary depending on your car and grid. In places where a lot of inefficient coal plants are used, the carbon intensity of electricity production can be extremely high at times. Examples include Poland, India and some US states. In those places it may be better to drive a (very efficient) gasoline car instead of an EV, unless you are careful about when you charge. [1] https://app.electricitymaps.com/map https://app.electricitymaps.com/map

HDThoreaun 3y ago

I never go to the gas station anymore. Especially in the winter that alone is more than enough to make ev’s superior.

acdha 3y ago

Electric production in a professionally-maintained power plant is more efficient than a car since vehicles have much more restrictive weight, cost, and safety constraints and the average driver is indifferent about maintenance or efficient operation. When something like 70+% of the total energy is being wasted you have a lot of room for competition. The other thing to remember is lifetime usage: if you buy a new ICE today, it will likely be contributing to fossil fuel demand and emissions in 2043. If you buy an EV, it will be running on renewables for many periods already - note how many places are using software to optimize charging when the power supply is greenest – and each renewable power source which comes online will effectively upgrade your existing vehicle.