Plug-in Hybrids Worse for the Environment?

[SVOboy]

Of course, like Darin, you can subscribe to green power, but for everybody else, ABG has an interesting post describing wondering about whether or not plug-in hybrids are any good, check it out: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/02...air-pollution/

Here's the original article from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/product...ollution_N.htm

[Daox]

Interesting article and most likely quite true. However, how much easier is it to improve emissions on a handful of power plants versus the gazillions of cars out there? How much cheaper is it to decrease emissions on a handful of buildings versus the tons of cars that are out there dating back to the early 1900s. How much easier would it be to track pollution on a handful of powerplants versus the vehicles on the road? It may not be a perfect solution at this exact point in time, but its definitly a step in the right direction.

[SVOboy]

I agree completely. That's why I was also careful to mention Darin's green power use...one phone call and most people can switch over to a completely renewable energy source, which would turn an EV or PHEV from a coal fired machine to something decently green pretty quickly,

[johnpr]

isnt that kind of a given, i mean seriously, it doesn't take a genius to figure that electricity has to come from somewhere.... and hopefully this will be the kick needed to push more eco-friendly electricity creation.

[NoCO2]

I'm with Daox. It's far easier to convince the few people in control of the power plants to switch to green/renewable energy rather then convincing the something like 5 billion people in the world to switch to renewables. Not to mention there are many more options available for renewable power, power plants then there are renewable energy cars in today's market.

[SVOboy]

Follow up on ABG: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/02...-plug-in-vehi/

[bennelson]

In all the reading I have done. Electric vehicles just USE LESS POWER than gasoline ones.

From a pure efficiency point of view, they are MUCH better. However, that electricity does have to come from somewhere.

Electric vehicles are NOT pollution-free, but do pollute much less.

We definitely need to get away from coal and oil.

We use renewably generated electricity at my house. The motorcycle charges off that (although it has just been sitting in the garage all winter - Til tommorow, right Doax!?)

And the electric car will charge off that same wind and biogas-generated electricity once I get it built.

Just think about what kind of power plant you would want in your backyard. I would take solar panels or a windmill over an oil refinery or coal power plant any day.

[diesel_john]

electrically powered vehicles benefit from less internal friction.
no transmission, less friction
all accessories electrically powered, can be turn off and on very efficiently.
this is why locomotives are diesel-electric.

[tasdrouille]

I feel lucky 97% of the electricity produced in my province is of hydroelectric sources. If only we would export more than 4% of it though...

[bennelson]

I think the title of this thread is a bit deceiving.

The article says that PHEVs MAY be worse about CERTAIN kinds of pollution.

My fear is that people just read headlines (like of that article, not this thread) and get turned off from the idea of electric vehicles because of it.

Just like how bio-fuels have gotten a bad rap the last few weeks from articles saying they may INCREASE carbon emmissions. But thats only true from using certain types of plants, or plowing under forests, to plant crops that really aren't the best (ahem - corn - cough cough..) for making biofuels anyhow.

Conservation really is key.

We need to use less energy overall no matter what.
And I like that electric vehicles use less energy and that energy can be made from hydro, wind, and solar.