The path towards electric cars
Regardless of which alternative energy plan one subscribes to, it is clear that getting our cars off of oil is one of the primary steps that must be taken by our society. Whether we make natural gas a temporary step along this path, or not, it is evident that the one solution that will ultimately allow us to power cars with clean energy is by running them on electricity. This is because energy generation for the national grid can be done on a wide scale basis with renewable sources, like wind, solar and geothermal. (Of course this benefit is lost if the national grid continues to be supplied primarily by coal energy.)
The Chicago Tribune had a piece recently looking at the Chevy Volt, which after Tesla Motors’ offerings, is the most highly anticipated electric vehicle. According to GM, the Volt, which is scheduled to come out in 2010, should be able to go 40 miles on just a charge, and then another 350 miles on a small gas engine that is used to recharge the batteries. This scenario will be most ideal for commuters, who rarely go much beyond 40 miles per trip. Our one big concern remains the viability of modern batteries to provide reliable and sustained performance. One need only have experienced the frustration of diminished performance from a cell phone or laptop battery, which often occurs after less than a year, to know that battery technology still has a ways to go. This is why, although fully electric cars are most likely the real long term solution, we may still need a temporary step along the way, a la natural gas, until battery technology catches up to our needs.
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