Electrical (only) cars: are they more energy efficient ?

Question

Considering that if most of the cars were electrical, we would need to generate electricity out of fossil fuel, would this be energy efficient ?

Usually bigger engines (like in a thermoelectric plant) are more efficient, but they have to transform chemical energy into electric, which is then transported (with some loss on the cables), transformed back to chemical energy (in the car's battery, more loss), to be then transformed back to electricity (from the battery) and then to mechanical energy to move the car.

Answer 1

an electical only car would only be effecient in certain conditions:

if you do not have very far to drive

if you do not carry any heavy loads including passengers

if you want to pay higher for your electic bill

if you could find a plce to charge up your car if you travel longer distances

if you do  do not go up any hills, elevation, snow, dirt roads

if you are single and do not have a famiy

if you want to go slower than the average speed limit

if you do not go on any vacations

if you like to wait  unitl  your car charges up before driving it

Answer 2

The Tesla electric car is. It can go 200 miles on a full battery charge which holds energy equivalent to less than 2 gallons of gas.

Heat engines are not very efficient, like 20% or so, but electric generators, motors and transmission lines are, in the high 90s.

So charge up your electric car with solar panels or windmills and save the planet (but not your bank account)!

Answer 3

Yes, producing energy at power plants and transporting it through the power grid to electric vehicles has proven to be significantly more efficient than burning gas, and also to produce significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions.  See the study linked below for further details.

Answer 4

As electricity is not natural source of energy hence there will be loss while generating electricity. There will be loss while transporting electricity from generating point to usage point.. Again there will be loss while charging batteries from electricity. similarly again loss while converting energy stored in battery into mechanical energy to drive car. Thus car operating on battery are not fuel efficient but this will restrict the pollution at one point that is at electricity generation station.Hence it is environment friendly.

Answer 5

as you say laws of thermodynamics - bigger = more efficient

additionally generators are contantly monitored and maintained for efficiency load and temperature (unlike cars), plus use unrefined fuels, close to source, (and can be Combined Heat and Power too)

then distributed direct to home or work via a very efficient (90%+) grid system - no tankers or filling stations.

cars can be recharged with off-peak electric, helping to ballance the load on the grid, and unused power can be sold back (if batteries hold a 250mile range, but average daily journey only 25 miles, that is a lot of stored capacity; essential if we are to develop more renewables)

electric motors are much more efficent traction solutions, and can regenerate electric when braking etc. and use nothing when stationary. losses in the battery chemical exchange are offset by the lower transmission (gearbox) losses, max torque from 0rpm etc.

- but the most compelling reason for evs is: driving electric is a far more pleasent experience,

why put up with noisy, smelly, complcated, high maintenance , vehicles requiring costly highly refined non-renewable fuel with poor supply security?