Why the hype over plug-in cars?

Question

I don't understand why there is so much hype for plug-in cars. Sure, you reduce gas consumption, but don't you simply increase carbon-emitting coal consumption?

Answer 1

Today there are few alternatives to the combustion engine and as a consequence the world is stuck with the GHG and smog emissions that arise from burning gasoline and diesel fuels.

A plug-in car or hybrid allows a vehicle to run on batteries in the city and avoid wasteful idling in traffic. On the open road the engine runs on gasoline. This reduces the amount of gasoline that is required and because you do not idle in traffic with a battery-powered vehicle the overall energy requirement is lower.

Since the net energy requirement is lower for the hybrid plug-in versus a conventional engine, net emissions are lower even if the vehicle is charged from a coal power plant.

In addition not every state or country in the world relies on coal-fired generation. These vehicles are best suited to overnight charging when the demand for power is lowest and the marginal supply could be from nuclear or hydroelectric generation and not necessarily from a fossil-fuelled plant.

Note that in Ontario Canada the government has implemented regulations that force operators to cease burning coal by 2014. The operator Ontario Power Generation is looking at alternatives to keep the plants open such as converting to biomass or natural gas; much cleaner alternatives than coal.

Answer 2

Yes, but overall emissions are decreased because electric motors are so efficient.  Linked below is a summary of studies which show that even when most energy comes from coal, electric cars and plug-in hybrids produce fewer emissions than regular hybrids and gas cars.  The second link is also very informative.

Answer 3

The amount of energy required to run and electric car can be produced far more efficiently at the power plant than it can in a car's internal combustion engine.  The carbon footprint is much alomost half (-45%) when your energy comes from the power grid.  The problem with this is that most pollution factor are reduced but NOx and SOx emission are drastically increased due to dependence on coal.  These also could be reduce by changing the power sources for the grid.  Sources such as wind, hydroelectric, solar and geothermal are generally non polluting and could be expanded.  Nuclear Energy is also a valid option, but everybody is afraid of nuclear power, mainly because they don't understand it.

Answer 4

whats a plug in car

Answer 5

Exactly - all you do is move the source of pollution from your car to a coal burning power plant.

This is why we need to be building Nuclear Power.  With nuclear power we could plug in and drive all day without generating any green house gases.

Answer 6

That is a very good point and i'm sure your not the first one to think of that.  People are so overwhelmed with rising gas prices that they dont think of the downsides of alternative fuels.  They just worry about how to get an alternative fuel, and how to use it to their advantage, not necessarily the Earth's advantage.

Answer 7

There is no need for expensive and dangerous nuclear power plants, or expensive and dangerous hydro power dams being built! All that is necessary is to use massive Hydro/Ram pumps to push sea water to the tops of the nations mountain ranges and then let it fall back to the sea through turbine generators. No pollution, no potentiality of massive water release and flooding. No thermal pollution, no fuel costs, completely renewable! The feds should be building these configurations now! They should also provide mass transit even out to the rural areas powered by hydride buses and trains! Again completely renewable and safe! But our government collusion with the oil industry has seen fit to deny everyone the best possible way!