I just DON'T understand why everyone is so hyped up about plug-in electric cars. Most of the electricity being used to charge the cars comes from fossil-fuel powered plants. In EACH STEP of the conversion of the chemical energy of the fossil fuel to mechanical energy of the moving car, some energy is LOST as heat and light (in the burning of the fuel), phase changes (liquid water to steam), heat (friction of the turning turbines, resistance in the transmission wires) until, by the time it becomes electricity in the batteries, only a FRACTION of the original energy of the fuel is used to motorize the vehicle. The power plants themselves emit particulates, other contaminants, and carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas contributor to global warming) into the air.
Although the proud, "green" owners of the electric cars can rightfully claim that the cars themselves use little or no gasoline and emit much less pollutants than conventional vehicles, their "miracle cars" are FAR from being green....farther than they are from the power plants feeding the grid.
Hybrid cars like the Prius (and other small vehicles and SUV's) generate their OWN electricity and charge their own batteries while being driven with very small amounts of fuel and get exceptionally high mpg values....all very close to the source of the first energy transformation of the fuel, with far less energy LOST.
THINK ABOUT IT....or look it up at
http://www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htmEnjoy the read...and the ride.
Marilyn Steele
Chelmsford, MA
