Agencies line up for plug-in cars, (CNET News.com)
State and local governments are launching programs to see if it's possible to convert their hybrid cars and trucks into plug-in cars. ... The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority recently solicited contract bids for nine plug-ins, said Ray Hull, an official at the agency. If the trial succeeds, the state will try to convert the 535 hybrids it owns into plug-ins. ....
A good article summerizing the status of plug-in vehicles.
Um, the link to the summarizing article didn't work for me.
But really what I wanted to say was that any advocacy for plug-in cars has to be conditioned on the use of sustainably produced electricity. I'm sure readers of this blog know about the incredible inefficiencies involved in producing electricity using fossil fuels and delivering it to your home plug. A plug-in car using electricity made from coal, say, is one step forward, and one (or more) steps back, in terms of fossil fuel use. Of course if it's sustainably produced electricity, then a bit of the old zoom - zoom - zoom is entirely appropriate . :)
Posted by: bottleman | November 30, 2006 at 12:04 AM
No actually with plugins the emissions are less, even when powered by coal at 35% efficient generation.
Why? Because ICEs average only 14% efficiency in a vehicle.
And by making it possible to have distributed energy storage, plugin cars make wind and solar able to take over more and more of grid power generation.
This energy revolution has to start somewhere and plugin cars are a great place to start. For future GHG cuts and imediate cuts in oil use. Oil use that is threatening to start WW3.
If terrorists get nukes then use them on western cities, will that start WW3? I think so. Our oil purchases from terror funding nations like Iran and Saudi Arabia are facilitating this dangerous nuclear proliferation, as well as non-nuclear terrorist threats.
Posted by: amazingdrx | November 30, 2006 at 10:30 AM
Amazingdrx:
The soonest America, Europe, China and India switch from (mostly imported) OIL to (locally produced) ELECTRICIY economy the better.
The world cannot and should not have to fight simultaneous religious (terror) and oil (Irak+) wars.
To avoid 1000 new (dirty) coal generating plants; waves, wind and solar will have to be complemented with 100++ new Nuclear plants in Europe, America, China, India and many other countries, in the next 30 years.
Unfortunately, since Coal generating plants are much cheaper to build and most of us prefer the 'pocket book' preservation approach, we may be in for a multitude of new smoke stacks and huge increases in GHG in the next tow or three decades.
Who wants to pay 20% or 25% more for cleaner (coal free) electricity?
Posted by: Harvey D. | November 30, 2006 at 01:11 PM