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| Joined: | Mon Nov 21st, 2005 |
| Location: | California USA |
| Posts: | 6399 |
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There is no doubt that PHEVs result in good fuel economy figures — GM is currently touting its PHEV-to be, the Volt, as getting 150MPG over all. However, they aren’t necessarily super efficient. Instead, they achieve these high numbers by supplementing the power produced by their gasoline engines with power taken from the grid. This has caused controversy lately, as hybrid-opponents often claim that battery production and the use of energy from the grid actually makes these cars bigger GHG polluters. However, if you look at this chart posted by GCC, you can see that both HEVs and PHEVs have a clear advantage over conventional cars, even when battery production is factored in:
The Chart is poor.
Solar Panels are now affordable as a means of reducing the cost of electricity. That means that a person can invest in solar panels and reduce their monthly electric bill. That means that the whole concept of discrediting electric cars based upon the high environmental costs of electricity is ludicrous. If you have an electric car and you have one because you want to reduce monetary costs (avoid the high price of gas) then you can reduce the high price of electricity with an investment in Solar Panels.
AND Solar Panels are becoming cheaper and Solar Panels are producing more current. The affordability of Solar Panels (as a means of reducing the cost of consuming electricity) is getting better (more power for less cost).
If the idea behind a change from petroleum powered transportation to electric powered transportation includes an environmental concern (added to the monetary concern) the idea is to stop burning gasoline and stop producing carbon dioxide and if that additional concern (the environmental concern) applies to the automobile it (the environmental concern) can apply to the Solar Panels.
There you have, now, two concerns.
1. Monetary (you spend less money on electricity and less money on gasoline)
2. Environmental (you produce less pollution with the car and you produce less pollution as you make your own electricity out of sun-light).
There is a third concern that may be even more important the first two concerns.
You become independent. You are POWER-INDEPENDENT.
If the flow of collective gasoline stops – you keep going.
If the flow of collective electricity stops – you keep producing electricity.
That is called a win/win situation.
More benefit
Less cost