Are plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles really green?
The Velozzi plug-in multifuel hybrid electric vehicleX-Prize contender, the Velozzi plug-in hybrid, is a series plug-in hybrid that, in theory, will achieve 100-200 mpg. Like the Chevy Volt, the Velozzi runs on electricity, and can also use any heavy fuel to generate electricity. Unlike the Volt, however, the Velozzi isn't intended to be a heavy fuel-range extended electric vehicle. Velozzi would prefer that biofuels were used to generate your vehicle's electricity, rather than grid electricity - unless a significant percentage of the grid electricity is NOT powered by coal.
According to the company's website, "A German study recently has indicated that an electric car is as pollutant as an internal combustion engine car if the electricity to charge the electric vehicle comes from a grid that draws 49 percent of its energy from coal-fired power plants. About 57 percent of the world's energy comes from coal-fired plants."
I couldn't find a link to an actual article. While I believe in plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric cars, I do also agree that there are serious issues when it comes to America's electric grid - especially in terms of safety, reliability and global warming.
Labels: Chevy Volt electric vehicle concept, electric cars, plug-in hybrid vehicles, velozzi
posted by Dahcredyns at
10:45 AM
4 Comments:
I believe your concerns on America's electric grid are valid this was also addressed, in part, in the movie "Who Killed the Electric Car?"
If memory serves, thhe current grid is underused at the night time and the current electrical generating capacity can handle 120,000 electric cars (also, if powered at night).
In the near future I hope we will be pushing the limits of our grid and production capacity. EVs charging will need to use some type of timer or other device to be plugged in during the evening but not begin charging until late night perhaps.
More localized electrical generation will also be an important factor is we truely plan to move towards a lot of EVs on our roads. Parking lots can also install solar panels to aid in daytime charging.
One factor supporting EVs that gives me hope is that electricity, though not 100% green presently, has huge potential in becoming more and more green in the near future. Internal combustion engines and gasoline will hardle ever become a green fuel source.
I also like electricity because of renewables. Thus, I'm pretty convinced that it is now time to embrace the hydrogen economy - particulary green generated hydrogen.
Hydrogen would make renewable-produced electricity much more effective. Additionally, I think new ways of producing hydrogen, such as biomass eating bateria, hold unbelievable potential.
Hydrogen is also a great way to localize energy. A 100 million fuel cell cars could produce more energy than our current electric grid - now that's distributed, localized energy.
Hydrogen, ultimately, can also be good for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, not just fuel cell vehicles.
Unfortunately, however, the hydrogen economy would take real Congressional intelligence and vision - an apparently oxymoronic combination.
Will the people act if Congress does not?
I honestly feel that hydrogen is not for the here and now. Battery technology is much closer than hydrogen and is advancing very quickly.
Biomass eating bateria is a new idea, way too young to put off any of the immediate solutions available. Another problem with hydrogen in the present is you need 100% pure water before you can use any form of electrolysis separation to extract hydrogen from water. Presently the electricity needed to extract hydrogen makes it a less green solution than EVs.
In the present; battery for a series design (instead of a current parallel hybrid designs) can be made available now. I would hate to see this technology bypassed for the 30 to 50 years before any affordable hydrogen solutions are ready.
With all that being said... hydrogen will one day be the silver bullet. I envision home fuel cells one day powering the entire home and charging EVs. This long term dream helps solve global warming concerns, removes power grid issues, and brings lets us say fairwell to middle eastern oil. Not to mention will stop blackouts due to power plants and hurricanes.
I don't really disagree with any of your statements.
While I agree that the hydrogen economy, per se, is still decades away from being a mainstream reality, there are still possibilities that can be harnessed today. For example, we are spending billions on corn-based ethanol, which has no future, I'd rather see that investment made into clean biofuels like cellulosic ethanol, and more important, clean hydrogen.
However, I guess where I do disagree with you is in the separation of hydrogen and batteries. In my belief, they are largely the same thing. Fuel cell vehicle are electric drive vehicles, and hydrogen is an excellent medium for storing excess electricity for both fuel cell cars and electric cars.
In the early days of hydrogen, the best hydrogen vehicles would be plug-in fuel cell hybrid vehicles that utilize batteries to capture regenerative breaking energy to create electricity, thus reducing the need for both grid-produced electricity and hydrogen.
So, here's my vision.
Today, Honda has developed prototype, solar-powered Home Hydrogen Fueling stations. Such stations control solar power, natural gas and electricity, efficiently maximizing each fuel, while storing excess solar energy as hydrogen.
Add in a Honda Clarity FCX, with a range of 275 miles, and a solar powered / hydrogen home isn't that far off into the future. Technologically, its there, cost-wise, however, there's a lot of work to be done.
Considering that America spends around $100 billion or more per year just securing OPEC oil (non-War costs), maybe those costs aren't so expensive after all.
So, how to achieve my vision?
Battery technology makes this future a reality sooner by making fuel cell cars much more efficient. Thus, I don't adovocate that battery research and battery tax incentives be switched to fuel cells and the hydrogen highway. They are complementary. And, even if the hydrogen highway were fully developed, both pure electric cars and fuel cell cars have important roles.
I believe that America should decide that we will be energy independent by 2030. Focus on hybrids and clean biofuels immediately with tax credits as we push into plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles in the next few years, again, with tax credits.
However, at the same time, as we fix our grid, focus on geothermal, solar, wind, biomass and, most importantly, the hydrogen storage of these renewables. Plus, let's slowly start putting fuel cell vehicles on the road.
Ultimately, the hydrogen highway is going to come much faster than anyone is expecting. The real question, I believe, is whether the US will be a leader or a follower. And I firmly believe, for the welfare of our economy, we desperately need to be the leader.
The future of transportation - India and China - are not good markets for grid-powered electric cars. Chinese electricity is almost purely dirty coal created. China and India are, however, prime markets for hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles, and both countries are quickly accelerating their efforts towards this future.
Ironically, two months ago, I didn't want to hear about fuel cell cars or hydrogen. I thought they were distractions. After a few fuel cell vehicle test drives, however, I reevaluated my position.
Hence, we need to treat energy like a new business. Think big if you want to succeed, and that means the hydrogen highway.
Am I dreaming a bit? Maybe, but you gotta dream before you can achieve it.
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