Reply #9: Not in useable form [View All]

[protocol rv]

There's a lot of gold in the ocean, go extract it and make a profit. The extractable lithium reserves are limited -and are located in countries with politics which may limit extraction rates.

The batteries aren't really fully recycable at a reasonable cost - the full cycle cost is a problem.

The price you mention is "with incentives" meaning there's a subsidy involved. Also, what is the Leaf's payload/size/capability versus a hybrid? it can't compete.

Finally the electricity used to charge the batteries comes from somewhere. And that somewhere is a lot of times a coal fired power plant - which has similar thermodynamic efficiency to a highly efficient diesel engine (a bit better, but nevertheless not that much better). And this is the deal breaker. Unless the electricity is generated using hydropower, wind, or a cleaner fuel such as natural gas, then the CO2 load is about the same.

The electric car is a feel good vehicle for people who don't understand the full cost, nor do they understand there are better more practical alternatives, such as a hybrid with a larger battery set. Another alternative is a modern diesel with a 5 manual transmission. It gets about 50 miles per gallon. The europeans use super clean diesel and this type of vehicle is increasingly popular. It's a lot better than the fully electric vechiles being touted in California.