Will Electricity Fuel Our Automotive Future?

[Playinghardball]

From MSN

5 Concerns About Electric-Car Batteries

Electricity may be the auto fuel of the future, but a lot remains to be answered about the batteries that house it.

If you believe the headlines, electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are about to take over the world. Soon we'll all be silently gliding around in Trader Joe's parking lot, free from foreign oil, climate-change anxiety and all other earthly cares. This year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit drove the point home as Ford, Tesla, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and others flaunted electric cars of all species. More importantly, the first real EV offerings, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, recently hit the streets to much fanfare.

Indeed, it seems that electricity is winning the alternative-fuel war, which makes us both excited and a bit concerned. Carrying all those electrons around requires big, high-voltage batteries. And many questions are yet to be answered about these oversized copper tops — some good, some not so good.

Here, we examine five of the most troubling concerns about EV batteries.

Read more at; http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1176838&icid=autos_0251>1=22006


Our next car will be either a hybrid or all electric...or a 500hp Mustang...

[Possumpoint]

1. I'm Not Concerned About The Batteries

As much as I am about what energy source will be used to generate the additional electricity that will be required. Coal, all around is a dirty fuel. Will it be the petroleum not used by the cars? Nuclear is problematic and others are insufficient at present date.

[DCKit]

2. There is surplus generation at night to carry the load for many, many electric vehicles.

When we reach saturation, we can talk about the lack of generating capacity.

$0.02- $0.05/mile for electric cars would indicate that electric cars, regardless of the source of generation (including filthy, filthy coal), are more efficient and less polluting than gasoline cars.

Why is this supposed lack of generating capacity even considered to be a legitimate talking point right now?

Fear the Future... it's gonna get you!

[bluestate10]

3. The technology of electric cars is in it's infancy.

Technically sophisticated power sources will be developed. I am one that look to a dominant, disruptive technology to come along within the next decade and turn everything that we know on it's head. Green cars and trucks will happen and be safe, but their power source as yet has not yet finished breaching some technical barriers.