Plug-in Electric Cars Not the Answer

If you are one of the informed people who think plug-in electric cars will save us all, read on for a major disappointment.

1. Where does the power come from to charge these wondrous vehicles of the future? From the grid. Over half of all the electricity generated in the US comes from coal. How clean is that?

2. How much power is lost in transmission from the plant to your charging station in your garage? Over 7% gone in the ether. Wasted.

3. How long will the battery packs last? Not ten years, as advertised. Maybe 5 if you are lucky or if you don’t drive the car when it is either really hot or really cold outside.

4. How much energy can the battery packs store? Less than that of a single gallon of gas.

5. Where will the battery packs, costing upwards of $15,000, go when they burn out? Some landfill where they will cause untold damage to the environment as they leach out dangerous chemicals into the ground water.

6. How many people will pay upwards of $15,000 for a new battery pack to put in a 5 — 7 year old car worth about 10 grand? Only those who are really, really dedicated electric nuts.

7. How much will these plug-in cars cost? The Chevy Volt has a base price of $40,000, which is more than twice that of the Toyota Corolla. You will have to drive that Volt for far more than ten years to get your money back out in savings and the batteries are not going to last that long, so you will never get your money back. Ever.

8. How safe are these plug-ins? Not very as they are so quiet people walk right in front of them. You have to honk the horn all the time you are driving or activate the safety engine sound system that some automakers are including with the car.

9. Will you save the environment if you buy a plug-in? No, as the energy used to manufacture the car, which comes mostly from coal, is far greater than that required to make an ordinary car. Thus, more pollution.

10. Can you plug the car in at work or downtown for a quick recharge so you can get home? No. Good luck with that. I guess you will have to use the gasoline engine that is in the car, just like the gasoline engine in the Corolla. Boy, you really have made a difference. Nice work.