Don’t Believe the Hype About the Plug-In Car

Minyanville ^ | 12/15/09 | Scott Reeves

[FlyVet]

Hybrid gasoline-electric and all-electric cars will continue to cost more than vehicles with a conventional internal combustion engine for the foreseeable future, putting the new technology beyond the reach of many car buyers.

Sales of hybrid and all-electric cars therefore may be limited to affluent buyers who can afford to make an environmental statement and the vast majority of vehicles will continue to be powered by gasoline or diesel engines. While promising, the new lithium-ion battery technology won’t significantly reduce pollution or dependence on foreign oil by 2030.

[Jeff Chandler]

I stand corrected. It is illegal to distill alcohol for human consumption.

[RegulatorCountry]

No, it’s not illegal to do that, either. It’s illegal to sell it without paying taxes and possessing the proper permits.

[ErnBatavia]

Our desert heat kills batteries....last week I had to replace one of the car batteries....it was an Interstate with an 84 month rating, and was 32 months old.

In the summer, I leave no rechargeable or battery stuff in the garage; not even a cordless phone.

[tips up]

Understood. I just meant the actual driving of the car.

Battery production and disposal is a huge problem.

[Clock King]

Enviros can't do math, don't know basic science, and want the world to work by magic. But the Laws of Nature can not be abrogatted.

[wolfcreek]

For us, that would be a 30% increase in our electric bill. My gasoline bill for my truck is less than $100 per month and I don’t have to worry about $14,000 worth of batteries.

During the warm months here in Texas, it would also stress the grid.

[dearolddad]

The engine will burn more in quantity but if you can make it really cheap who cares? And btw moonshiners did indeed mix the ‘shine into their fuels, that's how NASCAR started.

Who in there right mind would put a batch of double run "shine" into a gas tank?