Fossil Fuel industry trying to shut down electric vehicles

and we aren't going to get any help fighting them from this administration.

"The measure in Colorado has been backed publicly by Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group founded by the conservative billionaire brothers David H. and Charles G. Koch, whose wealth is founded on their petrochemicals empire."

http://nyti.ms/2mgjWyB

Colorado is just one of many cases.

 

Nothing can stop the Tesla now. Charging stations are popping up everywhere.

 

Inte

Interesting article that seems to focus on tax breaks for driving an electric car ending. Guess I missed the part where the fossil fuel industry is trying to shut it down as per the OP.

 

Then you didn't read it very well. See the paragraph prior to the one I quoted.

 

The oil industry has gobbled up designs for efficient non-traditional motors for decades. They pay a huge sum to the inventor who can't help but take the money over introducing it and risking failure. Then the technology disappears. I recall a 20/20 or similar report in the 80s or 90s that talked about a hydrogen motor for a car that would never see the light of day since an oil company bought the guy out to include all rights to the technology and future development.

The issue, though, is partly because governments at the federal and state level failed to realize, or care about, the decline in road tax funding they would receive as mandates for higher efficiency vehicles propelled the average MPG of vehicles upward. With plug-in electrics having the highest efficiency, and lowest (or no) gasoline usage, their proportion of gasoline tax was nil while their use of the roads stayed the same as traditionally propelled vehicles. They incentivized people to buy them, then punished them later when they realized the impact. Lawmakers aren't fools so I'd guess they knew this would come, especially with extra pressure from the oil industry to keep people using gasoline powered cars.

 

where does the electricity come from ? Magic fairies ?

 

OMG, no free money and the free market has to work. What is a good progressive to do?

 

Thought liberals didn't like corporate welfare!

 

If you have a paragraph that proves your point you should have put it in your OP as corroboration. All I saw was an entire article talking about tax breaks for electric cars going away.

 

Fun urban myths.

 

Do you mean "where could it come from"?

 

Seems you want me to mean it. So go ahead, tell everyone

 

There is so much money behind big oil. Years ago Texaco bought out Ovonic battery, which patented the Nickel Metal Hydride battery. Chevron then bought out Texaco, all in a very un-publicized deal.

 

Charging stations that are fueled by carbon-producing electric generation.

 

And they bought the 200mpg carbuerater too......

 

With my solar panels and wind turbine, I run a surplus every month. If you feel guilty about using grid power, of which some is from renewables, perhaps you could install solar panels, and use the electricity to charge your car.

 

I am not feeling guilty about anything and I assume that you live in an area with closer to peak solar than I do.

 

Yeah, Colorado is pretty good for solar - 320 Sun-Days per year. Solar still works in other areas, just not as efficiently. Also, it's not always what one can do directly, but where one's allegiance and support lies. The Federal Tax Credit for renewables more than quadrupled the amount of solar and wind in the US. Were you in support?

 

"..........

 

Recent solar technology is producing panels that can extract a surprising amount of power out of a cloudy day. If I remember right it's about 70%. Maybe you know better.

 

I hadn't heard that, but you got me curious. I found some links that mentioned only 10-25% efficiency. Then I found this futuristic solar panel, that touts 40%, but is not available yet.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/these-solar-panels-love-cloudy-days.html

One article mentioned that "partly cloudy" can actually magnify the sun, when it's at the edge of the cloud, and exceed the panel rating. I've noticed the output of my 12 panels, at times, is beyond the rating.

 

My "problem" with going solar is that my electric rates are so low (7¢/kWh) that going solar would probably more than double my cost.

BTW, you mentioned "efficiency" in cloudy days. I'm wondering what the "efficiency" is on sunny days. Are we calling that 100%?

IOW, how does cloudy day efficiency compare to sunny day efficiency on average?

 

70% of what. Current technology has solar cells getting a max of 34.6% efficiency (defined as being able to convert 34.6% of the sun's energy that reaches the cell into electricity).The most efficient commercially available solar cell has 24.1% efficiency. The typical solar cell has about 14% efficiency.

https://cleantechnica.com/2016/09/1...-cell-efficiency-record-hits-36-4-efficiency/
https://www.greentechmedia.com/arti...For-Worlds-Most-Efficient-Rooftop-Solar-Panel
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/power/2-how-efficient-are-solar-panels.html

I thought liberals were all about science? You have little or no clue about what you are talking about.

 

The same. Efficiency is defined as the percentage of the available energy from the sun that is converted into electricity. The problem is on cloudy days there is less available energy from the sun. Again, you need to research and inform yourself before you spout off things.

 

Give the OP a break. He asked a question. Do you have to add your dig at the end?

The efficiency of solar panels is somewhat irrelevant. For all practical purposes, there is an infinite supply of the resource. With coal, it has to be mined, shipped, fired, and converted to electricity. Any link can break down, reducing overall efficiency. Even the burning efficiency varies based on the grade of coal. Also, coal is a finite resource.