Hi-tech entrepreneur Jason Calacanis seems to be going goo goo ga ga over plug-in cars. Additionally, many environmentalists and politicians think plug-in electric cars are the answer to today’s problems.
Potential Problems
However, low-tech writer Kris de Decker points out some potential problems with relying electric batteries to power our automobiles:
The electric car is not a technology of the future, but from the past.
The electric car is 170 years old. This may sound surprising, but e-cars predate automobiles with a combustion engine. They were driven out of the market in the beginning of the 20th century because petrol engines had significantly better mileage. One century later, the electric car still faces the same – fundamental – problems. Furthermore, the need for batteries makes them eco-unfriendly by nature. The only possible green future for electric cars is a wired future: hooked up to the overhead lines, like trolleybuses and bumper cars.
Kris de Decker’s article Who killed the electric grid? Fast-charging electric cars is also highly recommended.
Additionally, I think relying on the electric grid to charge cars presents additional risks in terms of emergency evacuations taking place when the power is out.
100 MPGe Contest
Progressive Insurance is offering a $10 million XPrize to teams that can build a car that achieves an energy efficiency equivalent to 100 miles-per-gallon. Many electric and hybrid-electric teams have entered. Personally, I’d like to see an efficient gasoline engine or steam engine team take home the prize.
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