Reply #7: Thanks for the link. And some numbers.... [View All]

[bhikkhu]

According to the EIA figures, if we are looking at the same thing, the electric power sector produced 40 quadrillion btus for 2007. According to the same source, the transportation sector consumed 28 quadrillion btus for 2007.

I can see how a pessimist would simply say electric power generation would have to nearly double to power the transport sector, and that is possibly a source of error in what I have been reading. I'll have to go back and look things over, and it will be good to do with a better idea of primary sources...

With that said, the basis for your argument lies in the much greater efficiencies of the electric engine, arriving according to your figures at something like 4 quadrillion btus additional electrical generation capacity needed. That's only a 10% increase. And then there is the V2G potential, which seems like a great deal of trouble for a little efficiency, except that it could free up that 4 quads of power through improvements in grid utilization.

So I see what you are saying - we could go to all electric vehicles more or less for no cost.

I don't want to get too far into the problems with this without a better understanding than I have, but it should be clear that any loss of efficiencies across the 12% to 90% gap quickly turns the 4 quads to 8, or 10, or 12. I've followed this stuff for 30 years, but there is always more to learn...