Morgans wrote:
"Robert M. Gary" wrote


As an engineer and an MBA this argument has never made sense to me.
Electric cars use power that may be produced using oil. The idea is a
large, centeral engine is more efficient (less oil, less expensive,
etc) than millions of individual CO dumping engines. Whether that
central engine burns oil or butter makes no difference, as long as its
more efficient than the individual engines.


The only problem with that point of view, is that every energy
transformation and use carries a penalty of a percentage of the energy being
lost.

This is "theoretically" true but not "practically" true. A central
power station that is burning petroleum products to generate electricity
would likely be using large gas turbines with efficiencies pushing 60%.
Transmission losses to the end used might account for 2% and the
electric motors of the cars would be running about 95%. So overall
"system" efficiency would be running over 55%...which is *much* higher
than your typical Otto cycle internal combustion engine at around 25%...

....Ken