[GRLUG] OFF TOPIC Electric Car

[Collin Kidder]

Michael Mol wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 2:29 PM, Collin Kidder <adderd at kkmfg.com> wrote:
>   
>> An electric motor can be made darn near 100% efficient. As a bonus
>> electrical lines are found almost everywhere. It's like a built in gas
>> station in every building you see. So, I do believe that electric cars
>> will end up being the way forward.
>>     
>
> It remains to be seen how efficiently synthetic hydrocarbon fuels can
> be made; If those can be made sufficiently efficient, powering cars
> off the grid won't work.
>
> Granted, corn doesn't appear to be getting us off to a good start.
>   
Yeah, don't hold your breath there... The whole corn to ethanol idea was 
really not good at all. Maybe something else will pan out.

But, still, how are synthetic hydrocarbons going to complete with 
electric. I see two reasons why not:
1. Nuclear plants can output humongous amounts of power will nearly no 
waste byproduct and very little environmental damage
2. Hydrocarbon fuels do bad things to the environment and make hippies 
and tree huggers sad. So I think they are on the way out.