With all this talk about rising prices and scarcity/hoarding of fuel supplies; a practical alternative is needed in the upcoming ‘Rapid Transition’ time of moving to a non-oil based source of energy to power our personal and public transportation. Although many new technologies are under development; if we had to wait them out if would already be too late.
This website encourages a changeover to electric vehicles as being the best move under the present set of circumstances as it is a form of energy that is already understood and more importantly, it is available now.
“Within a single century, personal transportation has progressed from the horse and buggy to nearly a billion private automobiles. Life in developed countries is unimaginable without the car, but our current vehicles depend on oil. And the age of oil is quickly ending.
By many accounts, civilization has already used half the world’s oil. Remaining reserves are hard to reach and increasingly expensive. In just the last decade, the price for one barrel has gone from $10 to $100, and shows no signs of stopping there. Emissions from oil-burning automobiles clog our air and contribute to global warming.
For all of these reasons, finding an alternative to oil for private transportation is imperative. And although several alternatives can propel a car, only one is readily available today. We have a choice that both picks up where oil leaves off and allows us the personal mobility we’ve come to expect: Electricity. ” source (Project Better Place)
1 Comment
July 10, 2008 at 3:12 am
Possibly electric cars are the best alternative,except for the one point of running out of a charge befor you arrive at your chosen destination. Some electric cars go 40 miles on a charge, and I”ve heard of a few claims of up to 120 on a charge.Personaly I would need the full 120 per day just for to and from work. The fee of $2.00 to $3.00 a day is acceptable for the homes electric bill’s increased cost. The one topic missed by all, is the one PRACTICAL needed point to take away all fears to the future of electric transportation. That is the equivelant of the filling station. To get this to work right it would require one thing, for all major automobile manufactures to agree to a universal standard.This does not mean one and only one battery, but standardised groups such as an “A”or 2″A”s might fit bown through the center between the seats, in the same location that a drive shaft would have been in a RWD auto . A “B”might fit From 1 through up to say 4 under the trunk location. A “C” Could be a combination of a number of “A”s or “B”s straped together for an under the instalation. As mentioned earlier the filling station! A vehicle in need of charge would pull in to a service station and not recharge!!! but pull over a pit and have its bar code read and roboic arms and carriages would unfasten slide and drop the cell packs, than re-install fully charged batteries. If fairness is involved, the removed battreies could be Load Tested and a subtrsction for un used current be subtracted fron the bill. Where one might recharge over night for $3.00 at home A service statoin would charge for the convenience and be able to contribute to its states road taxes . If you wave TAX revenue to politician you generally get there attention ,approvial and help. By having a 10 ar 15 mimute automated battery swap no one will be afraid of owning one ,a family could take an affordable vacation in one .
Thank you and I hope this helps
Joe A. Elston
joen8umz@comcast.net