OK we don’t make nearly enough renewable energy to meet the demand of American motorists, and likely never will. We use millions of barrels of oil each day. How many wind turbines will match that?
Are they “greener” than gasoline vehicles? Sure, but it’s still tremendously wasteful of energy. Most of the energy is expended moving the weight of the vehicle and batteries. Not only this but cars dictate how we build and design urban areas. we will continue building and expanding cities and towns to accommodate cars and their sense of distance. We’ll also need to continue wasting space for parked vehicles. This is all tremendously wasteful. We will also continue relying on a massive network of paved roads that require constant maintenence and are themselves made out of oil.
There’s also the issue of tires. They shed rubber and it goes into our environment, affecting humans and wildlife. It’s not a small thing.
In short, nothing about cars can be truly green. We’d be much better off investing in networks of highspeed rail, light rail, cycle lanes, and electric busses. These would have much bigger impacts, and much sooner. But instead we are committed to happy motoring and the drive-thru lifestyle
Sure, everything involves emissions, but when we’re talking about a 80%-90% reduction over what we have now, you can’t just handwave that away. That’s a tiny fraction of our current position.
And if we’re going to consider that, let’s consider the ghg emissions of laying new bike trails and railroads? Of building new buses and trains?
Manufacturing emits GHGs for anything but it’s a small fraction of the life cycle GHGs of a vehicle, especially if the electricity used in manufacturing is also renewable.
the people designing, making, and distributing all use GHG. The robots that make them all run on GHG. The distribution networks that support them all use GHG. Even the power that goes into the charge stations are coal and oil powered.
That’s a myth, and fossil fuel propaganda.
Much of the entire supply chain, and most of the energy mix that powers them, are already renewable and that fraction is increasing all the time.
For example, in California the power mix is roughly 50% renewable. In San Francisco it’s almost 100%. So if I purchase a Tesla, there’s very little fossil fuels in the post manufacturing cycle.
The whole point of EVs is to decouple transportation with fossil fuels. As our grid gets greener, so do our vehicles.
Just because nothing comes out of a tailpipe doesn’t magically erase the environmental impact they have.
It does erase something like 80-90% of the environmental impact they have. Not magically, just because EVs are designed to be better for the environment.
Not a veneer. EVs powered by renewable energy contribute almost nothing to GHG emissions.
OK we don’t make nearly enough renewable energy to meet the demand of American motorists, and likely never will. We use millions of barrels of oil each day. How many wind turbines will match that?
Are they “greener” than gasoline vehicles? Sure, but it’s still tremendously wasteful of energy. Most of the energy is expended moving the weight of the vehicle and batteries. Not only this but cars dictate how we build and design urban areas. we will continue building and expanding cities and towns to accommodate cars and their sense of distance. We’ll also need to continue wasting space for parked vehicles. This is all tremendously wasteful. We will also continue relying on a massive network of paved roads that require constant maintenence and are themselves made out of oil.
There’s also the issue of tires. They shed rubber and it goes into our environment, affecting humans and wildlife. It’s not a small thing.
In short, nothing about cars can be truly green. We’d be much better off investing in networks of highspeed rail, light rail, cycle lanes, and electric busses. These would have much bigger impacts, and much sooner. But instead we are committed to happy motoring and the drive-thru lifestyle
You’ve been reading too much propaganda.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021-opinion-renewables-will-power-future-of-us-energy/
Yes this is literally how a vehicle works
Cool, well, enjoy your fantastic future. Happy motoring!
Thanks!
deleted by creator
It’s funny, I can’t tell if you’re a left wing “the media are all liars” nutjob or a right wing “the media are all liars” nutjob.
Horseshoe theory in action, I guess
deleted by creator
Still can’t say for sure, but I’m going to tentatively guess left wing nutjob
Their parts get made. They get manufactured. Pretty sure that involves fairly substantial emissions, just not compared to what we have now.
Sure, everything involves emissions, but when we’re talking about a 80%-90% reduction over what we have now, you can’t just handwave that away. That’s a tiny fraction of our current position.
And if we’re going to consider that, let’s consider the ghg emissions of laying new bike trails and railroads? Of building new buses and trains?
Manufacturing emits GHGs for anything but it’s a small fraction of the life cycle GHGs of a vehicle, especially if the electricity used in manufacturing is also renewable.
deleted by creator
That’s a myth, and fossil fuel propaganda.
Much of the entire supply chain, and most of the energy mix that powers them, are already renewable and that fraction is increasing all the time.
For example, in California the power mix is roughly 50% renewable. In San Francisco it’s almost 100%. So if I purchase a Tesla, there’s very little fossil fuels in the post manufacturing cycle.
The whole point of EVs is to decouple transportation with fossil fuels. As our grid gets greener, so do our vehicles.
deleted by creator
You can regulated-capitalism your way out though.
It does erase something like 80-90% of the environmental impact they have. Not magically, just because EVs are designed to be better for the environment.