"Recycled Article"
from March 2018:
Minor revisions and
formatting changes:
Electric
( non-hybrid )
automobiles
are inefficient,
compared with
gasoline powered
automobiles.
Gasoline engine
efficiency
easily beats
the efficiency of
electric motors,
powered
by batteries
That's why
most of us drive
gasoline-powered
automobiles !
For an
electric vehicle,
the total process
to run the car,
starts with
generating
electricity,
and ends with
battery driven
electric motors
that move
the automobile.
This total process
can have overall
efficiency
as low as 15%.
There are many
energy losses:
(1)
Losses when
generating
electricity
from a fuel,
such as coal,
or natural gas,
( more than 60% coal
used by DTE Energy
here in SE Michigan ! )
(2)
Losses from
electric
transmission
lines,
(3)
Losses when
charging batteries
( converting electrical
energy into stored
chemical energy ),
(4)
Losses when
converting stored
chemical energy
back into
electrical energy,
(5)
Losses when
converting
electrical energy
into
mechanical energy
that moves
an electric vehicle.
Potential
Long-term
Problem:
When an
electric vehicle
is old, and ready
to be scrapped,
or needs a new
battery pack,
the safe disposal
of a huge number
of batteries is an
environmental
concern.