Electric Cars Could Dominate U.S. Roads in 2030

cnbc.com:

SAN FRANCISCO - Electric car sales could jump to 86 percent of U.S. light vehicle sales in 2030 if consumers don't have to buy batteries themselves, according to a University of California, Berkeley study to be released on Monday.

Read the whole story: cnbc.com

Comments

[leduck]

it's really interesting that this study indicates that electric cars will dominate U.S. roads in 2030

since global world oil production will have been in terminal decline for many, many years by then
and there will be very little oil left to burn

i guess there saying, we wont being driving nothing, just walking and using trains, but istead be using electric cars

sweet

[martynf]

I doubt it greatly that this will be the case unless we can deal with the issue of range and performance and cost.

its comparitively easy to get a electric car to go 250 miles at highway speeds just give it enough batteries or a secondary power source it will just cost you $150,000so what about the miev it can do 80 miles and can do 80 miles an hour but just not at the same time.

The problem is energy density in that in any battery system it is to low to make it truly viable without a conventional engine of some kind.

As for the arguement electric cars are ideal for cities here is a few words on that " get a bike "

[SworldPeas]

I have an electric car, it is for short trips around town and my daily commuter. The performance is like that of a VW bug which works fine for the city. It was cheap to buy, I run it off my solar system so it's FREE to charge and zero emissions. It doesn't have to be expensive, it doesn't have to have long range (heres a few words on that "take your gas car") It doesn't have to be a high performance machine as I'm not out to impress people on my way to work.
Would you be willing to give up a little performance and range for say... CLEAN AIR?

[quiviran]

You've got your system design wrong. 40 mile battery range is all that is needed once you make the decision to have an on board generator. The generator must be sized to recharge the battery at the same time it provides power for a steady-state cruise. That's not a $150,000 car, it's a $40,000 car in small numbers, and a $20,000 car when it hits big numbers.

40 miles covers the majority of daily commutes. Recharging at work gets coverage for over 90% or the average cars' daily driving in the US. There's not much call for a long-range BEV.

I predict series hybrid cars made in China at Wal-Mart within two years. The US auto industry should be looking to license the Chinese design, so maybe we can build a few here.

[greencoolhip]

You could use fuel cells as your power source to recharge the battery. But once electric cars become of common use in every day life, battery recharging and swapping stations will pop up across the country much the sameway gas stations did.
There's already a company called BetterPlace who's leading the charge for recharging/swapping stations.
http://www.greencoolhip.com/green-technology/49/betterplace/

[KinkyGirl]

I can't wait.

[lizardbrain]

Check out the Michigan Solar Car - it goes 85 mph on the energy of a hairdryer.

http://www.dasolar.com/solar-energy/michigan-solar-car

[quiviran]

Bag of groceries goes where?

[hellboundtrain]

Since oxygen and hydrogen have been used very successfully since the mid 1950's in various rocket engines, I ask why isn't water being cracked in the automobile to run the engine or motor?
Especially, since the new and much more efficient catalyzer has been discovered that allows for this process more easily. The constituents can be ignited directly in the engine, or, they can be run through a power cell in order to make electricity to power the motor.

We really need to abandon the coal and petroleum products if we want a world for our children and grand children!

Water Rules! Or, it should!

[leduck]

go back to school and take some physics classes

[wyomingredneck]

I will stick with my dodge ram truck

[The Meek]

Your Dodge Ram truck is probably a good choice for now if you live in Wyoming. The Car in the picture is a good choice if you live in London.

[lvogt]

"Think! City" cars from Norway propose leasing their batteries separate from the car. They are selling mobility rather than vehicles. I am waiting fro a decent priced/range electric car for my next vehicle.
I don't even mind the Volt idea of a small gas engine to recharge and extend mileage but all electric is what I'm looking for.

[antifluff]

This plan exchanges the use of gasoline for the use of coal (the most used fuel for electric generation). It does not talk about the pollutants that will have to be discarded in the production of the batteries.
Electric cars may be an excellent idea, but, there are trade-offs. It is naive to assume that just changing to electric cars will make any real difference in CO2 output.

[The Meek]

The old coal argument isn't valid and everything is a trade off. No one single thing is the solution to CO2 emissions The main reason to get an electric vehicle is because they are so cool.

[BlackbirdHighway]

You are uninformed.

An oil refinery uses 7 KWH of electricity to make a gallon of gasoline.

An electric car can go 25 miles on that much electricity.

So, the amount of electricity consumed is about the same, except that we don't have to import oil anymore.

Over the next ten years, we'll spend about $7 Trillion on imported oil. With that much money we could afford to replace every single coal plant in the US with clean energy from solar, wind and geothermal, backed up with natural gas for those times when the sun isn't shining the wind isn't blowing.

[Troutboi]

Next, we'll have to Bail out the Oil Companies.

[rf-hawaii]

Forget the bail out. Just hand them the anchor.

[gladiator777]

Bwhahahaah­ahahaahah.­.....what is this? A car for ants!

[The Meek]

It's a Riva. I saw 3 of them in my very short stay in London. Aunts love em.

[gladiator777]

That is a death trap.....

[BannedNBoston]

Great idea Sworld Peace
I see some electric cars in NH.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOJ4z8yqa54&feature=related

[Itsmyland2]

I think your tin foil hat is on too tight

[hark]

It's kind of ridiculous that they don't factor in battery technology in 2015, 2020, 2030. If we develop this technology seriously, it's likely to revolutionize the auto industry far sooner. And even if we wait for the private sector to get around to it, there are going to be substantial improvements over the next few years in battery development. We're at the beginning of it all.

Still, leasing the batteries makes good sense, because you will be constantly upgraded to better performance. Old batteries at worst can be 97% recycled, or can be used for other purposes where frequent recharging is not a problem. Fleet delivery vehicles for example, or industrial use.

Why, when electric car stories are posted, do they always show a photo of some ugly, tiny vehicle, as if electric cars can't compare to gasoline powered vehicles. Check out http://www.teslamotors.com/ to see what they look like like, and how they perform. It'll knock your socks off if you are not familiar with the real story of electrics.

[rf-hawaii]

Batteries that charge in seconds are just about here.

[The Meek]

Hark beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think the Tesla's are ridicules looking and the Riva's are cute.

[tbirdalum]

As well as tesla, check out the Aptera.

[leduck]

when did batteries become a primary source of energy
rather then something that stores it?

[SworldPeas]

2030? Thats a joke right? I have a 1982 Ford Escort that was factory converted to all electric by Jet Industries. I don't buy gas, no oil to change, no radiator fluid to check, no transmission fluid to worry about. I charge it with my grid tied solar system. I don't have an electric bill and my transportation costs are free and it's all zero emissions. The 16 lead acid batteries are 100% recyclable. I drive it to work everyday. I reduced my CO2 from about 8000lbs/year to less then 1000lbs. In the face of Global Warming we can ill afford to wait until 2030 for such an easily attained reduction in CO2.

[The Meek]

Good on you. Converting existing cars is the way to go. Any electric made by a major manufacturer would be overly complex and hard to repair. Planned obsolescence is the name of their game.

Support American workers, convert the car of your choice to electric if you want one.

[way2muchsense]

How much did it cost to convert that '82 Escort? What is the range of your aftermarket EV? How fast can it go? And how long does it take to charge it up?

[SworldPeas]

Way2muchsense
How much did it cost to convert that '82 Escort? What is the range of your aftermarket EV? How fast can it go? And how long does it take to charge it up?

Hi way2much
Jet industries did a factory conversion before the transmission and engine was installed. I do not know the cost to convert the car as it was already done. It will go 60 mph no problem. The car will do 50-55 miles on a charge. I have a quick charge, takes about 4 hours. It's my daily driver, I use it to commute to work everyday, and go to church on Sunday in it. If i need to go further then 50 miles I take my gas car.

[thegloriouscause]

Bio-deisel could own the road, too, but we'll never know b/c the most renewable bio-deisel crop on the planet, hemp, is illegal to grow despite that fact that it is not a drug. Now why would that be?

[hark]

The ice is 20th century technology.

The electric is far superior in every category already, except it doesn't get quite so far on a "tankful." The Tesla Model S can get as much as 300 miles on a charge, depending on the battery option.

The ice is a noisy, complex polluting monstrosity no matter what the fuel.

Forget about it.

And we need all the arable land for food. We can't feed 6.5 billion as it is.

[BannedNBoston]

We need living wages so people can afford to own their car batteries.
Leasing solar panels is a bad idea too.

[KillTheMessenger]

Leasing cars was always a bad idea, yet a lot of people have been doing so for decades. There is nothing wrong with bad ideas, as long as there are enough people who will buy them.

:-)

[SworldPeas]

Leasing a solar system is a good idea because it locks you in to a guaranteed price for electricity. As prices rise, and we know they will, a leased system means your cost for power stays the same. Unlike a car lease, you can have a financial benefit from leasing a solar system not to mention you'll avoid a "carbon tax" on your next electric bill (that we all know is coming) lol

[lvogt]

There are companies here and there around the country that will install solar panels free for a contract to sell you the power at todays rate for an extended period of time. Pretty good deal. You get somewhat off the grid and lock into a rate for 5 to 20 years and they get a steady influx of money.

[leduck]

leasing a solar system?
can i lease a galaxy?