Dark side of electric cars

[thexav]

Here is an interesting story about the dark side of electric cars. It's a bit biased with the assumption power is generated by coal fired power stations but it does raise some interesting points.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19830232

 

[T9 man]

I was reading the same story myself this morning, a few eyebrow raising points were made and certainly issues that I had not thought off before.

 

[Yugguy]

I've always said this. electric cars are NOT clean - they just move the pollution somewhere else.

 

[HDi fun]

This is not really new. The fact is though that a power station burns coal far more cleanly and efficiently than a car burns petrol or diesel.

The really dark side is this - spent batteries. Where they goin'?

Landfill of course.

 

[T9 man]

The really dark side is this - spent batteries. Where they goin'?

Landfill of course.

:sad2:

 

[TommyTwinCams]

This is not really new. The fact is though that a power station burns coal far more cleanly and efficiently than a car burns petrol or diesel.

The really dark side is this - spent batteries. Where they goin'?

Landfill of course.

Over here, 90% of all batteries from cars are recycled. including hybrid car batteries and laptop batteries.

 

[HDi fun]

^^^^^ yes they are here too ^^^^^^^
But firstly what about the ten percent which aren't?

Hate to be difficult but recycling isn't generally energy neutral. How much goes into the recycling process???

It's not so simple as we'd all like to think it is

 

[SLEEPER]

Even if the batteries are recycled it is hardly an efficient process.
Reclycling is only green when you can easily reuse the materials without needing loads of energy to do it
For example reclycling PVCu where the only energy used is heating it up and then it is ready to extrude into garden chairs etc.

hardly the same with batteries - They need to be completely stripped and then manufactured again so you actually use more energy making a recycled battery than you do a new one.

And of course there is the rest of the car.......................

 

[HDi fun]

That is exactly the problem. But then if we, as consumers, don't adopt electric cars at some point the industry will be unable to fund subsequent developments and create better batteries, for example.

 

[SLEEPER]

I agree and Im fine with electric cars and am all for their developement ..............just not under the eco banner

 

[davalav]

I think the whole 'Greenhouse gases' are a load of rubbish personally. Us humans destroying the Ozone layer with our harmful vehicles.... Sure there has been scientific evidence to support such a case, but anyone remember that show Al Gore did about polution? I cant remember what it was called. All he went on about it how hardmful it is and how to make the earth greener, how about finding the root cause? How about minimizing the effects? How about running engines on veg oil, or dare I say, water? It isn't polution that is killing our planet, its the Humans natrual erge to kill and destroy anything and everthing for profit. Cutting down trees then building an almighty village or town in its place. Polution shoud be the least of our worries.

 

[HDi fun]

I think it's quite arrogant for us to assume that we have the ability to destory the planet. Once all the fossil fuels are burnt that'll be the end of CO2 problems, and that's assuming it is an issue in the first place.

Mankind will wipe itself out long before planet damage happens

 

[gummy]

I saw a program which had a Tesla on it,the car has the equivalent of 7000 phone batteries in it,it must cost a fortune to replace batteries in any electric car!.Also agree with HDi man will wipe himself out before planet damage occurs,i have believed that for many years!!!!