Happy Independence Day, everyone! Let's celebrate by discussing something that Japan is doing much better than the United States! Making Hybrid Electric and Electric Vehicles. But which is better? It's time to find out!
Electric Vehicles
I just want to remind everyone of the differences between Hybrids and Electric Vehicles. Hybrids run primarily on gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines but they also have electric motors that are charged while the car is running, typically while the car is breaking. Electric Vehicles are the cars that you plug in at night and can run for a certain number of miles before they need to switch over to a gas motor or just die on the side of the road. Get the difference? Sounds great, let's move on to the good stuff! First up is Electric Vehicles (EV).
Green Pride (18/20)
People looooooooove EVs. Most of the time, they're ridiculously expensive and gas would need to be something like $10 a gallon or you have to drive a couple hundred miles a day (beyond the range of the EV) for it to be financially worth it. So the people that buy these cars are usually very proud of how good they are for the environment. When you meet someone that has one of these cars and don't know what to talk about, bring up their car and you've got your conversation covered for that entire night. If you need to get out of that conversation, all you have to do is suddenly remember that you forgot to plug in your EV and you're off the hook.
Green Guilt (5/20)
People like to read about EV and the newest models that are coming out, but deep down, they know that they probably won't own one of those any time soon. The guilt would be a lot higher, except that everyone has an amazing way to overcome that guilt without making too much of a sacrifice. And I'll mention that amazing way in just one minute.
Reader Comments (0/10)
I couldn't decide either. Maybe next time!
Hybrid Vehicles
Green Pride (12/20)
That amazing way is for people to buy a Hybrid Vehicle. HVs are marginally better for the environment than regular cars and marginally more expensive. They're a great way for people who are eco-lazy to be eco-friendly without changing their lifestyles in a single tangible way. Even though they didn't do anything other than write a slightly bigger check when they were paying for their cars, they're really proud of their slightly smaller carbon footprint.
Green Guilt (12/20)
I'd say that out of every 20 people, at least 12 realize that they should spend the extra money upfront and do what's right for the environment. If they don't they'll be plagued with some eco-guilt every time their friends are bragging about their EVs.
Reader Comments (0/10)
They're worth double now, so make sure you comment!
Time to tally the scores!
Electric Vehicles: 23
Hybrid Vehicles: 24
I promise you that I don't know the scores ahead of time until I tally them at the end. I don't modify things so that they come out really close. I really am unbiased (except for some really rare cases) so these really close results are genuine. I hope you didn't have Electric Vehicles and forgot to comment, because that would have made all the difference!
Next time is (1) Wind Power vs. (5) Offshore Wind Power. What's up with all these really similar concepts going head to head?
Showing posts with label Electric Vehicles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electric Vehicles. Show all posts
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Tournament Round 1, Match 8 - (2) Electric Vehicles vs. (7) Carbon Offsets
In a battle for the ages (not really), (2) Electric Vehicles takes on (7) Carbon Offsets. Two ideas will enter and only one will exit! Who will it be?!
Electric Vehicles
Don't be mistaken. I mentioned last time that Hybrid Vehicles referred to Electric Hybrids. Electric Hybrids and Electric Vehicles are not the same; they're not even in the same ballpark. Electric Vehicles run purely on electricity. None of that gasoline crap. True, many of them have gasoline backups in case the battery runs out, but for the first 40 or so miles, it's all electric.
Impact on the Environment (9/15):
Half of you probably think that number is too high, half too low. The half that think it's too low are probably less informed about Electric Cars. Yes, it's awesome that Electric Vehicles have no carbon emissions when they're using their batteries, so you'd think that the impact on the environment would be extremely low (with a high score). But electricity has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is largely coal and natural gas (which emit carbon emissions). So you think that Electric Vehicles would be neutral for the environment compared to regular cars. Right now, probably. But in the future, as we go to more alternative energy, we can take advantage of reduced carbon emissions from the electric grid.
Practicality (8/10):
While Electric Vehicles have had a long and spotty history, we're almost at the point where technology is good enough that they could catch on in a more mainstream way. Scientists have created batteries that last long enough to get most people to work and back, so as long as you don't want to go roadtripping, Electric Vehicles may be a good fit for you.
Sustainability (7/10):
Ultimately, we'd have to find something better than cars (Trains maybe?). Environmental concerns aside, our infrastructure is almost at a breaking point. Roads are overly crowded and becoming more and more costly to repair. (Asphalt - not good for the environment by the way). But for now, Electric Vehicles are a very good option.
Awesomeness (7/10):
Anyone who can make glorified golf carts be main draws at car shows across the country deserves a medal. A medal for awesomeness.
User Input (1/5):
Electric Vehicles, FTW!
Carbon Offsets
Carbon Offsets (CO) are pretty simple. You fly somewhere in a plane and you pay a certain amount that goes towards alternative energies or carbon capture or some such thing. It's not a great system, but it is a way to reduce the guilt you feel from burning dinosaur remains.
Impact on the Environment (??/15):
It's really really hard to say what kind of impact CO have on the environment. The problem is that you don't really know where that money is going. Are people really using that money to directly buy solar panels and wind turbines? Do those solar panels really reduce carbon emissions by as much as you emitted? How much money is going towards administrative costs? Are you being ripped off by the companies that are selling these? It's just too hard to tell.
Practicality (7/10):
I mean, really. If we knew that there was a good system in place for this whole thing, this would be a great way to increase funding for alternative energy technologies. And it's extremely easy to do. Lots of airline companies have options on their websites that tacks on the CO costs directly when you're booking your flight.
Sustainability (3/10):
Anything that doesn't have a visible thing that they can hand people when they buy them will not sell well for long. People need to see something tangible when they're buying it, so I don't see CO being popular for all that long.
Awesomeness (1/10):
When I first hear about these I guess it sounded somewhat awesome. But the more I thought about it, the more this idea seemed to fall into the category of naming stars after people or buying land on the moon. This is just a lazy way for people to think they're being better for the environment because they payed a little extra.
User Input (0/5):
Get those comments in, everyone!
Alright, let's tally those scores!
Electric Vehicles: 32
Carbon Offsets: 11-26
Even at its best, Carbon Offsets falls short at 26. And that concludes the Green Travel Region, Round 1! Tune in Wednesday to kick off the Green Energy Region when (1) Wind Power takes on (8) Tidal Power!
Electric Vehicles
Don't be mistaken. I mentioned last time that Hybrid Vehicles referred to Electric Hybrids. Electric Hybrids and Electric Vehicles are not the same; they're not even in the same ballpark. Electric Vehicles run purely on electricity. None of that gasoline crap. True, many of them have gasoline backups in case the battery runs out, but for the first 40 or so miles, it's all electric.
Impact on the Environment (9/15):
Half of you probably think that number is too high, half too low. The half that think it's too low are probably less informed about Electric Cars. Yes, it's awesome that Electric Vehicles have no carbon emissions when they're using their batteries, so you'd think that the impact on the environment would be extremely low (with a high score). But electricity has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is largely coal and natural gas (which emit carbon emissions). So you think that Electric Vehicles would be neutral for the environment compared to regular cars. Right now, probably. But in the future, as we go to more alternative energy, we can take advantage of reduced carbon emissions from the electric grid.
Practicality (8/10):
While Electric Vehicles have had a long and spotty history, we're almost at the point where technology is good enough that they could catch on in a more mainstream way. Scientists have created batteries that last long enough to get most people to work and back, so as long as you don't want to go roadtripping, Electric Vehicles may be a good fit for you.
Sustainability (7/10):
Ultimately, we'd have to find something better than cars (Trains maybe?). Environmental concerns aside, our infrastructure is almost at a breaking point. Roads are overly crowded and becoming more and more costly to repair. (Asphalt - not good for the environment by the way). But for now, Electric Vehicles are a very good option.
Awesomeness (7/10):
Anyone who can make glorified golf carts be main draws at car shows across the country deserves a medal. A medal for awesomeness.
User Input (1/5):
Electric Vehicles, FTW!
Carbon Offsets
Carbon Offsets (CO) are pretty simple. You fly somewhere in a plane and you pay a certain amount that goes towards alternative energies or carbon capture or some such thing. It's not a great system, but it is a way to reduce the guilt you feel from burning dinosaur remains.
Impact on the Environment (??/15):
It's really really hard to say what kind of impact CO have on the environment. The problem is that you don't really know where that money is going. Are people really using that money to directly buy solar panels and wind turbines? Do those solar panels really reduce carbon emissions by as much as you emitted? How much money is going towards administrative costs? Are you being ripped off by the companies that are selling these? It's just too hard to tell.
Practicality (7/10):
I mean, really. If we knew that there was a good system in place for this whole thing, this would be a great way to increase funding for alternative energy technologies. And it's extremely easy to do. Lots of airline companies have options on their websites that tacks on the CO costs directly when you're booking your flight.
Sustainability (3/10):
Anything that doesn't have a visible thing that they can hand people when they buy them will not sell well for long. People need to see something tangible when they're buying it, so I don't see CO being popular for all that long.
Awesomeness (1/10):
When I first hear about these I guess it sounded somewhat awesome. But the more I thought about it, the more this idea seemed to fall into the category of naming stars after people or buying land on the moon. This is just a lazy way for people to think they're being better for the environment because they payed a little extra.
User Input (0/5):
Get those comments in, everyone!
Alright, let's tally those scores!
Electric Vehicles: 32
Carbon Offsets: 11-26
Even at its best, Carbon Offsets falls short at 26. And that concludes the Green Travel Region, Round 1! Tune in Wednesday to kick off the Green Energy Region when (1) Wind Power takes on (8) Tidal Power!
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