One of the main appeals of the Toyota Prius was the snob factor. Owners could drive through town in proof that they were so much more righteous than the deplorables. And now the electric car is taking their world by storm.
But there's a cost. Those vehicles are highly subsidized, and taxpayers get little to show for it. Furthermore, not only does the manufacturing process burn energy, but the process of making usable energy is dependent on fossil fuels. The dream of actually improving the environment is just that, a dream.
This has been understood by many for a long time. So it's nice to see something about it in a publication popular among lefties. Take a look at this at politico.com Are electric cars worse for the environment? The answer is in the subhead: "Crunch the numbers, and it looks like all those subsidies might be counterproductive." Jonathan Lesser notes that new vehicle internal combustion engines are very efficient, and air pollution would likely increase with widespread use of electric vehicles. And this:
And as for that electric car: The energy doesn’t come from nowhere. Cars are charged from the nation’s electrical grid, which means that they’re only as “clean” as America’s mix of power sources. Those are getting cleaner, but we still generate power mainly by burning fossil fuels: natural gas is our biggest source of electricity, and is projected to increase. And coal, while still declining, will remain the second largest source of electricity for some time. (Third is nuclear power, which doesn’t generate emissions but has other byproducts that worry some environmentalists.) Even with large increases in wind and solar generation, the EIA projects that the nation’s electric generating mix will be just 30% renewable by 2030. Based on that forecast, if the EIA’s projected number of electric vehicles were replaced with new internal combustion vehicles, air pollution would actually decrease—and this holds true even if you include the emissions from oil refineries that manufacture gasoline.
Mr. Lesser goes on to note that electric vehicle owners are typically wealthier than the non owners as the poor might not be able to afford even a subsidized one much less have the capability to keep it charged. He suggests that the wealthy have the most to gain from owing them. Let me paraphrase: It's not easy being green, unless you are rich.
Oh, and the snob appeal. Don't forget the snob appeal.
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1:32 PM 5/20/2018
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