An All-Electric Porsche?

[Pominoz]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Electric is in favor with consumers, or anyone who favors energy costs that are more predictable and less prone to volatile swings and cartel mischief. Most any modern economy can make electricity cheaply which makes the issue of whether it is cleaner irrelevant. Nobody is trying to save the planet in earnest, but nearly all want to drive out the uncertainty in costs from energy sources that largely based on speculative demand (and always will be).
If you look at the history of business, once a more predictable option emerges in a feasible way, it takes over. Look at these guys drilling oil out of the ground, one year they're popping champagne the next year they have more rigs sitting dormant than at any time in decades. Business likes certainty. And it just so happens that single largest economy in the world is the Saudi Arabia of electricity-making coal. On the one hand you have gigafactories making batteries and on the other side you have all that coal. Sooner or later consumers and business will figure it out. This cheap oil isn't going to last.

Batteries don't create energy, they just store it, inefficiently. Wait and see what will happen to electricity costs, if we ditch petrol and run all the world vehicles on electricity.

[Giller]

Originally Posted by Pominoz

Batteries don't create energy, they just store it, inefficiently. Wait and see what will happen to electricity costs, if we ditch petrol and run all the world vehicles on electricity.

Who knows what will happen? What we do know is that oil and gas is finite and eventually will run out. Still lots left for sure - but the costs of getting it will get higher and higher.
Batteries and electric vehicles are the future and with all the R/D will only get better and better, until the next technology comes along.

[stephen wilson]

Originally Posted by Giller

Who knows what will happen? What we do know is that oil and gas is finite and eventually will run out. Still lots left for sure - but the costs of getting it will get higher and higher.
Batteries and electric vehicles are the future and with all the R/D will only get better and better, until the next technology comes along.

Umm, what do you think generates electricity? In the US, primarily Fossil Fuels. Plus, you're adding losses from power transmission and storage. Electric cars are not some magic bullet to solve all our ills.

[Giller]

Originally Posted by stephen wilson

Umm, what do you think generates electricity? In the US, primarily Fossil Fuels. Plus, you're adding losses from power transmission and storage. Electric cars are not some magic bullet to solve all our ills.

Yes, right now, primarily fossil fuels. But wind power is growing and water power has been around for some time. Solar is still finding a way to be cost effective, but full of promise. There is a TON of potential in renewable energy sources. Unfortunately, the big money is still in oil and gas (okay for my stock portfolio, bad for the environment).

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Pominoz

Batteries don't create energy, they just store it, inefficiently. Wait and see what will happen to electricity costs, if we ditch petrol and run all the world vehicles on electricity.

yes we know all about inefficiency via the internal combustion engine where nearly 70% of the energy that is paid for can not be used by the motorist. Every year trillions of dollars go right down the tubes that could have gone into the economy in ways that lifts demand for all sectors of the economy instead of just the few who do well when the oil markets spike.

As far as electricity costs, necessity is the mother of invention. When the free market senses a ramped up need for cheap electric power, those wishing to profit like a Bill Gates from filling that void waste no time in entering the race to deliver it. So the saying should be profit is the mother of invention.

In the end we may not end up saving any money at all vs. the current system of relying so heavily on a finite and inefficient commodity but we however will no longer be dependent on the wildly speculative demand of the oil markets that can erase a small business profit from unexpectedly high fuel costs in a matter of weeks. The oil market completely ignores falling oil consumption, excess supply one year and pays attention the next only to ignore it all over again. What business or household wants to continue depending on that kind of instability?
Volatility is great for hedge funds but households and small business not so much.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Pominoz

Batteries don't create energy, they just store it, inefficiently. Wait and see what will happen to electricity costs, if we ditch petrol and run all the world vehicles on electricity.

LOL not only it stores energy inefficiently, it is also unsustainable. Go figure.... billions and billions thrown at it with a blind eye. The only reason 'why' that I can think of is ROI. Sad to see in all honesty

Keep dreaming! The traditional computer will have more transistors than a human has neurons in its brain way before the energy crisis is half sorted. Keep spending your R&D funds dearest world powers, its entertaining!