Electro-smart therapy

[dennyrex]

nice article, featured on DW German news tonight:

<http://www.rwe.com/generator.aspx/presse/language=en/id=76864?pmid=4002047>

"Daimler delivers smart fortwo electric drive to RWE

Electric vehicle will provide insights through day-to-day operation
A further milestone after the launch of the London test fleet

From today on, an electrically powered smart will take to the road as part of the vehicle fleet of energy supplier RWE.

The daily operation of the electrically powered smart will provide valuable findings for further developing this propulsion concept and increasing efficiency. After the launch of the large-scale field test of 100 smart fortwo electric drives in the British capital London last year, this marks the launch of the first test vehicle for everyday operation in Germany."

[jediknight36]

I cant wait!

[SmartBob]

Click here! For those of us less computer literate. Great article.

[Karl Roth]

The power companies remain one of the dirtiest industries in the USA. They spew mercury into the atmosphere and our government does very little to change anything. Reducing electrical use makes more sense than a plug in car to me.
karl

[jwight]

What about covering all the body panels with photo voltaic cells? Sort of kidding but not really; wonder if you could store enough energy to offset some of the plug in power?

[jediknight36]

I think electric cars are wonderful. But we need to find better sources for our electricity. Solar is coming along, but is far from where we need it, wind is near useless on the large scale, but both could be used at the unit (house) level. Water and nuclear seems wise choices to me. Some plants are even able to recycle the waste for more energy.

[Karl Roth]

please explain "the waste" in your post thanks
karl
my apologies for the accusative voice I did not mean to "pick on" or attack, sorry

[Smartdavis]

Originally Posted by Karl Roth

please explain "the waste" in your post thanks
karl

The best thing about electric cars is you can charge them at night. A fair number of power plants exist just to serve "peak" demand hours during the work day. These plants sit idling at night. Electric cars can use generating capacity more efficiently and that can be a good thing for everyone.

[Bremer Speck]

Jediknight36, I agree that solar has a long way to go (in this country anyway). The oil crisis of the 70's could have been a good time to start investing in it. Instead, we wasted 30 years and did nothing. Please elaborate on your statement "wind is near useless on the large scale". Why then do you find large wind farms across Europe?

[jonnysan]

Originally Posted by jediknight36

I think electric cars are wonderful. But we need to find better sources for our electricity. Solar is coming along, but is far from where we need it, wind is near useless on the large scale, but both could be used at the unit (house) level. Water and nuclear seems wise choices to me. Some plants are even able to recycle the waste for more energy.

Referring to the emboldened part of your statement above, where did you ever get the idea that large scale wind was useless. Your very own state has the largest % of wind generation in the country is has an admirable record of generation capacity using clean free energy made from the large scale wind farms you have there. I am not sure of the number now, but Texas has become the benchmark (and envy) of most other states having wind resources for the amount of wind generation capacity your state has.

If you were to do some basic research on what's in your back yard, you would find this out. Please don't take offense to my post, but too many people down play the role that large wind is playing, as it evolves towards helping our country become more energy independent. This attitude was quite prevalent in our country for decades beginning in the 70's....all the smart guys ;) in the energy field proclaimed that wind power would never amount to anything. Look at how far behind that attitude has gotten us when compared to European countries that have 10 times the windpower utilization that we have and are better off for it now. We were set back by that mindset just like we were set back with ideas like the smart car and the fact that it was too small to be of any use in our commuting infrastructure....too bad, too...cause now we have to play catchup all the way around..
The argument that electricity generating plants make too much air polution to be of any good for plug in electric cars is false as well. The amount of carbon put into the atmosphere to charge one car to full charge is around 1/10th the amount that that same car will emit were it a gasoline powered car. There are some very eye opening articles on EVWorld if you wish to be enlightened about PHEV's and/or EV's....they ARE the wave of the future in propulsion in this country and the world....IMHO.

John