DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Why is GM reinventing an electric car, when they already had one 10 years ago?

**pIp83Uns** · 08-03-2009, 02:16 AM

Eh if electrical cars became the norm, then we need to severly update our power infrastructure. Not to mention, this would highly increase the demand for electricity, and most plants are coal and oil...It might not be the all around savior everyone thinks.

No, its not pollution free. We have to generate it somehow. But even a coal plant is more efficient than a IC engine at converting fuel to energy. The average IC engine is only 25% efficient, 3/4 of the energy produced is wasted as heat. Its one of the reasons I am Pro forced induction, even in a passenger car designed to do nothing but get groceries. The average n/a has a volumetric efficiency of about 80 to 90%. But a forced induction engine can easily achieve 100% and as high as 120%. If turbo's had no lag they would be the ultimate technology for a car. Anti-lag systems don't count though, they are extremely tough on the exhaust system.

08-03-2009, 02:16 AM	#23
pIp83Uns Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 530 Senior Member	Eh if electrical cars became the norm, then we need to severly update our power infrastructure. Not to mention, this would highly increase the demand for electricity, and most plants are coal and oil...It might not be the all around savior everyone thinks. No, its not pollution free. We have to generate it somehow. But even a coal plant is more efficient than a IC engine at converting fuel to energy. The average IC engine is only 25% efficient, 3/4 of the energy produced is wasted as heat. Its one of the reasons I am Pro forced induction, even in a passenger car designed to do nothing but get groceries. The average n/a has a volumetric efficiency of about 80 to 90%. But a forced induction engine can easily achieve 100% and as high as 120%. If turbo's had no lag they would be the ultimate technology for a car. Anti-lag systems don't count though, they are extremely tough on the exhaust system.
	Quote