The future belongs to electric cars because of high fuel prices and environmental considerations, the head of the biggest European car maker, VW, said on Monday. "In the next few years, we are not going to do without petrol and diesel motors, but the future belongs to the electric car," VW chairman Martin Winterkorn told the mass-circulation German newspaper Bild-Zeitung. ENN: Future belongs to electric cars: VW chairman Winterkorn in report
Not only the electric car, but electric heating to replace oil and natural gas, and electric lawn equipment. In theory, and in the near future a reality, electric generation should and will be clean, cheap, and plentiful. The biggest challenge as I see it now is freight trucks. Where do you get all those Kw to replace the energy in diesel. Big rigs will be on diesel for a long time, which will be OK for that long time if cars aren't.
We'll need to go back to freight trains they are much more energy efficient. Trucks will be only for short haul and there energy options exist. JeffD
Large-format batteries remain a challenge because they need to be durable, energy-dense, inexpensive and available in very large numbers. But they need to be so darn big because the vehicles are so darn big. Think about urban people-moving, then google electric scooter China. This is being done right now with PbA.
Norfolk Southern claims they can move 1 ton 410 miles on 1 gallon of gas. After doing some research, this would seem to be a very conservative statement and in fact the efficiency can be a great deal more than even this. That would equate to about 600 MPG on a 3000 lb car.
