Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

The hunt is On.
Sponsored by
The hunt is On.
Can you track down Scotland's wildest beastie?
 
 
Wednesday, 3rd December 2008 Change Date

The Scotsman Digital Archive - Special Christmas Offer

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the The Scotsman site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Electric car has power to revolutionise transport



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 11 October 2008
Hollywood stars join green enthusiasts in embracing new auto technology, writes Craig Howie in Los Angeles
STANDING around the pool at the luxury home of a famous Hollywood director may not seem like a particularly scientific endeavour, but it may be when it is owned by the director of hit US environmental film Who Killed the Electric Car and when those v...



The full article contains 1472 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

The Strategist,

11/10/2008 02:20:10
Oh dear... Yet another twirp that would have us spend billions on rebuilding the entire automotive supply chain and support system yet give us a vehicle that is inconvenient and boring!

Awa and boil your heed you silly American..
2

nabodican,

Rural Scotland 11/10/2008 06:30:29
Tut tut strategist!

That's not the way to spell "heid"
3

donald,

glasgow 11/10/2008 07:03:04
Hollywood stars would negate the savings, with large neon lights on their cars.
4

Unimpressed one,

11/10/2008 09:58:43
More guff from technically challenged green beardies. The batteries have to be charged from mains electricity. No, a solar panel can't run a car. Idiots.
5

Yocal,

hampshire 11/10/2008 13:35:33
Re: Unimpressed one

Electric motors are significantly more efficient than petrol or diesel engines, so less energy is wasted transmitting the energy to the wheels of a vehicle to turn them. Although there are transmission losses via the grid, emissions for the total 'electric' vehicle system are far less than the emissions for supporting and powering fossil fuel powered cars.
Also even if fossil fuels are used at the power station they are easy to capture there than they are at the exhaust of a car.

The other point is that modern designs of electric vehicles are lighter and are pushing the range. For instance last year Smiths vehicles launched the first 12 tonne electric lorries, with a range of around 150 miles.
They have already sold a few hundred of them, i believe.
Also a number of city police forces are trialling electric motor bikes. Electric 'family' cars are already being designed with a range of 250 miles.
6

Yocal,

hampshire 11/10/2008 13:44:54
I said:

"Also even if fossil fuels are used at the power station they are easy to capture there than they are at the exhaust of a car."

I meant that CO2 emissions at a fossil fuel fired power station are easier to capture than capturing emissions at the exhaust of a petrol/diesel fueled car.
So with a total 'system' overview, it is possible to reduce emissions well below what is possible with todays mainstream cars.
7

truthsleuth,

21/10/2008 01:14:47
How many extra power stations will be required to fuel these cars.

Economy of USE is the best way forward.
8

Yocal,

22/10/2008 20:36:41
Economy of use, new technology, localisation and a cut in consumption is the way forward.
eg. fewer, shorter journeys, fewer cars and new tech.

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 

More Opinion

More Opinion >>

More The Scotsman Science Pages

More The Scotsman Science Pages >>

Features

Online Supplements
Scotsman Digital Archive

Featured Advertising



Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.