After Gutenberg

Anna Nagurney asks whether transportation networks can last, “given the growing demands on the network, on the one hand, and the desire to alleviate the associated negative impacts, on the other.” Steve Heckeroth would say that we need to change the paradigm.

This blog is relaying information passed along by Remy Chevalier about a recent article by Steve Heckeroth in Mother Earth News. Unfortunately, extolling Mother Earth News readers to switch to electric cars is “preaching to the choir” and will have little effect against the tide of television advertising for continuing with an internal combustion paradigm.

It is very unfortunate because, according to research by Peter Lilienthal at NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), we could see a 42 percent average reduction in national CO2 emissions by a switch from gasoline cars to electric vehicles (all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids) recharged by our existing utility grids. It is important to note that such progress could occur even with power generation that mostly uses fossil fuels. Upgrading the Grid to more renewable energy sources, especially where emissions from power generation is greatest due to older coal burning systems, would have an even greater impact.

Heckeroth is advocating a transportation transformation:

We already have the technology we need to cure our addiction to oil, stabilize the climate and maintain our standard of living, all at the same time. By transitioning to sustainable technologies, such as solar and wind power, we can achieve energy independence and stabilize human-induced climate change.

Of course, continuing with our oil dependence is seen as unfortunate only if you accept that the economy of world’s most technologically advanced nation is based upon the use of polluting, finite resources.

Newer photovoltaics are demonstrating improved cost performance, scalability and durability thus making solar car ports much more practical in some areas. The challenge is for car makers to build some cars that plug in. We have yet to see the true potential of renewable energy assisted charging of electric vehicles.

Sun to Wheel

Transportation efficiency is usually measured without regard for how fuel ends up in the tank, we just assume it will be there. It’s time to develop a better method, one that considers the finite nature of fossil fuels and how their use affects the planet’s ability to support life. Ultimately, almost all energy on Earth comes from the sun, so fuel efficiencies should be measured from sun to wheel.

Producing electricity from solar energy using photovoltaics (PV) is about 5 percent to 20 percent efficient, and solar-thermal electric generation can be more than 35 percent efficient. Current battery charge / discharge efficiency varies from 80 percent to 95 percent. Electric motors are more than 90 percent efficient. As a result, the sun to wheel efficiency of solar-electric power falls between 3 percent and 30 percent. This gives solar-electric vehicles an advantage 50 to 3,000 times greater than burning biofuels.

Heckeroth provides a brief history of electric vehicles in the U.S. leading up to grassroots efforts to have car makers produce plug-in hybrids. There also is a personal history to the story.

In 1993, Mother Earth News contributing editor Steve Heckeroth converted a Karmann Ghia, Fiero and Vanagon with a PV pop-top to run on batteries. Since then, he’s converted more than 12 cars to all-electric power. Today he drives a Toyota RAV4 EV and charges it with solar panels.

“Transportation networks,” writes Anna Nagurney, “are essential to the functioning of societies and economies and provide the infrastructure for the movement of people and goods over space and time. The existence and utilization of transportation networks are fundamental to the modern age and the negative effects of congestion and pollution associated with their increasing usage demand urgent attention.”

Reference:

Mother Earth News
October / November 2006 Issue #218
Why We Need Electric Cars
By Steve Heckeroth

Sustainable Transportation Networks ASIN: 1840643579