[PLUG-TALK] Today's most accurate headline

Rich Shepard rshepard at appl-ecosys.com
Tue Dec 29 13:50:53 UTC 2020


On Mon, 28 Dec 2020, Paul Heinlein wrote:

> I suspect that, as they gain popularity, electric propulsion systems will 
> result in cleaner urban air and less groundwater pollution from leaks in the 
> underground tanks at gas stations. (There may be a small redunction in noise 
> as well, but even electric cars have tires whining away on asphalt.)

Paul,

You make an important point: EVs probably have an important role in urban
areas. But that role doesn't expand to everywhere.

Consider driving from Burns, OR, to Winnemucca, NV. It's about 200 miles
takeing OR 205 south from Hines through French Glen and Denio (NV) or OR 78
east from Burns to Burns Junction with US 95 and south through McDermott and
similar small towns. A fossile fuled vehicle could carry a can of gasoline
or diesel to partially fill an empty tank, but how does a battery powered
car carry extra fuel if needed?

In 1973 I lived in Urbana, IL, when the first gasoline embargo hit. The
pundits in the Washington-Boston corridor talked about what they knew:
intra-city buses and inter-city trains. But, Urbana had no bus nor taxi
service nor train service to any other city. Same situation a few years
later in Pocatello, ID: no buses or cabs and the Amtrack train arrived (and
left) once a day at about 4:15 am.

One-size-fits-all solutions don't. And this applied to EVs, too.

Stay well and Happy New Year,

Rich



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