100 dollar a barrel oil...again.

[Voyageurs]

There are over 275 million vehicles registered in the U.S. Around 1.8 million of those are electric. If my math is correct that is way less than 1%. How can anyone truly believe that in 5 or 6 years most of us will be driving electric cars and trucks.

When certain politicians do stupid things for votes there can be far reaching effects on every class of people. Forcing the price of diesel fuel to record highs (which I believe is coming) doesn't only make RVers complain it forces people on fixed incomes to pay a ton more for food and goods.

IMHO the most important election will be held in 15 months. That is what is still so great about our country, we can collectively decide these major issues.

5 or 6 years? I have never seen that prediction. The earliest I have seen is 2055 for 70 percent of the vehicles on the road as electric. Who is citing 5 or 6 years?

 

[FL-JOE]

It will be interesting to see what happens in the Middle East as electric vehicles begin to take over the market. The sheiks can’t drill for volts and amps, though they do have a pretty good location for solar energy.

TJ

I agree that electric vehicles won't "take over the market" until maybe when our grandkids are grandparents, our possibly longer. It just struck me from some of the other posts that many folks were under the impression that some of us on this forum would live to see that day, which we won't.

 

[Voyageurs]

I agree that electric vehicles won't "take over the market" until maybe when our grandkids are grandparents, our possibly longer. It just struck me from some of the other posts that many folks were under the impression that some of us on this forum would live to see that day, which we won't.

Oh I think in some markets EV’s will dominate by the end of this decade. Norway is already seeing 70 percent EV sales and gas stations are starting to shut down. Other countries are seeing growth at a lesser extent but still in the 30 to 40 percent of new sales area. Even in North American in markets like Quebec, BC, California etc new sales are already at 15 percent of the market and that will triple by the end of this decade. But generally speaking I think in North America you will see gas and diesel vehicles dominate the road for the next few decades.

However, most vehicle manufacturers have already announced that R and D into gas vehicle drive trains by the end of the decade as there is simply no long term future in gas cars and light trucks. Most test driving a gas car and then an EV will buy the EV for obvious reasons. It’s just a matter of availability of product and of the old generation dying off.

 

[FL-JOE]

I'm soon to turn 69. I'm pretty sure when my kids are my age 80% of the vehicles in the U.S. will still be gas and diesel. There could be pockets where electric vehicles get 30% or so of the market, like maybe some parts of California. Now looking ahead two generations it may or may not be mostly electric vehicles. What everyone will be concerned about by 2060 or 2070 will be the shortage of fresh drinking water IMHO.

 

[sanda]

I still don't know how we are going to charge all these electric vehicles while we shutdown our power plants. And don't try to tell me only solar and wind will make up the difference.

 

[Voyageurs]

I still don't know how we are going to charge all these electric vehicles while we shutdown our power plants. And don't try to tell me only solar and wind will make up the difference.

Okay. But that is more of an American centric issue. Most modern nations are not expecting the 20 to 30 percent increase in grid capacity to be an issue. I get it. From what I read from all the Americans posting here and on other social media the US has some kind of 1950’s 3rd world grid that can never be improved. But most modern nations are not concerned with meeting the challenge of electrifying transportation over the next 40 years. I know nothing about electrical grids, but it sounds like It’s going to be a tough go for the US. I’m sure it’ll get figured out.

 

[Jim]

I love the incredible torque of an electric motor. I road in my buddies Tesla and it was as fast off the line, maybe even slightly faster, than my 911 Porsche. (I have to shift, he doesn't.) Not sure how the top end performance would have compared, but from a dead start, it was simply awesome.

But what are the benefits to the Nation/World that make governments push the technology so hard? I mean, I get the fossil burning pollution argument, but aren't we still going to burn fossil fuels to charge our batteries? And don't the batteries create a serious hazard when they are no longer functional?

 

[Voyageurs]

I love the incredible torque of an electric motor. I road in my buddies Tesla and it was as fast off the line, maybe even slightly faster, than my 911 Porsche. (I have to shift, he doesn't.) Not sure how the top end performance would have compared, but from a dead start, it was simply awesome.

But what are the benefits to the Nation/World that make governments push the technology so hard? I mean, I get the fossil burning pollution argument, but aren't we still going to burn fossil fuels to charge our batteries? And don't the batteries create a serious hazard when they are no longer functional?

Good questions but I think it depends on the country or region. Lots of countries don’t burn a lot of fossil fuels to produce electricity. Of course others do, but generally the trend is for cleaner grids.

The materials in batteries are worth a ton of money. They will be recycled. There are lots of companies getting into that game although there are not a lot of batteries to recycle yet.

JMHO.

 

[Jim]

The materials in batteries are worth a ton of money. They will be recycled.

JMHO.

I know nothing about batteries, but I hear that Lithium batteries are what go into the electric cars? What in the expired Lithium battery is of value and can be effectively recycled?

Edit: And more importantly, what is there in the Lithium battery that can't be recycled?

 

[Voyageurs]

I know nothing about batteries, but I hear that Lithium batteries are what go into the electric cars? What in the expired Lithium battery is of value and can be effectively recycled?

Edit: And more importantly, what is there in the Lithium battery that can't be recycled?

I think the big things that companies like redwood etc are after are aluminum, nickel, copper and of course lithium. I have read some cursury stuff on them but best to google it. It’s been awhile.

 

[sanda]

I love the incredible torque of an electric motor. I road in my buddies Tesla and it was as fast off the line, maybe even slightly faster, than my 911 Porsche. (I have to shift, he doesn't.) Not sure how the top end performance would have compared, but from a dead start, it was simply awesome.

But what are the benefits to the Nation/World that make governments push the technology so hard? I mean, I get the fossil burning pollution argument, but aren't we still going to burn fossil fuels to charge our batteries? And don't the batteries create a serious hazard when they are no longer functional?

Besides the battery hazards for disposal lithium mines around the world are creating major health problems for workers and towns around the mines.

 

[Voyageurs]

Besides the battery hazards for disposal lithium mines around the world are creating major health problems for workers and towns around the mines.

Sounds like coal mines or tar sands operations. Or fracking and ground water or deep sea drilling. . Digging anything up comes with a price.

 

[Jim]

Sounds like coal mines or tar sands operations. Or fracking and ground water or deep sea drilling. . Digging anything up comes with a price.

So we're not gaining anything? We're just changing form one pollutant to another?

 

[Voyageurs]

So we're not gaining anything? We're just changing form one pollutant to another?

Well, lots of info on that available in the internet. But no, the science has been done on that many times over.

 

[sanda]

So we're not gaining anything? We're just changing form one pollutant to another?

One of many articles related to lithium.

The Environmental Impact of Lithium Batteries

During the Obama-Biden administration, hydraulic fracturing was accused of causing a number of environmental problems—faucets on fire, contamination of drinking…

www.instituteforenergyresearch.org