High MPG electic raving

[Christopher G. Moog]

Several people wanted to know the source of my info so here is a short summary

The DOE web page

http://ev2.inel.gov/sop/eva/

gives overall efficiency of several electric vehicles be sure to use charger numbers
(248 for EV1 and 412 for RAV4EV) since these include battery losses (DOE is unclear
on the cycle driven for this number)

Electric plant efficiency is measured as Heat Rate.  When I interned at Con Edison
the plants ran from 9,000 to 13,000 btu/kW-hr.  Newer combined cycle plants are
probably better (maybe 8,000 btus/kW-hr).

Gasoline heat content runs from about 106,000 to 116,000 btus per gallon (oxygenated
fuel at the low end).

Also my comments on mass transit.  In areas where it is available and reasonable it
should be used.  It will not work in many areas of the country and it will never
replace other forms of personnel travel.

My point was, ICEs are more efficient than people realize and that electrics are a
false path.  The money spent on electric research would be better spent elsewhere
(diesels, mass transit, telecommuting, etc.)

>   As far as electric goes they use more energy per mile than an efficient ICE
> automobile.  The EV1 uses 248 watt-hrs/mi (measured at the charger)  The RAV4
> uses 412 watt-hrs/mi (again at the charger)  This electricity is produced at a
> fossil fueled plant (the energy used by EVs should be counted against the
> incremental generator not the base plants since they represent a new load).
> These plants need approximately 10,000 btus of fuel to produce 1,000 watt-hour of
> energy.  So the EV1 uses the equivalent of 2480 btus to travel a mile.  Since
> gasoline has 114,000 btus per gallon the EV1 is getting the equivalent of 46
> mpg.  The RAV4EV is getting the equivalent of 28 mpg.  Neither of these figures
> beats a good ICE vehicle with the same performance.
>
> To reduce oil use with electric vehicles will require a nuclear based electrical
> system.  Until that happens we should save fuel by using mass transit (where
> available), efficient ICE (vehicles not inefficient EVs and not SUVs), and by
> cutting wasted travel.