The major debate among car manufacturers today is whether Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) can solve the energy crisis or the amount of CO2 stopped from going into the environment will be less than that produced by burning oil?
Many debate that electric vehicles swap one dirty fuel for another, but studies have shown that using electricity instead of gasoline can surely make the environment green. A report published by the National Resources defense Council and the Electric Power Research Institute states that widespread adoption of PHEVs can reduce greenhouse emissions by more than 450 million metric tons annually in 2050, this is equivalent to removing 82.5 million passenger cars from the road. The report also shows that there is abundance of electricity that can be used to power cars and a 60% share of the U.S. market share for PHEVs would use just 7% to 8% of the grid supplied power.
The best think mentioned in the report is that the use of electricity in cars can reduce the amount of petroleum used by 3 million to 4 million barrels each day. That means if we have any petroleum left till 2050 then it would be saved...!
Moreover, the number of cars on the roads is much greater than the number of coal plants in the world. It is easier to issue norms for the coal plants and try and keep them clean, but issuing norms for all the cars on the road is just impossible. Cleaning and filtering mechanisms can be installed in coal-burning power plants all around the world, but not many would prefer to install on-board equipment in their cars.
Is electricity the next gen fuel for cars or we will keep on using gasoline in our cars is yet to be seen. What matters here is that we have to think about some alternative fuel options else the day might come when we would tell our grandchildren that we guys used to go to office in a machine that we called a car...!
Via: Eco Geek
