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Coal-Powered Hybrids

Jordan J. Ballor


Posted by Jordan J. Ballor
on Wednesday, February 27, 2008

As I said in 2006:

Without too much exaggeration, you could say that today’s electric cars are really coal-powered. If you look at the sources of electricity in the US, “coal provides over half of the electricity flowing into American homes.” That means that in one ideal world of the alternative fuel crowd, when you plug your car in, you’re plugging it in to a coal plant (this is also why the idea of consumer carbon credits is catching on). The energy and environmental issues in the world are about far more than “gas guzzling” SUVs.

Now from USAToday, “Plug-in cars could actually increase air pollution.”

See also (from 2006): “Plug-In Hybrids Are Not So Green.”

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  • Most people who would want to buy a PHEV do so for many reasons. They would most likely consider where their electricity comes from. I know I did, and that is why I have been driving my PHEV using wind energy for the past year. That’s right good old Domestic Wind Energy offsetting Foreign Oil and I spend that savings in my local community helping the economy.

    One thing to keep in mind that this story clearly points out…Our Coal Plant are dirty and they need to be cleaned up!

    Cheap
    February 29, 2008
    12:28 pm

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