Electric
vehicles versus plug-in hybrids vehicles: An achilles
heal?
Tuesday,
May 22, 2007
Could
electric cars be a National Security threat?
Many fans of electric cars
are some of the biggest supporters of plug-in
hybrid vehicles. It's not that these supporters,
however, believe that plug-in hybrids are superior to
electric vehicles, rather they believe that plug-in hybrid
cars are the best way to make Americans comfortable with
pure electric autos.
On the other hand, while I like both plug-in hybrids and
electric vehicles, I believe that plug-in hybrids are
superior to electric vehicles - in most circumstances.
Mostly, it's the flexibility of plug-in hybrids that sells
me, particularly the ability to use almost any fuel, such
as ethanol, diesel, gasoline, hydrogen, or electricity -
just to name a few.
Nonetheless, I have had an interest in buying an electric
vehicle for local Los Angeles traffic, but only because I
would power it with pure solar power. Yet, even for this
purpose, it seems a plug-in hybrid would still be more
cost-effective because it would offer more functionality.
Lately, however, I've also wondered if electric vehicles
became the vehicle standard in America, could it expose
the American economy, and ultimately, even our National
Security? It's already pretty easy for terrorists to wipe
out significant portions of America's energy
infrastructure - just look at what weather has done to the
electric grid in the past few years.
Now imagine a well planned attack.
Do we really want to add transportation to the same
infrastructure?
Of course if we could convert a majority of American homes
into energy producers via wind and solar power I'd
probably change my mind - which might be possible in the
future.
posted
by Dahcredyns at
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