From Our Founder August 18, 2009 By Bob Wichlinski Electric Vehicles - A Silly Solution I was amused by General Motors sudden announcement that they’re ready to begin shipping their Chevy Volt electric car.  Ready – as in sometime late next year.  Their timing was curious.  I suppose someone had to inject some noise (oops, “news”) in the press cycle to distract attention from the health care debate and the images of those pesky, angry protesters.  Perhaps they just wanted us to feel good about our forced investment in GM (distracting our attention from the obvious; that Ford survived without a taxpayer rescue and continues to thrive).   Electric vehicles are a silly solution to a serious problem.  They do nothing to further energy independence; rather they propagate the energy “shell game.”  In effect, we trade reliance on OPEC oil for reliance on Bolivian lithium.    Electric vehicles require batteries.  The Volt features lithium ion batteries.  Batteries must be recharged by electric power.  Because 92% of electrical power in America is created by burning fossil fuels or through nuclear fission, electric vehicles do little to help the environment.  Batteries develop what’s called “memory.”  As you charge and discharge them over time they loose their capacity to “hold” a charge and require replacement.  So over the life cycle of an electric vehicle the batteries will require replacement; batteries which must be responsibly disposed of.  So exactly what is the plan to dispose of the billions of batteries electric vehicles leave in their wake?   The question is: do you want environmentally responsible energy independence or do you prefer the appearance of progress?  If you really want to stop the energy “chain of pain” then you want America to invest in bio-diesel and hydrogen.  Bio-diesel is created from human waste – like the kind you flush.  Lord knows we have plenty of that around to convert to fuel.  And hydrogen is mined from the air around us.  Both technologies embrace a plentiful supply of readily available American energy.  Neither technology creates environmental challenges (in fact the by-product of hydrogen power is fresh, clean, drinkable WATER).  Bio-diesel provides a useful, cost-effective solution to treating human waste.   If bio-diesel and hydrogen are not for you, then you had better get prepared to park your passenger vehicle and quickly become a fan of buses and trains… and learn to like nuclear energy. As always, I can be reached via e-mail at b@219.com Notice to Reader: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of editor of the article or 219.com. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats