If and When Cars become fully electric........

[triumph1]

What will happen to the oil industry? No motor oil, no need for gasoline (for passenger cars).........won't the price go down tremendously?

Wouldn't maintenance be close to nothing? No exhaust to rust......

I know big rigs, lawnmowers, chainsaws, motorcycles, etc will most likely stay internal combustion, but it seems like electric cars would the greatest thing since sliced bread.

[TonyPSchaefer]

We need to keep in mind that plastics are made of petroleum. Perfumes, cosmetics, and lotions are made from petroleum as well as - that's right - petroleum jelly. Granted, the non-transportation uses for petroleum are minuscule by comparison, but they exist. As long as we keep chucking plastic bottles one after another into landfills there will be the requirement for more oil.

Also, it wouldn't surprise me to see more oil-based power plants. Of course, right now something like 50% of the electricity produced in the US is provided by coal burning plants. When all vehicles become electrical, the demand for electricity will be huge. In a perfect world, all that electricity would be provided by solar and wind or the singularity generated in a lab used to provide unlimited, non-polluting power for the entire planet for all time. Keep those fingers crossed.

[Midpack]

If there was a rapid replacement of ICEVs with EVs, oil prices would fall precipitously. However, there are a lot of obstacles to EVs that remain and I think it's more likely EVs will gradually replace ICEVs and therefore the impact on the cost of oil/gas will be seemingly subtle, but very real. People love to claim they want EVs now, but they are too expensive for the mainstream so they will be bought by well-heeled celebrities, eco-chics and tech lovers. Beyond the (battery) cost of EVs, the range issue, remote charging availability, impact on power grid (peak/off-peak) are all obstacles. But without an alternative to ICEVs, oil/gas prices will only increase long term so EVs will automatically become cost effective in time. 100 years from now I would expect oil to be a minor transportation fuel and the oil industry will be smaller and less dominating, but how it will play out between now and then is anybody's guess.

Electric car - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Electric_car

[Midpack]

Originally Posted by TonyPSchaefer

In a perfect world, all that electricity would be provided by solar and wind or the singularity generated in a lab used to provide unlimited, non-polluting power for the entire planet for all time. Keep those fingers crossed.

With the intermittent nature of solar and wind, I don't see how that's even remotely possible. Batteries? Solar and wind should/will be developed but neither can ever be more than a portion unless we are all willing to do without when they aren't generating.

[donee]

Hi All,

The displacement of a good fraction of Coal fired electricity with petroleum fired electricity would be a step forward. Petroleum has less carbon than coal, per BTU and burns cleaner, and does not have mercury in it.

The use of petroleum based resins for car chasis would also be beneficial. The Fiberforge technique is using Carbon Fiber reinforcement, but the matrix of the material is a thermo-plastic , usually PEEK. Which is a purely organic compound.

[Midpack]

Originally Posted by donee

Hi All,

The displacement of a good fraction of Coal fired electricity with petroleum fired electricity would be a step forward. Petroleum has less carbon than coal, per BTU and burns cleaner, and does not have mercury in it.

If you want to see gas at $12/gal or who knows how high, let's substitute oil in coal fired power plants. None of us will be able to drive anywhere, so that will reduce emissions even further...

[robbyr2]

With the intermittent nature of solar and wind, I don't see how that's even remotely possible. Batteries? Solar and wind should/will be developed but neither can ever be more than a portion unless we are all willing to do without when they aren't generating.

Spain already gets 20% of its electricity from wind power. The secret is being able to move the electricity from the wind turbines to the consumers. Ask T. Boone Pickens. Same for solar power. When you have 300 plus days a year of sunshine, it's hard to think of solar power as intermittent. But that just reminds us that we need to look at all non-fossil fuel options- tidal, wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, and yes, nuclear (although I'd rather wait for nuclear fusion if we can!), and then supplement them with natural gas or petroleum if necessary. I for one think it would be sad (but it is likely) that we will all be driving EVs in 30 years. I would prefer it if we didn't put all of our eggs in one basket... gas, diesel, natural gas, EV, PHEV, fuel cell- no more OPECs, please.

[robbyr2]

If you want to see gas at $12/gal or who knows how high, let's substitute oil in coal fired power plants. None of us will be able to drive anywhere, so that will reduce emissions even further...

I think the point was to use oil in power plants when we're all driving EVs.

[Midpack]

Originally Posted by robbyr2

When you have 300 plus days a year of sunshine, it's hard to think of solar power as intermittent.

How about every night?

Originally Posted by robbyr2

I think the point was to use oil in power plants when we're all driving EVs.

Good thought, I did not make that connection. That would make more sense --- other than the dependence on foreign sources aspect, would be nice to have more secure supply sources.

[donee]

Originally Posted by Midpack

If you want to see gas at $12/gal or who knows how high, let's substitute oil in coal fired power plants. None of us will be able to drive anywhere, so that will reduce emissions even further...

Hey Midpack,

The conjecture of this thread was when almost no cars use gasoline, but run on electricity. My point is they may very well still run on oil used to generate the electricty, and economically.

That is, with no demand for transport fuels, the price of diesel like fuels would plummet, and be competitive with Coal.