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How gas cars use more electricity to go 100 miles than EVs do

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Tideland Prius, Oct 16, 2011.

  1. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    How gas cars use more electricity to go 100 miles than EVs do
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i think 22 mpg might be a bit low for something the size of a leaf. it would be helpful if there was a better comparison of the same size/weight car on ice vs ev.
     
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  3. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    and how much electricity does it take to produce electricity? if it is made by burning oil?
     
  4. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...Norby starts out with the assumption that it takes 8 kwhr to make a gallon of gasoline, which is not reasonable. He may be talking about heavy California crudes, and further estimating potential elec consumption that is not actual purchased power. This is where you'd have to dig to sort this out.

    This is what a commenter said:
    ..and I would add even this amount of *total energy* use is not typical, probably just true for the most energy intensive cases, not US average case.
     
  5. CPSDarren

    CPSDarren CPS Technician

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    Mostly coal. Nuclear and hyrdo plants provide a lot of base power and natural gas plants provide most of the on-demand power. Oil, wind, solar and other sources are a relatively small percentage.

    If true, then a gas car that uses 20mpg from the pump actually uses more equivalent gasoline units that just what comes out of the pump.
     
  6. Skoorbmax

    Skoorbmax Senior Member

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    These debates only have merit if you can agree where to start in the incredibly long chain of custody of energy. They're really kind of pointless in a way.