Chevy Volt may subvert utility companies into greedy oil execs
By Matt Jansen
Imagine how satisfying it would be to drive by a gas station and wave, no need to stop and shell out cash to oil execs intent on milking you for every penny on the other side of the world. That’s the idea behind the Chevy Volt, but it depends on utility companies continuing to generate cheap and plentiful electricity. Will they handle the upcoming surge in demand any more responsibly than oil companies?
Utility companies are eager and nervous about the upcoming debut of cars that guzzle electricity — they want consumers to do their charging at night. That said, some of the energy savings numbers are pretty incredible.
“The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that existing U.S. power plants could meet the electricity needs of 73% of the nation’s light vehicles if the vehicles were replaced by plug-ins that recharged at night. Such a huge shift could cut oil consumption by 6.2 million barrels a day, eliminating 52% of current imports,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
“Another study, by the Electric Power Research Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council, concluded that electricity consumption would rise only about 8% if 60% of light vehicles in the U.S. were replaced by plug-in vehicles by 2050. That would also cut U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions by 450 million metric tons annually, equivalent to scrapping 82 million cars.”
Utility companies in some states like California and Michigan are looking for ways to prepare for the upswing in demand, including the installation of “smart meters” that can detect when a car battery is plugged in. They claim that data will allow them to vary rates depending on time of day and type of device.
But providing additional information to the utility companies is a mixed bag because it also opens the way for additional taxation, surcharges and fees.
The car industry is driving change with vehicles like the Chevy Volt, but the utility companies hold the key to success.
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May 6th, 2008
Love it, saw some great videos over at http://www.chevy-volt.net
The car is pretty hot for an American ride!
May 6th, 2008
Matt Jensen is a simpleton – does he really believe that oil execs determine the price of their fuel. Maybe someone bertter inform him that they determine neither the price of gasolione nor the price of oil. You’d think people would understand that the oil business (except for the influence of the Opec cartel) is a very competitive business. The fact that oil is finally catching up with 30 years of inflation Matt seems to think is some crime. I’ll tell you what Matt, sell me your house at its 1970 price and I’ll believe that you really understand economics.
What a simpleminded fellow.
May 6th, 2008
Does Matt really believe that “greedy oil execs” are setting the price of oil? Well, why didn’y they set it higher years ago, when all the oil companies were losing money? Did they just now become greedy, and how can their greed cause the prices to go up? Can Matt spell supply and demand? Is Matt really this ignorant of how free markets work? Does he really believe the crap he’s spouting? Oil is cheap, Matt. Certainly cheaper than your salary, which you will get regardless of the errors you are making in this silly article.
May 12th, 2008
The previous posters have missed the crux of the article. I defy the local light company to tell the difference between my electric dryer, my a/c, and an electric car regardless of what kind of meter they put in. If the car charges off of 120V, they havn’t got a prayer.
May 15th, 2008
Isn’t there any journalisit out there that has actually studied more thean the two science courses that televangialist Preacherman Algore did?
(He paased one, flunked the other, The Algore made a Saint of the professor, Dr. Ravelle, who gave him a ‘D’. Then promptly contradicted every fact that Ravelle taught him.)
There IS the existing electrical generation plant out there to power almost all of our auto fleet if it were electrically powered. That does not mean that it would not require considerable amounts of additional fuel, for these power plants, if they were to try to do so.
Even Journalists ought to comprehend the idea that you can own a energy consuming thing, say a car. You won’t burn any fuel in it, until you start it up, and turn it on.
Its much harder to convince someone that a car idling in the driveway uses a lot less fuel, than one pulling a loaded trailer up Pike’s Peak at 60 miles per hour. But that’s the facts, Jack.
Similarly it is a completely different thing to be idling a turbine generator at ‘no load’ while consuming next to no fuel, as spinning reserve, and the same plant working hard to generate electricity at rated capacity.
But all the idiots from the journalism schools don’t know that. Worse their editors don’t know that. Even Worse, all the damn, stupid, but crudely, cunning lawyers, who rule us, don’t know that either. Irrespective of whether they wear a politicians garment, a judges robes, or the business suit of putative leader of industry or bureacracy.
May 25th, 2008
I absolutely do not believe that its more efficient to fill cars with electricity or hydrogen . Gas goes directly into the car to burn for energy . When you plug your car into an electric outlet ,the utility company will have to burn something ,oil coal ,natural gas or nuclear . You have to provide just as much power (fuel equivalent )to drive a car 60miles an hour whether you use electrons , gas or hydrogen .However transferring electrons over many miles to your car as opposed to putting gas directly into you car is inefficient . Electrons and energy is lost in the transfer .So fossil fuels will still have to be used ,probably in greater amounts . The only way this electric or hydrogen car would get us independent of oil is to use either coal or nuclear ,whch is right where we are now .
October 7th, 2008
Specifically, GM is partnering with the nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), which is a coalition of over 30 electric utility companies in the U.S. and Canada, according to a company press release. That partnership will address topics ranging from establishing standards to ensuring that the electrical grid will provide enough capacity to handle sharply increased demand. Yeah!!! send those greed bastards to us and we’ll exploit them! http://www.greedypeople.com