Comments on: Will Mass Use of Plug-in Cars Increase Air Pollution? http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/ Real-time news, information, and discussion about the Chevrolet Volt. Thu, 24 May 2012 22:53:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Gavin Morris http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-33577 Gavin Morris Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:39:13 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-33577 I am trying to research information on the old gas burning cars that were used during the 2nd world war. My dad had an old Chev and needed it for work so he had two cylinders fastened on the rear , one of which was a type of furnace that burned coal to produce a gas that would then be stored in the second cylinder to run the car when switched over to gas instead of petrol as it was always called in New Zealand. Petrol was of course rationed. My memory is not all that clear and if anyone can remember these contraptions  I would appreciate some feedback gavin Morris   San Diego  CA I am trying to research information on the old gas burning cars that were used during the 2nd world war.
My dad had an old Chev and needed it for work so he had two cylinders fastened on the rear , one of which
was a type of furnace that burned coal to produce a gas that would then be stored in the second cylinder to run the car when switched over to gas instead of petrol as it was always called in New Zealand. Petrol was of course rationed. My memory is not all that clear and if anyone can remember these contraptions  I would appreciate some feedback
gavin Morris   San Diego  CA

]]> By: FolsomEV http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-31690 FolsomEV Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:05:10 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-31690 Forwarding message.... To Whom It May Concern: I have been driving electric cars since 1990, and hope to get my husband out of his hybrid Prius as soon as a plug in hybrid comes out. I charge my car at my condo, with energy purchased from my power company that is 81% wind, 10% geothermal and contains no coal. I pay the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon. Although this is not possible for every American, millions of us can purchase cleaner power today, or install solar panels, that will charge their plug in vehicles right in their garage, at off peak hours, making their cars without doubt much, much cleaner than any gas (hybrids included) car on the road today. There is no perfect transportation solution, but instead of bashing plug in cars that have the potential to run gasoline-free, why not encourage America to switch our power grid to wind, solar and geothermal power instead of relying on coal plants? Alexandra Paul Pacific Palisades, CA 90272-1544 Forwarding message….

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been driving electric cars since 1990, and hope to get my husband out of his hybrid Prius as soon as a plug in hybrid comes out. I charge my car at my condo, with energy purchased from my power company that is 81% wind, 10% geothermal and contains no coal. I pay the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon. Although this is not possible for every American, millions of us can purchase cleaner power today, or install solar panels, that will charge their plug in vehicles right in their garage, at off peak hours, making their cars without doubt much, much cleaner than any gas (hybrids included) car on the road today.

There is no perfect transportation solution, but instead of bashing plug in cars that have the potential to run gasoline-free, why not encourage America to switch our power grid to wind, solar and geothermal power instead of relying on coal plants?

Alexandra Paul
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272-1544

]]> By: Van http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-31679 Van Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:29:12 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-31679 A little clarity. The USA Today story was bogus. As observed, the study was systematically misreported to generate "news." Big oil was not part of this problem, but, as also observed, the incompetence of the media to report technical issues. America is split about 50/50 on many issues because the truth is systematically obscured by the media to sell their product. Thus, people like Rush Limbaugh do not get it when it comes to the virtue of PHEV. The good news is that sites like this, with the many well studied rebuttals, lessen the malicious impact of systematic misreports. One of the frequent posters signs off with "death to oil," but as far as this thread goes, a better refrain might be "death to misinformation." A little clarity. The USA Today story was bogus. As observed, the study was systematically misreported to generate “news.” Big oil was not part of this problem, but, as also observed, the incompetence of the media to report technical issues.

America is split about 50/50 on many issues because the truth is systematically obscured by the media to sell their product. Thus, people like Rush Limbaugh do not get it when it comes to the virtue of PHEV.

The good news is that sites like this, with the many well studied rebuttals, lessen the malicious impact of systematic misreports.

One of the frequent posters signs off with “death to oil,” but as far as this thread goes, a better refrain might be “death to misinformation.”

]]> By: Jason C http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-31632 Jason C Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:55:49 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-31632 41Rockyroad makes a good point, but solar CAN be done in New England - just not as well or as consistantly as in say Arizona. Effeciency is as important as power generation (local power vs losing power over transmission lines) especially in places like New England where you have such a diverse climate change over all four seasons. Homes will need to be even more stingy with the power they use and innovative new ways to do more with less have to be created. New England has always been a home to ingenuity and I don't think they will let us down when it comes to green tech development. New England has pretty good wind resources (especially along the coast), thus wind would make up a larger portion of the power choice for most New Englanders (either personally or through tapping into a grid that is increasingly fed by wind. There are many solar projects currently in operation in New England including one in Brockton, MA that is ironically built on the ashes of an old gasworks factory. Renewable sources of power are like a toolbox. You cant say that a wrench is your preferred tool and will use it for everything - it needs to be the tool that best suits the job at hand. Here is a map of historical wind conditions in New England: http://truewind.teamcamelot.com/ne/ Now, overlay this with the population density of say, Massachusetts for example: http://www.answers.com/topic/massachusetts-population-map-png-1 you can see that the northeastern and and southeastern areas have the best wind resources for the largest population densities. There are peak areas in mountains in the west but with a few exceptions this benefits a much smaller population. 41Rockyroad makes a good point, but solar CAN be done in New England – just not as well or as consistantly as in say Arizona. Effeciency is as important as power generation (local power vs losing power over transmission lines) especially in places like New England where you have such a diverse climate change over all four seasons. Homes will need to be even more stingy with the power they use and innovative new ways to do more with less have to be created. New England has always been a home to ingenuity and I don’t think they will let us down when it comes to green tech development.

New England has pretty good wind resources (especially along the coast), thus wind would make up a larger portion of the power choice for most New Englanders (either personally or through tapping into a grid that is increasingly fed by wind. There are many solar projects currently in operation in New England including one in Brockton, MA that is ironically built on the ashes of an old gasworks factory. Renewable sources of power are like a toolbox. You cant say that a wrench is your preferred tool and will use it for everything – it needs to be the tool that best suits the job at hand.

Here is a map of historical wind conditions in New England:
http://truewind.teamcamelot.com/ne/

Now, overlay this with the population density of say, Massachusetts for example:
http://www.answers.com/topic/massachusetts-population-map-png-1

you can see that the northeastern and and southeastern areas have the best wind resources for the largest population densities. There are peak areas in mountains in the west but with a few exceptions this benefits a much smaller population.

]]> By: Rockyroad http://gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-31626 Rockyroad Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:12:05 +0000 http://www.gm-volt.com/2008/02/27/will-mass-use-of-plug-in-cars-increase-air-pollution/#comment-31626 Solar power? Here in New England 70% of the home heating load is during 2 months of the year in December and January. Unfortunately only 16% of the annual solar energy falls on us during those months. Chasing something that is not there. In our area solar works for domestic hot water because you have demand for it during the summer months of maximum solar radiation. Solar power? Here in New England 70% of the home heating load is during 2 months of the year in December and January. Unfortunately only 16% of the annual solar energy falls on us during those months. Chasing something that is not there. In our area solar works for domestic hot water because you have demand for it during the summer months of maximum solar radiation.

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