While the first benefit can’t be disputed, a newly publicized study suggests that electric car use may actually be worse for the environment.

The study was performed by the group Transport Watch and found that diesel cars produce half as much CO2 as electric cars when the fossil fuel required to make the electricity is taken into account.

The study concludes “We conclude that the notion that electric cars will reduce emissions is a fiction.”

The study also took into account electrical energy leaked lost between the powerplant and the point where the vehicle would be charged. This leakage was estimated to be an astounding 76%. Diesels on the other hand achieve a 45% efficiency.

The research was done in the UK where only 20% of electricity is generated by renewable energy. It was estimated that in China, for example, where most electricity comes from coal, a change from diesel to electric vehicles would double CO2 emissions.

The research implies that burning fuel within the vehicle produces less emissions than creating electricity and sending it down the grid.

A conclusion drawn from this research by Philip Gomm, of the RAC Foundation is; “Electric vehicles are not a panacea. They are good for generating headlines but not necessarily at saving the planet, at least not in the short term. For today and tomorrow, a lot more attention needs to be paid to refining existing petrol and diesel technology, and making cars smaller and lighter as a way of saving fuel – something recognized by the Committee on Climate Change. These are proven solutions to an immediate problem.”

You can check out the details of the study here and draw your own conclusions.

Source (Telegraph)

Here’s an email I just got today:

THE NEW CAR THE VOLT.WHY DIDN’T YOU PUT SOLAR PANELS ON THE ROOF. IT WOULD CHARGE THE BATTERY WHEN IT SAT OUT SIDE IN THE SUN??????????

The idea that a small panel of solar cells sitting on the roof in sunlight even for hours could do much to actually recharge the battery and justify its expense are unfortunately unrealistic at the present time.

However, the public “green-demand” for it has led GM vice chairman Bob Lutz to infer that a solar roof could be a Volt option. It was supposed to be shown at the Detroit Auto Show, but never made an appearance.

Toyota though, rode the PR wave and introduced a solar roof option for its new 2010 Prius, which is base-priced at $22,000, gets combined 50 mpg fuel efficiency, and went on sale in May.

Here’s how Toyota describes their solar panel option which retails for $3500:

An available sliding glass moonroof is packaged with solar panels, located over the rear seating area, that power a new ventilation system. This solar powered ventilation system uses an electrically powered air circulation fan that does not require engine assist. The system prevents the interior air temperature from rising while the vehicle is parked, making the cool-down time shorter when the driver returns to the vehicle, thus reducing the use of air conditioning.

Check out the following video and see how that Prius solar panel roof actually works out in real word testing:

Does the battery always have some electronics running, even when the car is turned off?
No, there is a real sleep mode.

Did you hear about former CEO Martin Eberhard noting his Tesla Roadster was constantly burning energy when it sat in the garage unused?
Yes, his refrigerator. We don’t have this problem.

What we also will do is we will condition that battery for a certain period. When its plugged in and charging, and its really really cold, then you would probably spend a fraction of your grid energy just to keep your battery conditioned so that you can leave your garage or house in very very low temperatures, driving electrically.

What if you leave your Volt outside in the extreme cold?
You could still do this. The battery is fully insulated. Keeping the battery temperature for a while. To keep it just above freezing it can drive electric. Also the car will be smart. If you don’t use your car at some point you don’t want to spend energy anymore. At that point it will just stop conditioning.

The car will know that? Say if you leave it unused for a week?
No one will want to condition the battery for a week. What’s happening at low temperatures depends on what the state of charge is, we haven’t seen any major sensitivities. This car could sit there for two weeks, but without conditioning it again, it certainly wont start on electric. The engine would start and condition the battery for a few minutes.

So is there a delay when the car decides whether to start on gas or electric?
It would know this within a fraction of a second. The moment you open the door, the calculation starts, what is the battery temperature, what is the outside temperature and how should the car start.

So the gas engine will then heat the coolant?
It will propel the car and it will condition the battery. The moment you are running the engine you have the electric heater running in the battery.

So there is an electric heater in the battery?
Yes, you can chill and heat the battery.

Do you need to keep the battery at room temperature the whole time it is operating?
You don’t have to condition it to that level.

Can you say how low a temperature can the battery go on at?
No. A certain operating window that you have. You don’t have to always keep it at 71 degrees F. Ideally that is the temperature you would like it because that is where you have the maximum power output of the battery and you have the best life expectations.

A question not fully answered is how air conditioning might affect range, considering how highly energy- demanding an application it is.

I recently had the chance to ask Frank Weber who is the Volt vehicle line executive.

Would you say running air conditioning at high capacity will reduce your electric range in the Volt?
It will.

Can you say how much?
It is so dependent on the ambient temperature and what your setting is.

How about maximum A/C on a hot day?
We haven’t discussed that (publicly).

Will it be less than 40 miles?
Absolutely. Physics are physics. Its like the electricity bill at your house. The moment you decide to switch the air conditioning on, it is a conscious choice that you will pay for it.

The GM vice-chairman confirmed that the prototype batteries have been tested both in extreme cold and extreme heat conditions, and aside from some solder failures on the prototypes he said that in terms of the lithium-ion chemistry, there has been an “eerie”, “almost scary absence of problems with the battery.”

He noted that one of the major challenges in the vehicle is to write computer code for the “zillions” of possible interactions between the driver, electric drive, battery, and regeneration and when the combustion engine should come on.

With respect to that, he describes an interesting scenario where its 40 below in North Dakota and the battery needs to be warmed in order to function properly. He notes this would be a big challenge for a pure EV, but in the Volt the car would start out with the combustion engine on and “run for a few minutes to warm up the battery so that the battery can take over.”

He also indicates that the OnStar navigation system will know how far the driver is from home and if the car happens to be at the customer depletion point, it could calculate and to provide just enough charge to get the driver home.

Finally Lutz also denied that there have been internal discussions about sharing E-Flex technology with Ford but states it his impression that “the whole worldwide industry is converging around this Volt concept as the intelligent way to go.”

Source (LeftLaneNews)

[NOTE: For those who may be interested I will be appearing on FOX Business News at 7:15-7:30 PM EST tonight 8/27 for a live interview]

Not being a battery expert myself, and seeking clarification of this issue, I went to my own anonymous source who is indeed a verified PhD lithium-ion automotive battery expert intimately knowledgeable about many of the current automakers projects, including the Volt. He had this to say:

“Battery life will be shortened when exposed to high temperatures… as is the case for all
chemistries including Lead, NiCd, NiMH and Sodium. Initial findings indicate that most Li-Ion
cells should be able to go the distance of 10 years while only losing ~20% of their capacity even
at a steady temperature of 30*C. This is due to normal electrolyte corrosion and breakdown issues.
Most climates and driving habits will keep the cells below the aforementioned 30*C, insuring
good battery life for a vast majority of owners.

Obviously, under more stressful driving and desert climates, the cells may loose more than 20%
of their original capacity in 10 years. The automotive engineers are aware of this and some
“oversizing” is being specified to give consistent performance to the owner of the PHEV/EV. It is
still prudent to keep the car in a garage rather than parking it on a blacktop driveway in the middle
of summer.

All Electric Range or Effective Electric Range can be reduced, particularly in extreme cold
conditions when the Li-ion battery has some difficulty in accepting rapid charge from regen
braking. This is due to the inability of the SEI layer and carbon based anodes to accept the Li
ions, and some degree of Lithium plating occurs… much like in cell phone batteries that are
“quick charged.” Under warmer conditions it is easier for the Li-ion cells to deliver full AER
as the cell’s internal impedance is lower and full power can be delivered or accepted over a wider
range of SOC.

Even after the cells lose 20% capacity, the PHEV/EV is still quite drivable and useful. The AER
may start to reduce, but this is similar to fuel economy degradation in a 100,000 mile used gasoline
powered vehicle.”

Further, this same commenter also claimed Dr. Nazri, an advanced battery scientist at GMs R&D department “does not trust this at all” when it came to battery durability. I contacted Dr. Nazri, and his reply:

“This is absolutely false, and I have not made any comment of this sort. This kind of false fabrication may not help reputation of your organization. I am Volt enthusiast myself.”

It looks like our “Battery Expert” really is fabricating things other than batteries.