If oil is the problem why don't we convert to electric and solar?

Question

...we seem 2 be spending all this money on Iraq...I don't get it.

Answer 1

Because it costs more.

That's it in a nut shell. You'd convert to solar and electric if you wanted but it costs too much. So unless you have solar cells and an electric car, spare me.

Answer 2

The truth is simply that it's expensive and the companies that can make the change never have sufficient monetary reasons to make the change.

Auto companies make money on selling the car, but make easier money on maintenance and repair. Electric's have fewer repairs.

Why would they push for the change? Not many businesses fight to make less money.

The technology isn't quite there for the average consumer. People want the convenience they have now for the cost they have now. If you go into the general auto section here on these boards, where most people at least have internet knowledge you'll still find replies scarce on electrics.

The government of our country is based on change through the private sector. To make a government level change would take agreement from a majority, and every one of those with auto industry in their state would jeopardize their job and they won't do that.

So the gov't can't help, the people in general don't want it and there's nobody with the proper motivation and resources to develop it.

I'm an electric car nut, have installed solar panels and want the Chevy Volt to be the most popular car around. Most people don't even know what that is. I just saw a poll that asked if people would even consider an electric car, and over 20% wouldn't even consider it.

Until we have shortages in fuel I think we're going to be looking at a fringe for true change. I don't count the Prius as change. They still use too much fuel. A Prius gets 50 mpg, a Prius converted to plug in gets over a 100. That's a true step in the right direction.

Answer 3

That day is coming. Some of the major auto companies, and quite a few unknown ones, are working on electric or hybrid electric cars. Even GM is working on it and expects to have one on the market by 2010-2012. The goal is to build a battery system that will provide about 40 miles per charge, which will get most people through the day, then charge it at night in your own garage. There's a small gas burning engine to charge the battery for extended range. Check out the Chevy Volt.

Solar is coming down in price and is expected to be equal in cost with utility power within the next 5 years or so. In many parts of the country, electricity from wind generators is already cost competitive with the utility. Even oil tycoons are getting into wind farms, which ought to tell us something.

Answer 4

You are free right now to convert to electricity. You don't have to wait for permission. Electric cars are available by the thousands since nobody wants to spend the money for such terrible performance. Market economics will always rule when it comes to the products we buy. When the price of a gallon of gas gets to about twelve bucks a gallon an electric car will begin to sell.

In the early nineties the legislature in California passed a law that required that ten percent of the vehicles sold in the state must be electric powered. After the pieces of junk sat in showroom floors without moving for a few years the state repealed the law. Seems the police couldn't decide which ten percent of the buyers they should arrest for not buying an electric car.

Answer 5

We are edging that way. A tidal change like that does not happen over night.

The problem with electric cars is the batteries and the amount of energy that they can hold. The good part is Hybrid cars. The more of Hybrids sold the greater the fiscal incentive to develop better batteries.

Solar-voltaic panels that generate electricity are getting cheaper now that there is competition, rebates and tax incentives that can cover as much as 70% of the cost. Combine that with an electric car and you can pay off the panels in five years with the savings from not buying gasoline for your car.

What it takes is the early adopters to invest in solar electricity, Electric cars for commuting and errands, and some thing we didn't talk about. Geo-Thermal heat pumps to heat and cool your homes and businesses. If you combine those three things you can be 95% free of oil dependancy this year.

Answer 6

Because it's much more expensive to do so at the moment. It's not yet economically feasible to switch completely over. It's going to have to be a gradual process. And it's not Big Oil that's making all the money, the government takes a massive chunk out of it. Oil companies only make like, $0.10 per gallon. The Government (thanks to Congress), many times more than that.

I can't afford to go out and buy a new electric car to replace my gas-powered one. Unless you're willing to buy the new car for me? And for that matter, are you willing to buy every person in America a new car so that they can keep their jobs and pay the rent?

Answer 7

Well, about 30% of our electricity is generated by using oil-based fuel.

100% of our major jet planes run on oil-based fuel. No real alternatives exist yet.

100% of the tankers hauling things through the ocean run on oil-based fuel. There is presently no substitute other than perhaps nuclear fuel.

Virtually 100% of the big rig semi-tractor trailer fleet uses oil-based fuel.

100% of our trains use diesel or similar oil-based fuel. Not much in the way of alternatives to this either.

A huge percentage of pharmaceutical products use oil-based chemicals.

All of our LCD and plasma screen TV's use oil-based plastics in their cabinets, not to mention I-pods.

Even if we stopped using oil for transportation, we would want it for a zillion other purposes. I suppose we could then toss the unused gasoline, diesel, fuel oil and other transportation leftovers in a landfill, unused and polluting our soil and water. And pay double for the non-transportation portion of the oil products.

Answer 8

First, where do you think electricity comes from? It comes from burning coal or petroleum. If we had nuclear power plants, it would make sense to build more electric cars.

Solar isn't very efficient. First, there would be no driving at night, when it's cloudy, or when it's raining. Second, they aren't very efficient even in bright sunlight. We're better off using solar as a supplement to home heating.

Answer 9

They (@!#$$) spent your money in Iraq and elsewhere because they want to get richer (for themselves) from the oil there. That's why they really don't bother about electric or solar conversion.

Answer 10

It is called big OIL like in big oil companies buying up all the competition and pattens of different forms of energy.

Think about this: It has been estimated by converting coal to gas we have enough coal to last over a 100 years! And at 50 dollars a barrel.
And it can be done. Nazi Germany proved that in WW II when they lost the oil fields in Romina. All their fuel was made from coal.
Another fact the diesel engine: Dr. Diesel did not design it to run on petrolum. He designed the diesel engine to run on peanut oil specifically because German did not and does not have any oil.

It is kind of comical in a way at how some stars are bragging about how they have converted diesel cars to run on cooking oil and how it is the lastest technology: When actually that is what the diesel engine was designed to run on to start with and it is early 1900's technology.

Also ladies' cars (electric cars so called because in the early 1900's they were built and sold to mainly lady drivers.

Then we bring up the hybred cars; another early 1900's technology.

Now comes using natura gas for fuel! Another old technology. In the 1950's and 1960's in region I'm from almost every pick up on the road ran on butane. You could switch them back and forth between butane and gasoline.

What happened to all them. One answer big oil! And the major car companies bought the companies making them and discontinued them.

As for butane: It was the hassles over highway taxes and always being stopped and hassled about highway taxes i.e. fines and paying gas tax based on mileage driven.

Used to be what was good for Standard Oil was good for America!
JOHN D. ROCKFELLER & ALL THE HARD WORKING MEN AND WOMEN WHO SWEATED AND DIED BUILDING STANDARD OIL WOULD ROLL OVER IN THEIR GRAVES IF THEY SAW HOW THE ROBBER BARONS HAVE TAKEN OVER THEIR COMPANY!