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Originally Posted by rob13572468
If we want to drive around without using oil then we need to produce energy from somewhere else but the easiest way to do this today is to use existing IC engine technology and fuel it with something else (e.g. natural gas or propane, or synthetic gasoline produced from biomass). Same goes with cost: electric cars are simply way too expensive to operate practically and certainly not cost competitive with gasoline. RichH correctly points out a number of fallacys regarding grid power incuding the onerous idea that there is large amounts of almost free electricity to be had at nighttime when this is simply not true.
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I used to think that the future of alternative energy is to use IC engines that run on hydrogen, biomass or natural gas. All of those fuels have the same problems as gas and that is because the IC engine is only about 20% efficient. One of the big arguments in support of electric cars is that electric motors are 85-90% efficient.
As for the stress on the power grid we are starting to see wind farms being developed and if we use more nuclear power we can still reduce CO2 production.
Another big advantage to electric cars is that it is far easier to produce electricity at home through solar and wind than to build a chem lab and make fuel. This will allow many to still move about during massive energy shortages which will eventually come.