markwbrooks
8p5 comments posted · 61 followers · following 0
12 years ago @ The Charging Point - Chevy Volt owners save... · 0 replies · +1 points
The Exxon Valdez carries 1.2 million barrels of crude. During the refining process a barrel of crude produces 19.5 gallons of gas, 9.2 gallons of home heating oil and diesel, 4.1 gallons of jet fuel, And a small amount of other products... See the Texas oil and gas association website for details.
This does not take into account the grid electricty used in the refining process ( between 7 to 12kwh) which is produced by buring coal and other nasty petro byproducts. ( a side note, the volt can actually go futher on the energy used to refine a gallon of gas, than an average car can on the gas).
So factoring in the energy used in the refining process gives you the 1/5th of a super tanker.
A good start but the US is currently importing 9.6 million barrels a day... and every day world demand goes up and the cost of finding and extracting goes up, the crude gets heavier and more costly to refine....
12 years ago @ The Charging Point - Report: electric cars ... · 0 replies · +1 points
The volt is a purpose designed EV and that is has a low, well designed C of G compared to other sedans as the battery is inline with the engine/drive-train centre and it handles very nicely because of this.
It sounds like the author really wanted to take Aim at ford ( the Focus EV batteries are in the trunk, and not distributed properly in the car, which gives it an inferior weight and balance from the volt, leaf etc). Fords “Me-Too” car is obviously being built for fleet compliance issues and is not a serious contender. It is the only EV from the big auto makers that is not purpose built.
12 years ago @ The Charging Point - Report: electric cars ... · 0 replies · +1 points
12 years ago @ Tuvie - Industrial Des... - iRing - iPod Ring Concept · 0 replies · +4 points
12 years ago @ Longmont Times-Call - It\'s a good time to a... · 0 replies · +1 points
Then there is the issue of drilling, transporting, storage of both crude and refined product.
The idea that the volt creates more pollution by running on coal was actually started by a report commissioned by Toyota to help their Prius sales team. It was a tanks to wheels only study and did not look at the whole emissions lifecycle.