 |
|
|
Updated: 11:55 PM Sep 30, 2009
New electric car in Bluegrass
A Lexington man decided when it came to buying a new car he would pass on a gas guzzler and instead go high tech and environmentally friendly. Posted: 11:19 PM Sep 30, 2009Reporter: Amber Philpott Email Address: amber.philpott@wkyt.com |
|
 | Sponsored By: |
23 Comments 
Prev
There is no one perfect single solution to solve our fossil fuel dependence. However, by opting for electric cars, we can potentially eliminate one source of pollution – gasoline. A multi-prong of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geo-thermal, wave, hydro, etc., can help quench our thirst for energy. As long as we are replacing coal power plants with clean and renewable sources, we are moving in the right direction. We can’t possibly expect to enjoy cheap and dirty fossil fuel for decades and not want to “pay” to clean it up. Our monthly KU bill may be cheap, but what is the hidden cost that our environment has to pay for the effects of coal strip-mining and mountain top removal operation? How much does it cost the environment when we dump millions of tons of CO and CO2 into the atmosphere each year? Wake up folks; have a little foresight and start thinking sustainability.
[ Report Abuse ]
Switching to electric car is a great way to reduce green house gas emission that is generated from both the production and consumption of gasoline. True, electricity doesn't miraculously appear from the wall socket. Sadly in Kentucky, we're still burning coal to generate power. But, with the advancement of photovoltaic technology, solar panels are becoming better source for cleaner and renewable energy than carbon cessation that “clean coal” has to offer. The sun is not going anywhere for another few hundred billion years, why not try and capture that energy to power our homes and run our cars? I drive a small and fuel efficient car. I would certainly buy an electric car when they are more readily available in my price range. For all the naysayers and armchair quarterbacks out there, what are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? If you truly want to reduce pollution, you can start by cutting back on beef consumption. Are you willing to make small compromises for the greater good?
[ Report Abuse ]
Switching to electric car is a great way to reduce green house gas emission generated from both the production and consumption of gasoline. True, electricity doesn't miraculously appear from the wall socket. Sadly in KY, we're still burning coal to generate power. But, with the advancement of photovoltaic technology, solar panels are becoming a better source for cleaner and renewable energy source than carbon cessation that “clean coal” has to offer. The sun is not going anywhere for another few hundred billion years, why not try and capture that energy to power our homes and run our cars? I drive a small and fuel efficient car. I would certainly buy an electric car when they are more readily available in my price range. For all the naysayers and armchair quarterbacks out there, what are you doing to reduce your carbon footprint? If you truly want to reduce pollution, you can start by cutting back on beef consumption. Are you willing to make small compromises for the greater good?
[ Report Abuse ]
I don't know what all the fuss is about. Mr. Riddle in Owen County invented an electric car in 1977 and the Ford Motor Company bought it to shut him up and to keep his car from being produced. I was only a teenager at the time, but Mr. Riddle's car was invented in the middle of a so called gasoline shortage. Then is was bought by a big company. That told me as a young person that the car companies are in with the gasoline companies and they don't want you to use electric cars because you cut into their profits. I'm like the one person who said, she couldn't afford this 109K car, not many people can! It's true we are using too much foriegn oil, but that's because our govt hides most of our own & there is so many rules that OUR companies cannot produce enough to support us. Get rid of the rules & we COULD use our own resources instead of foreign resources. It's all politics! The USA has plenty of resources, but we can't use them because of the govt's stupid rules!
[ Report Abuse ]
Great car, because electricity magically comes out of the wall socket and doesn't involve any filthy acid-rain producing coal-fired power plants or radiation spewing nuclear power plants. So of course this car is environmentally friendly.
[ Report Abuse ]
@Jonathan Location: Lexington Yes we have used gas tanks for a hundred years. Thats 100years of developin a tank that doesnt explode. Currently a car can burn if its ignited or severely crashed, a lithium battery would explode violently if dropped in water. Which is more likely to happen a leak develop or a severe crash? Same as hydrogen cars good idea but how to safely dispense tons of hydrogen daily to regular people. Those laptops were designed not to explode as well ya know. Course then theres all that heavy metal poisoning in the envoroment harvesting the nickel for your batterys in canada. Then they ship it to china for them to make teh batterys. That way you can say your less foriegn dependant. Meanwhile your cars made entirely of parts made in china or japan. Wanna buy american try toyota.
[ Report Abuse ]
Ye ha good for him i will stick to my gas guzzler how you gonna charge it when the sorry liberals cuts out the coal i think it's funny to hear these idiots saying get rid of the oil and coal i will sit here and be waiting in 30 years and see if you can do without it. What we need to get rid of is these idiot wackos that is telling us what we can and can't do starting with the Washington idiot liberals then to Frankfort!
[ Report Abuse ]
kentucky can't do anything like this. They are still playing basketball.
[ Report Abuse ]
Love the idea of getting away from foreign oil.. but I think its a long way away before we'll ever see it happen. They make these vehicles for one person, I wish they'd work on designing vehicles for a family of 4 or people like me that have a farm, I need to haul hay, sometimes lumber, etc. So, sometimes I have to drive that gas guzzler, I wish sometimes people would realize that, its not because some want to drive that truck, we NEED to sometimes, not all of us are into status symbols that trucks and SUV's became. And I think 40k is still a bit of a reach for alot of people. And my truck is 20 years old!! and no cowboy cadillac.
[ Report Abuse ]
All this negativity... just transferring the pollution from foreign oil to Ky coal... we need to get rid of the coal as well! There is no such thing as "clean coal." I guess if he could afford the $100 price tag on this vehicle, he could look into the solar panels or wind generators to generate the electricity he uses. All of the people with their negativity on here relies on pollution of some sort, this is just one way to reduce emissions. Get over it!
[ Report Abuse ]
this $109,000, two-seat, plug-in electric sports car isn’t the most practical auto around. For this price, I can use a ton of gas!
[ Report Abuse ]
Hey this is a start. I would much rather pay for this car and use coal fired electricity that is mined here in Kentucky and in the US, than purchasing a Gas guzzling Oil using vehicle. Yes its expensive, but worth it if we can get off of our dependency of foreign oil and support of Middle Eastern Countries that want to KILL US.
[ Report Abuse ]
Oh - and the drop of water on Lithium battery - The Tesla pack is actually liquid cooled to 90 degrees fahrenheit for maximum battery life and performance. Thermal runaway has been engineered out of this system, as you're right - Lithium batteries can be dangerous. But you know what - so can GASOLINE! In fact, a gas tank can do far more damage in an explosion than a lithium battery system, yet we've used this technology for 100 years, with only a few 'Ford Pinto' incidents...
[ Report Abuse ]
I know it's usually a mistake to respond to comments, as anonymous postings tend to be *Not Nice* - but - the guy with the coal fired plant comment makes sense. I did not buy a Tesla to lower carbon emissions - even though it emits 1/2 the carbon of a Prius per miles traveled even from a coal plant. I bought a Tesla because I cannot stand the fact that my gas money goes to Middle East dictators. Oil imports and dependency is ruining this country - Coal is a Kentucky resource. And yes Karama, not everyone can afford a 109k car. But the 109k car supplies profit to Tesla that helps with the construction of the Model S, which at 40k many more people can afford. It's the standard electronics / early adopter model. What I don't understand is why be so negative? Hey - if I'm not taking gas - that's more gas for you!
[ Report Abuse ]
Electric cars are cool and all, but it just transfers the pollution and dependencies to another source. Electric cars don't solve the problem. If this was really about helping reduce pollution and dependency of foreign oil, he would have bought a Zap Xebra with a solar panel.
[ Report Abuse ]