Friday, January 27, 2012

Zero emissions cars in California may be problematic


Can California change US cars forever? New zero-emissions rules take aim.

The main problem with hybrid zero emissions cars is the batteries. They are dangerous in an accident. (Many people were electrocuted in Hybrid accidents before trunks electrical shutoffs were installed) But the biggest problem right now is that the average age of a car in the U.S. is 10.8 years old at present. People just cannot afford to buy hybrids unless they are rich. So what most people are doing who cannot afford the gas prices is that they will buy a high mileage car like a Hyundai or something like that that gets over 30 miles per gallon regularly. And often this is not a new car but sometimes a car that is already 3 to 5 years old. This is just a fact of life not only in California but throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world. So, likely I see more people buying high mileage cars and trucks most places instead of hybrids or other alternatives for the next 10 to 20 years. We no longer have the same wealthy economy where the average person can afford a hybrid or to replace the batteries when the time comes to do that. So, it is much more realistic to expect people to be buying more used high mileage (over 30 mpg) cars and trucks instead. They really won't have any choice soon. My wife and I paid about $4.09 a gallon for premium gasoline in San Luis Obispo today. So, it is either buy higher mileage cars or buy a bicycle or motorcycle or take the bus or train or don't travel anywhere. Buying zero emission cars for most people is completely unrealistic these days. (Unless those vehicles are 3 years or older already).

However, without finding a way to move the country more surely away from gasoline and diesel as power sources (within 25 years) civilization could grind to a halt slowly or quickly (depending upon how fast the price of gasoline and diesel goes up until there is no more oil left at all worldwide).

Though one of the ways to move the country away from oil products is to use hydrogen, this also becomes problematic if the hydrogen we are going to use comes from water, for example. Because once you break water into Hydrogen and Oxygen and burn it, it no longer can turn back into water again. And even though the bi-product of burning hydrogen and oxygen is water vapor you still are consuming either the hydrogen or both the hydrogen and oxygen depending upon the system you are using to break it down and use one or both elements. Since water is also limited upon earth (there is a finite quantity) burning water as fuel doesn't make a lot of sense in the long run. (Even though in the short run it might be better than ending civilization when oil runs out if that happens rather suddenly). So, though hydrogen from water might be a temporary solution to the end of oil, it cannot because of the finite amount of water on the planet be a permanent one just like oil could could not be a permanent solution to our energy problems either because it was always finite as well. So, by being more forward thinking in how we design the future we can help the earth cultures of the future survive and prosper and not face the eventual end of water on earth like we now are facing the end of oil on earth in the next 25 years.

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