re: #810 Honorary Yooper

No, we have them because we get the biggest energy bang for our buck with them currently. Name a better system for vehicle propulsion?
Solar? Solar craps out when the sun isn’t out.
Batteries? Been there, tried that. They have a limited range and need a long enough time to recharge. People have tried to make really viable electric cars for well over a century now.
Hydro? What does this have to do with vehicles? Nothing.
Hydrogen? Costs a lot to make for something with less energy than oil.
Compressed natural gas? Nice idea, and possibly viable, but less energy for what we get with oil.
Biofuels? Likewise as CNG, almost as good as oil, but eats into our food stocks.
Nuclear? Don’t wanna touch this one with a 15 mile long pole.
Steam? Once very popular for vehicle propulsion, it went out of vogue in the 1910s.
Fuel Cells? See hydrogen.
Name a better system for the biggest bang for the energy buck than the Otto Cycle internal combustion engine right now. I dare you.

In many respects, electric motors are superior to combustion engines. They are much more efficient. The average gasoline combustion engine only about 40% efficient, while electric motors are 90% efficient. Why do you think your car needs that radiator to reject heat to the surroundings? Electric motors have few moving parts and are simple and reliable.

The internal combustion engine is not without drawbacks, but they are successful is because of the energy density of the fuel. The specific energy (total amount of energy stored per unit mass) and specific power (rate of energy transfer per unit mass) of hydrocarbon fuels (such as gasoline, diesel, and alcohol) are higher than those of batteries and capacitor systems. When the total storage and rate of delivery from electric energy storage systems (batteries, capacitors, fuel cells, or a combination) begin to approach those of chemical fuels then cars with electric motors will take off.

Electric cars are viable for commuter vehicles now. Recent advances in lithium batteries have increased the total energy and delivery rate of battery packs substantially. They also charge faster than traditional lead acid systems, and some quick-charge lithium technology is right around the corner to address this issue further. I think there is some promise in hybrid systems to bridge the gap. However, small combustion engines are even less efficient than large ones.