While this is true, it would be more efficient to simply use the batteries to power cars directly via electric motors.

And, of course, a battery never produces more energy than was put into it, so it is just a storage device. The energy has to come from somewhere.

David for living better through electricity

The Rockefeller”s , {Standard Oil} started exporting Kerosene over seas, to Russia and China as a replacement for Whale oil. They were quit successful way before the Automobile became a replacement for the mule cart, and Henry Ford introduced the model T.

The Arabic Countries up until the early 1940’s only had sand for a commodity to offer, unless you were in the market for a Camel.
In the U. S., Crude discoveries in Pennsylvania, the first, Oklahoma, and even Jay Florida, made dirt farmers rich as demand grew, and continues to grow today.

Big Oil companies do have a long turn plan.
They know in time, that the oil will run out, or be cost prohibited to extract from the reserves. They know that Ethanol is a bad idea, it cost too much to produce, and we don’t have enough farmland in the USA to produce corn or other crops that could be converted into a usable motor fuel.
Oil Companies are in the oil business. When the practical resources go away, they will simply dissolve.
Big oil Companies are not into alternative fuels. They are in the oil business. Exxon was a big producer in Jay, and left after it become too costly to operate on the budgeted return on investment. Exxon’s historical return is 10% on investment. Walmart is about 20%. No greed, just in a lucrative market at this time that will soon end. It is just a phase, that in time will pass, as everything does as new technology evolves.

Alternative and new technology:

Wind:
Not so good because it’s not predictable. Along the Gulf Coast states anyway.

Solar:
This could be an answer in our region. Not practical at this time due to the high cost of photovoltiac cells. The price dropping dramatically each year due to improved technology and low cost production[China] flooding the market. 5 years from now you will see a lot of solar panels on homes.

Nuclear:
Most effective way to to produce heat, that produces energy. Coming to a place close to where you live, and its safe.

Liquefied Natural Gas: [LNG]
We have more than we could ever use right off Pensacola Beach. Older Cars/Trucks could easily be converted to run this fuel. But , it’s a commodity just like oil, and most is exported .

It is all speculation. A big guessing game.
We all speculate. We try and fill our propane tanks full in the late Summer when we “speculate” that it will cost more later on in the Winter months, and we speculate it will be enough to last till Spring. We all are speculators just like those on wall street, regardless of what we might be spending our money on.

Stop talking about Obama, the whole system need replacing, including your position.

Middle Class Citizen

One percent? I thought, “That can’t be right, but ‘tis.”

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=electricity_in_the_united_states

Main source of electric generation:
coal @ 45%,
natural gas @ 24% (and rising, thank the Lord),
nuclear @ 20% (bless their little nuclei),
hydroelectric @ 6 (but no expansion in sight and fish unhappy),
petroleum @ 1%,
solar, biomass, wind, geothermal @ less than 1% each (at least they have nowhere to go but up).

If we were less dependent on gasoline and diesel, demand would drop and so would prices. Electric cars would be good if we had good batteries and good electric power sources. (Some people talk about electricity as if it just exists without needing to be generated first.)

We would rather not use coal since it is dirty, deadly, greenhouse-gas-ish, finite. But we surely do depend on it as things stand. And it IS domestic.

Natural gas is good and domestically plentiful and already pushing the price of electricity down. Pushing for compressed natural gas cars would also work wonders for saving money and reducing dependence on sometimes touchy Muslims. It won’t last forever but is good for a few more hundred years easily.

Nuclear is among the best sources for electricity but needs to overcome a bit of prejudice before it is more common. I’m not sure how to do that because the long and impressive safety record is ignored and minor problems are treated as if they are insurmountable.

David considering improvements
rather than name-calling or hysteria