|
A very good thread! Have not driven the i3, but I have driven in a Nissan Leaf and there is nothing wrong with it as a mode of transport. Actually kind of peppy. No driving dynamics to speak of, but lots of go.
I do believe that electric, and perhaps more immediately hybrid, is the way of the future for road travel. Power generation and storage are big challenges. But they have obviously figured out the mechanics of how to use the power to deliver a workable vehicle. That being said, there are a lot of places in society where the energy density of petroleum hydrocarbons cannot be replaced (I am thinking air travel and space travel in the foreseeable future). Plus the oil-based industry and infrastructure is like a huge post-panamax container ship... it will take a loooooong time to change direction.
As others have noted, an electric vehicle is not 'zero emission' it is displaced emission. Many miss that aspect of it, that somewhere there is a smokestack that is replacing the tailpipe of their vehicle. Hopefully the source material to energy conversion (and subsequent transmission) is more efficient than in an IC engine, but I do not know if that is currently the case. If the power plants are fueled by natural gas, it is likely much more efficient, but I don't know about coal. But don't forget it is easier to regulate the efficiency and compliance of a large power plant than it is chasing down and testing the thousands of cars on the road that would be the IC equivalent. Also, hydro, solar and wind are growing - different impact footprints I know, but still much better than carbon to electricity.
The argument of the impact of the vehicle production is likely a red herring. There are many other impacts to IC vehicle production as well, so it may be a wash. Lithium mining is a solution mining industry - very water intensive (which has its own constraints) but as long as the water management is robust it can be less of an impact that traditional open pit mining.
My M2 may be my last IC vehicle, so I am going to enjoy the heck out of it!
|