Alright, I get it. You don't want to hear about electric cars anymore. That's fine. My lips are sealed.
Done.
Really, who cares, right? It's not like its the most important technological innovation in the transportation industry since the invention of the internal combustion engine. I'll just zip it.
What. Ever.
I'll just be quiet and you can get all your information on the future of electric vehicles elsewhere. Like, say,
The Economist. Sure, that information may be coming from some brain dead hack who doesn't even know what he's talking about WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU EDITORS OF THE ECONOMIST WHY WOULD YOU LET SOMEBODY SAY THIS
The EPA has yet to reveal its draft methodology for testing the Volt
and other plug-ins. It clearly takes into account some contribution
from the vehicle's petrol-powered generator. It also seems to factor in
the cost of the electricity (a national average of 11 cents per
kilowatt-hour is quoted) used to recharge the battery. But how 230mpg
can be claimed for the Volt is difficult to fathom*.
OR THIS
Then the Volt's 1.4 litre petrol-engine has to kick in to cover the
extra ten miles--not to drive the wheels directly, like the Prius's
engine does, but to recharge the battery, which then feeds juice to the
electric motor, which, in turn, drives the wheels.
If that were an efficient way of delivering torque to the wheels,
all cars would have electric transmission systems instead of mechanical
ones. They don't, for good reason**. So expect no more than 20mpg*** for a
car the size and weight of the Volt when running under petrol power.
That is not only demonstrably wrong, but monstrously stupid. Hey, let's get rid of all these inefficient wires and power our refrigerators with drive shafts tied to windmills! Because its so much more efficient that way like in the cars driven by Economist authors on their way to "how to be smart" classes
in opposite land****.My point is, there is a lot of stupidity in the world. Stupidity that wraps itself in smart sounding words, like "Economist" and "The". So maybe next time you think, "oh there goes Jesse again, talking about some stupid science shit," your next thought will be, "Well, it could be worse. I could be reading The Economist."
With that said, sit back and read while I calculate the equivalent miles per gallon of a
pony-electric hybrid.
Guess how many horsepower the engine is?
* It isn't difficult to fathom, its pretty fucking easy. I'm not saying that everybody can do it, but maybe if you can't do it right, don't fucking write about it.
** That good reason is because it is expensive, not because its inefficient. That's how trains work. Its called a diesel-electric. You are called an idiot.
*** Try 50 MPG. Not 20. I guess the vehicle lost some efficiency while you were digesting the facts and then pulling them out of your ass. I hear that can be an inefficient process.
**** Oh snap!!
