Why Electric Cars Are Not The Answer - Go By Bike Episode 14

http://www.cycle9.com . Elise Giddings from Cycle 9 talks about why electric cars will not save us from our problems with oil consumption. Go By Bike is a daily video series that talks about electric bikes, electric kits, cargo bikes, bike safety, getting motivated to bike, and how to ride more and use your car less. Using your car less reduces your carbon footprint, saves energy, helps the environment, gets you in shape, and makes your community a nicer place to live. Elise Giddings is owner of Cycle 9, a store dedicated to providing the information, products, and support needed by others to integrate bikes into their lifestyle.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• bicycle
• bike
• cycling
• Elise
• Giddings
• Cyclenine
• Cycle
• alternative
• transportation
• green
• electric
• cars
• peak
• oil

[cyclenine]

Great comments (Rickdeckard2020) - the key is these are part of a mix of options, available for situations like you mention. But if we just think we'll replace our current car usage with electric cars and all will be well, I think we're in for a surprise.

[axlrod05]

@axlrod05 but yeah bikes are great for exercise. and theres nothign wrong with electric bikes if it fits your personal needs. some people have kids and need more space than a bike can provide. also hauling cargo is pretty hard to do with a bike....

[axlrod05]

electric cars are indeed the answer. eventually we will be able to generate solar energy at such a cheap cost taht it will make sense economically and environmentally. the efficiency of solar power harnessing increases almost exponentially much like computing power does. the "murphy's law" almost applies to solar as much as it does to computing power.

[m9078jk3]

An excellent video that I agree with.Yes most of the mass being transported by a car is the vehicle weight itself and is very wasteful.Electric powered vehicles only make sense when the vehicle itself is very lightweight and most of the mass being transported is the rider.Ideally the vehicle should have the least mass possible.Hence electric bicycles make sense whereas heavy electric cars don't.Also very fast vehicles are inefficient too and speed introduces dangerous accidents.

[FightUni09]

I agree with you, as I have been using my Amped Bike with a trailer for the batteries since May 2011. Ebikes are the future.

[Hirotoro4692]

@cyclenine As a note for those who are watching this video in 2011 -

Dense as petroleum may be, it is still far less efficient than a lithium-ion battery.

We're talking 30-35% efficient versus 94-96% efficient.

Even if you follow power generation to a grid that's 50% coal, we're talking roughly 80 g/km carbon dioxide emission versus 100-150 g/km.

As it stands, all things considered, there is no way in hell even the best hybrids come close in terms of efficiency to an EV.

[amindrawer]

yes in a first glance you are right BUT Do not forget about a missive renewable energy out there !!

[JigSkipper]

Hi! Just saw this and wanted to add that future electric vehicles will be made from light weight carbon fiber which will dramatically increase the range of these vehicles. I'm a bike rider and still favor that mode of transportation for lots of reasons but I'm just saying electric cars will be more efficient than they currently are.

[CosmicDamian]

Very interesting. I have a concern about bicycles - most people live further away from work than they can bike, even if they're in great shape. The geographical location of businesses and homes in this country (suburbia) represents an investment of tens of trillions of dollars... If going to bicycles was mandated today, it seems the saved oil would have to be burned anyway, in tje process of completely rebuilding homes and businesses next to each other, in mega-urban centers.

[cyclenut]

250 million electric cars will need hundreds of new nuclear power generators.

The cost to build all those nuclear power plants, mine nuclear fuel and upgrade power lines will cost trillions and trillions of dollors. Then add everyone will live close to a super large nuclear power plant.. Learn about three mile Island, and the two biggest nuclear disasters in Japan and Russia..

Why do I feel America is stupid enough?

Bicycles forever!

[dafranx]

Wow nice informative speech about conventional bikes and electric bikes being the saviors of Planet Earth, not the electric car. You can inform and persuade Al Gore about bikes and electric bikes; maybe we can see him ride a bike or electric bike, that can change his mind.