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Reader Comments for
Subscribe to this threadTesla Roadster passes federal standards, can be sold in all 50 states
(Page 1 of 1)
jake @ Jan 26th 2008 9:57PM
@vintage
I have heard that argument many times. First off all, what you are saying applies to virtually any car (any product too) and any new lower emission technology. Making a new car expends a lot of energy, which is true. However, what your argument amounts to is that people should keep using their old cars and we should all stop manufacturing things. Even better is we should all bike and walk. However, that isn't realistic to expect at all. Following the same standards any new car follows today an EV will still have reduced emissions (though small) compared to a gasoline car factoring in all forms of pollution including manufacturing and battery and assuming all electric production comes from coal (which is not true as even places with the most coal (IE West Virginia) generation uses 73%); when it doesn't come from 100% coal the emissions fall drastically.
Link: http://www.ilea.org/lcas/taharaetal2001.html
Here's an article from slate that compares emissions from a corolla and the tesla roadster. Keep in mind they weight around the same (2600lbs vs 2700 lbs) and the roadster has almost twice the power output.
http://www.slate.com/id/2179609/fr/rss/
EVs lower emissions not only from CO2 but also from methane, nitrous oxide, and assorted other greenhouse gases. The exception is sulfur dioxide created by coal fired plants.
Another thing is the argument the Roadster is useless since it is so expensive/impractical. However, it has been stated from the start that the Roadster is to raise funds so Tesla can drive downmarket as quickly as possible. Not only that, it proves that an EV can be viable and compete, which has really jumpstarted the EV and PHEV market recently (ie Lutz said he was partly motivated to push the Volt because of the Tesla proving it was possible).
Seeing that the EV does improve on the ICE car, I don't see why we can't support it, esp if we are giving ethanol, hydrogen, biofuels all a try. Not to mention there are new technologies being invented that extend battery life (ie like the batteries that GM's Volt uses). What's to say Tesla can't adopt the new batteries for their next car when the time comes.
Also adopting EVs mean that the focus on pollution will shift to the powerplants and manufacturing (instead of just tailpipe emissions which is only a small part of pollution today), which also isn't a bad thing.