The problem with this idea that we will be all electric in 20-25 years is that the battery technology is not there yet.
The rare earths required for the current line of high power batteries are extremely scarce. Known deposits are few, many are in China and the supply is tight. The notion that we can increase production 50-100 fold is not realistic.
Increasing the efficiency of the current technology is a limited path. We need a quantum leap in discovery. A new way of making much better batteries. A breakthrough. Could come tomorrow. Could be next year. But it might be 50 years.
There is also the fact that green generating capacity cannot meet the needs of a battery driven transportation world. Even in the US we have large swaths that experience rolling brownouts and blackouts during peak demand periods.
Consider the drain on the Los Angeles area power grid as 2-3 million cars pull into garages after rush hour and plug in to recharge. On a hot summer day that has already strained the grid.
The goal is admirable but the reality with current technology make the idea essentially unattainable.
The problem with this idea that we will be all electric in 20-25 years is that the battery technology is not there yet.
The rare earths required for the current line of high power batteries are extremely scarce. Known deposits are few, many are in China and the supply is tight. The notion that we can increase production 50-100 fold is not realistic.
Increasing the efficiency of the current technology is a limited path. We need a quantum leap in discovery. A new way of making much better batteries. A breakthrough. Could come tomorrow. Could be next year. But it might be 50 years.
There is also the fact that green generating capacity cannot meet the needs of a battery driven transportation world. Even in the US we have large swaths that experience rolling brownouts and blackouts during peak demand periods.
Consider the drain on the Los Angeles area power grid as 2-3 million cars pull into garages after rush hour and plug in to recharge. On a hot summer day that has already strained the grid.
The goal is admirable but the reality with current technology make the idea essentially unattainable.