The following is an excerpt from Will Oremus | July 2, 2012 | Slate.com |
With the power out in parts of the Midwest and the East for a fourth day, conservatives have noticed something alarming: Electric cars don’t work when there’s no electricity.
Turning the traditional “energy diversity” argument upside down, Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey suggests that gasoline-powered cars represent an important hedge against electrical outages, which can put subways and light rail lines out of commission:
Most internal-combustion vehicles can go 300 miles on a “full charge,” while their electric-only counterparts can only go one-tenth that distance. That’s usually enough of a range to get families to shelter where power exists to run air conditioning and provide food storage. … On the other hand, those who have no other transportation options except electric are stuck inside the emergency area.
I’m not sure where Morrissey is getting his numbers on how far an electric car will take you on a single charge. The Nissan Leaf’s range is estimated at 73 miles, not 30, and some versions of Tesla’s new Model S are advertised at 300 miles—about the same as a tank of gas.
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