Category: EVs

Economics of Electric vs. Gas Vehicles

Besides buying a house, the average person’s biggest purchase is a car. So when you go to make that large purchase, shop around. Many factors, like cost, maintenance, gas mileage, depreciation, etc., are considered. You want the best deal that will make sense financially. Electric vehicles (EVs) have been in the news and are touted…


New Study Says EV Conversion Will Hike Lithium Demand and Increased Mining Will Cause Wider Environmental Damage

Converting America’s fleet of privately owned cars and trucks from internal combustion gasoline and diesel-fueled engines to Electric Vehicles (EVs) will cause critical shortages of Lithium—a must-have for batteries—and prompt more environmental damage due to increased mining, according to a new report. Avoiding the lithium shortages and dramatically increased environmental demand will require all but…


Using Electric Vehicles as Grid Storage: Another Green Fantasy

Commentary The push for electrification of the entire economy—electric cars and trucks, electric heat and hot water, and even electric stoves—is relentless. Various states, including California, New Jersey, and New York, to name just three, have enacted legislation and developed all-encompassing “plans” to put everything into an electrified basket. But electrification requires, well, electricity. Lots…


Just $80 to Offset My Emissions? I’ll Take That Deal!

Commentary In a recent proposal, the New South Wales government will enable drivers to buy $80 (US$55) worth of carbon credits when they pay for their car registration to offset their emissions. It is not a surprising initiative from the treasurer and energy minister, Matt Kean. He is one of many Australian leaders to spruik…


Fuel Costs of Electric Vehicles Overtake Gas-Powered Cars: Study

The cost to fuel electric vehicles in the United States is higher than gas-powered cars for the first time in 18 months, a consulting company said. “In Q4 2022, typical mid-priced ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) car drivers paid about $11.29 to fuel their vehicles for 100 miles of driving. That cost was around $0.31 cheaper…


Do Chinese Donations Explain Biden’s Energy Policies?

Commentary With reports that classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement at the University of Pennsylvania, questions arise about the potential connection between the university’s receipt of $54 million in Chinese donations and President Joe Biden’s promotion of energy policies that are strengthening China’s economy at the expense…


Are Electric Cars Fads?

Commentary It was a bitter cold night in New England, which came as an unwelcome shock having flown in from warm and wonderful Mexico City. Still, I felt gratitude as the Uber rocked up to the baggage-claim area of the airport to get me home. The surprise was that he was driving an all-electric car,…


A Surprising Threat to the US Power Grid Could Plunge the Country Into Darkness

Commentary The importance of a strong power grid cannot be emphasized enough. Often, when a grid fails, the results are terrifying. Of all the major power grids in the world, the United States’ is one of the more vulnerable to attack. State-sponsored hackers from the likes of Iran, Russia, and, unsurprisingly, China pose a real…


‘Zero Emissions’ From Electric Vehicles? Here’s Why That Claim Has Zero Basis

As California, New York, and other states move to phase out the sale of gasoline-powered cars, public officials routinely echo the Biden administration’s claim that electric vehicles are a “zero emissions” solution that can significantly mitigate the effects of climate change. Car and energy experts, however, say there is no such thing as a zero-emissions vehicle: For now and the foreseeable future, the…


Australian Electric Vehicles Sales Surge by 65 Percent in a Year

The sales of electric cars in Australia have soared by 65 percent in the past 12 months, with Tesla continuing to dominate the market. According to the State of Electric Vehicles (EVs) report, which analysed sales figures and state and federal government policies, the number of fast and ultra-fast vehicle charger locations in the country…