🚀 go-pugleaf

This is a request for information on certain environmental issues
which have become important in a debate (here at Stnaford University)
over the environmental impact of electric cars.  Please forward me any
information (over the weekend if possible) on these and related
issues.

  The debate so far has been as follows (for the hybrid (gas + electric car
  concept) :

  Pros :
  
      1) Electricity is a clean source and environemntally far more effective.

      2) Hybrid cars are noise free.

  Cons (and counters) :

     1) The sources used for energy production are mainly fossil fuel based.

        (COUNTER : California uses only 26 % fossil fuel and most of the 
         pollution caused by cars is due to additives which are not present
         in fuels used for power plants.)

        can anyone give  national stastics on nuclear, fossil fuel, ... used ?)

     2) The combined losses of the power plants ineffeciency, transmission
        losses, load scheduling losses and charging losses will be
        approximately equal to the IC engine's losses. 

       (COUNTER : The power plant's effeciency is 40 % and IC engine's
                  is about 15-20 %. The trnasmission loss figures quoted
                  apparently on local power plant stats are 0.5-1.2 %.)
 
       Can anybody vouch for or supply more accurate national figures ?


    3) Batteries (about 800 pounds in a hybrid car) contain toxic chemicals
       like lead or sodium and can cause enormous waste disposal and pollution
       problems.

       (COUNTER : Many batteries today are recyclable and the problem hence
        is irrelevant.)

       Does anyone know of actual recycling of batteries and its effectiveness?



For the record, I belong to the side arguing against the effectiveness
of these cars. I firmly believe that hybrid cars or electric cars
which are being touted as the next century's solution will cause just
as many problems for the environment. I am very open to all views
and information for or against to formulate a well informed opinion.
Most of my information comes from India which uses relatively inferior
techniques and would not be applicable here.

I am also looking for spscific info on :

1) Effeciency of ultra modern or modern Internal Combustion engines (including
  Wankel type engines)

2) Energy lost in transmission from power source to consumer. 

3) Overall effeciency of electricity production.

4) Effeciency of the charging process of a car battery.

5) Toxic gases released during fossil fuel based electricity production.

6) Recycling of Car batteries (if it is done or likely).

7) Break up of fuels, sources used in electricity production.


any help will be gretly appreciated,
thanks,
lalit