Originally Posted by
coach Increased emissions in turn decreased efficiency, but it has led to the auto makers making the motors they are today (like the 32-34mpg 300hp V6 motors you see). But I agree, electric isn't the answer for the auto industry. Natural Gas would have been a MUCH better investment avenue for the auto makers.
Brent
The infrastructure for NG is not there to support large amounts of vehicles using the stuff. If you were to take the number of prius on the road and convert them to NGV civics it wouldn't be so bad. But you add millions of vehicles to become dependent on NG and the infrastructure would fall apart.
Not to mention the appeal of the EV is to get away from fossil fuels and develop other natural revenues for energy production. NGV is the equivalent of Flex Fuel, and large amounts of cars cannot be supported yet. On the other hand, you don't really see anyone developing charging stations at all. And charging is still a lengthy process.
The solution to this issue is to get rid of batteries. Lithium batteries are terrible for the environment, very expensive, and bulky for their capacity (in automotive applications). The solution to the battery will be boostcaps. High power capacitors over 99% efficient that are lighter, more powerful, and smaller than any battery. Only battery i've seen come close is LiPo, but charging these LiPo batteries is a delicate process.