Drive your car now, says Car and Driver

[shogun32]

but Solar/Wind/Nuclear (throwing nuclear in there) can be baseload in the near future (Europe's already done it in many places and has less favorable solar characteristics) if we follow the cheapest way to produce energy

EVERY solar/wind installation has to be backed up with RELIABLE power source. So the cost/MW MUST include the natgas power supply you have to keep running, even if at idle. X+Y > Y every day and every time. Greenies can't do basic 1st grade math.

Nuclear (Thorium) is the obvious answer to power to the people, but GE esp and FR are decommissioning their nuc power plants left right and center. And now they're stuck with nat gas fueled by their friendly Ruskie neighbors. Talk about the height of stupidity and preening-to-be-green.

When wind/solar goes to zero at any time, you have to have enough slack in the system with INSTANT response or you suffer brown/black outs. Now maybe society at large voted and agreed to this tradeoff. But did they? Or were they LIED to?

Just because "105% on the reactor possible, not recommended." "Go to 105% power" doesn't mean it'll end well.

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[DB2]

Not much. Rode hard. Put away wet.

No you are just bragging. LOL

 

[shogun32]

It seems to lack imagination to say that the way things are is the only way they can be.

none of the alternatives actually work in reality unless people just magically can afford whatever price tag you want to slap on it. Cool ideas are not bad but unless they are economic they are as useful as tits on a bull.

 

[Mr. Maboomba]

none of the alternatives actually work in reality unless people just magically can afford whatever price tag you want to slap on it. Cool ideas are not bad but unless they are economic they are as useful as tits on a bull.

No offense intended, but your politics may be getting in the way of the facts. (Despite where I live, I am firmly moderate on the political spectrum.) Solar is now the cheapest form of energy production. Solar combined with energy storage facilities like the real options I mentioned can work as baseload. Solar + wind + wave + hydro + geothermal + nuclear + storage is totally viable. You can then still use natural gas for surge demand.

https://www.popsci.com/story/environment/cheap-renewable-energy-vs-fossil-fuels/

 

[shogun32]

Excellent. And then what do we do for the next 7 to 8 billion years until the sun explodes and incinerates all of humanity?

we'll have perfected a space-bug-safe (degradable - no way in hell will plastic be allowed) straw that can reach the 1 SOL distance and siphon off the coronal gasses and pipe them back here to run the steam turbines.

 

[Mr. Maboomba]

It is hilarious that even a nuclear fusion reactor is basically just a giant tea kettle.

 

[shogun32]

wave + hydro + geothermal + nuclear is totally viable

absolutely. short of Nuc these don't begin to cover the energy needs of the planet. Certain geographies, sure. Nobody has cracked the storage problem and without it wind/solar are by definition unreliable. Granted some off-shore wind may be as reliable enough to qualify as base.

If youre greenie-wieny power source needs a backup, then it doesn't matter how "cheap" it might be (have you priced in replacing the panels and general maint?) you can not LIE and ignore the fact you've got 50MW worth of gas/coal plant running at idle to step in. QED your solar can NEVER be cheaper than coal. It's "cheap" PLUS the cost of the running gas/coal plants at idle.

 

[_zOmbIE_]

My guess is that in 40 years gasoline will be all but gone and our cars will be worth nothing but museum pieces....

That's fine, I'll likely be dead before then

 

[dmcg940]

My bet is that you're going to be shocked how much things change in the next 10 years.

There are 200 million fossil-fuel powered vehicles in this country. Those are not going to be replaced and off the road in 10 years, or in 20, or in 30. Remember, 30 years ago is 1992! Sounds like yesterday, doesn't it?

 

[shogun32]

Not much. Rode hard. Put away wet.

A respectable groom at least offers a towel and perhaps also a rub-down. Before handing over the bag of oatbread with instructions to 'make me a sammich'.

 

[Ewheels]

If looking at a zero mile car in a garage makes you happy, f$&@ everyone else.

 

[Mr. Maboomba]

There are 200 million fossil-fuel powered vehicles in this country. Those are not going to be replaced and off the road in 10 years, or in 20, or in 30. Remember, 30 years ago is 1992! Sounds like yesterday, doesn't it?

The US vehicle "fleet" replacement rate is 7% which equates to replacing effectively all the vehicles every 15 years. (Yes, there's always a long tail.) You could absolutely see EVs be the majority of new-car sales in 10 years or less and the majority of cars on the road in 20 years or less.

 

[IPOGT]

I think everyone should do what makes THEM happy.

 

[Jerry Carguy]

I wouldn’t bet on it. There’s that old saying. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

And, there is no reason they can't exist side by side. Gas, electric, coal, solar, and wind.

 

[Cobra Jet]

My guess is that in 40 years gasoline will be all but gone and our cars will be worth nothing but museum pieces....

Just wait until Apple juice is the new fuel replacement... just you wait...

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