Skip to main content

DVDs are the Best Argument for Electric Cars

So the commercials for the new Nissan Leaf got me thinking about how far away we are from large scale conversion to electric cars (or some version of electric-motor-drive car, such as the hydrogen fuel cell cars we keep hearing about).

The arguments in favor are simple. While the internal combustion engine is relatively efficient it cannot be as efficient as large-scale energy generation just because of scale. Although, the power has to come from somewhere, plugging a car into your home outlet would be significantly more efficient (and therefore less polluting) in the long run than running a small-scale power station under your hood. Designing a car around a small (non-explosive) and quieter electric motor also provides infinite possibilities for improvement in safety, aesthetic and spacious design.

Contrarians that suggest the technology can't be advanced to the level of internal combustion engines (in terms of distances per charge, torque etc.) are obviously ignorant of the Tesla Roadster.

The only argument left against large-scale conversion is the cost of changing infrastructures. And in this respect we should learn a lesson from the DVD. DVDs, short for Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc, were introduced in the United States as a video format in March 1997. In less than 12 years, we not only have another potential format change (to Blu-Ray High Definition video discs), but the preferred video format prior to DVDs (VHS) are no longer produced in the United States for major film releases.

The infrastructure built to sell or rent VHS tapes (including all players, display materials, related marketing and delivery infrastructure, etc.) have all been replaced for the delivery of DVDs.

Although the scale of the economy is different in many ways (i.e. DVDs are far smaller than cars), the principle of updating or changing infrastructure is similar. If you think about it, how many 10 year old cars do you even see on the roads anymore? Tomorrow when you're driving to work, look around and think about what the world would be like if 10 years from now, that's how many internal combustion cars you saw.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We are all living in a bubble.

The Solar System is protected by a helium and hydrogen bubble from cosmic radiation. Although scientists were previously aware of the existence of the heliosphere (the name for this bubble), they only recently discovered (or hypothesized depending on how you read the article ) the bubble-like nature of the heliosphere, protecting our solar system on its journey through the universe. The heliosphere is one of the many elements that allows our planet to sustain life in s safe and nourishing environment, and our knowledge of how it works is very recent and constantly being updated. Some might say the existence of the heliosphere is evidence of a divine purpose. It could also be extraordinarily lucky, a statistical anomaly that among all the stars in the universe was bound to happen somewhere. Or it could be a typical characteristic of a solar system, something which just happens to coincide with sustainability of life, like heat and light. Either way it is damn neat. It is amazing th...
1 comment
Read more

Does Technology Make Our Lives Better?

The Geek Answer: Come on! Of course it does. The Philosopher Answer: Define "Better", and "Technology", and "Make."... Just kidding. The reality is that technology makes your life better even if you don't realize the many ways that it does. Even if you're the type of person who believes that focusing on the simple things in life are what make your life better, then consider the following: Do you enjoy sunsets or sunrises? Well, now you'll get to enjoy more of them. The average life expectancy in 1901 was 49 and by 2000 it was 77. This is due mostly to technology that allowed us to have cleaner (disease free) drinking water, better medicine and safer transportation. That's 10,277 more sunsets. Do you think food should be simpler and "organic"? Well, you can thank modern transportation for giving you the options. Although food was simplest when raised in your own background on your family farm, the choice was greatly limited ...
Post a Comment
Read more

134340 Pluto, and his little brother Charon

Pluto , formally known as a Planet, has been recategorized by the International Astronomical Union on August 24, 2006 as a dwarf planet. Although no longer considered an upstanding member of the solar system (to borrow a phrase from 2 Skinnee J's), Pluto is now the largest member of the Kuiper belt . So it's not all bad for Pluto. Rather than being the smallest fish in a sea filled with giants like Jupiter, Pluto is now the largest member of a smaller sea. But what about Charon . Charon is the largest of Pluto's moons, or rather that's what Charon used to be. Since Pluto is no longer a planet, it's inaccurate to call Charon a moon, a nickname for natural satellites such as the Earth's Moon that orbit planets. At times Charon was even referred to as a double planet with Pluto because of its size compared to Pluto, just over half the size of Pluto. Indeed, Charon and Pluto are so close that neither actually rotates around the other. Instead they are deadl...
Post a Comment
Read more