March 12 2008 / by Alvis
Category: Energy Year: 2008 Month: Feb Rating: 12
According to a
recent study published by the American Chemical Society electric
plug-in vehicles use-up 300% more water resources than do their
petroleum-burning counterparts. The report takes into account the
water evaporated during as the electricity these cars rely on is
generated. 
“In displacing gasoline miles with electric miles, approximately
3 times more water is consumed (0.32 versus 0.07–0.14 gallons/mile)
and over 17 times more water is withdrawn (10.6 versus 0.6
gallons/mile) primarily due to increased water cooling of
thermoelectric power plants to accommodate increased electricity
generation,” assert study authors Carey King and Michael Webber of
the University of
Texas at Austin.
This could have a big impact on the adoption and use of electric
cars in water-scarce areas like the American South-West, China,
Africa and the Middle East. In alignment with this possibility, the
study, titled The Water Intensity of the Plugged-In Automotive
Economy notes that “the impact on water resources from a
widespread shift to grid-based transportation would be substantial
enough to warrant consideration for relevant public policy
decision-making.”
As both water and petroleum are consumed at an increasingly fast
rate, this will certainly come into play as nations determine their
plug-in policies and may delay the adoption of such vehicles. At
the same time, more efficient batteries are likely to gradually
offset the water cost.
One thing that is certain is the idea that we must carefully
analyze the holistic effects of any new transportation technology,
holding it up to the same critical standards that we’ve just
recently developed for oil. Unfortunately, in our exuberance, it’s
possible that we could do more harm than good.
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