[LINK] BetterPlace.com

[Richard Chirgwin]

Ash Nallawalla wrote:
> From: stephen at melbpc.org.au
> 
>> Pauline writes,
> 
>>> They say the electricity would
>>> cost around one seventh of petrol, for the same distance, 
> 
> Somehow, "they" will find a way to make the price the same or slightly more
> than the cost of petrol to cover the same distance. Why would service
> station owners want to make 1/7th of their previous revenue, no matter how
> noble the thought?

Funnily enough, I don't see that as a short-term problem. In the
beginning, this sort of arrangement will be incremental, additional
revenue rather than replacing other income. It would need to be packaged
right, though - make sure that the servo's investment requirement is
minimal.

BUT; does this take into account the over-concentration of the service
station market in Australia? - It only takes a few companies to say
"no", and you're only able to work with independents (just TRY buying
retail biodiesel in Sydney for example). Switch again to the upside: the
indies get a competitive edge.

I would say, to that aspect, that the situation is finely balanced ...

As to the electricity grid question: I don't accept offhand the "7%
extra" number. I'd want to see how it was arrived at. But that's carping...

Here's an interview I conducted earlier this year on the same question;
the interviewee, Dr Mike Dennis of the ANU, proposes adding cellular
connections and "smarts" to the electric car, enabling the batteries to
become off-grid storage for green sources.

http://itradio.com.au/networking/?p=79

Cheers,
RC


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