Tesla Electric Roadster

[Happy Monkey]

But the dollar says nothing about pollution. The same amount of gas will sometimes have a different cost from pumps across the street from each other, never mind across the country or world. Same with electricity off the grid (except for the across the street bit, usually).

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

But the dollar says nothing about pollution. The same amount of gas will sometimes have a different cost from pumps across the street from each other...

It's not supposed to say much about pollution...how much do you expect from one scalar quantity? It's one measure of total energy consumption.

I think you'll find not much difference in price between gas stations across the street from each other unless one station has some other enormous advangtage over the other. A few cents/gal one way or another doesn't move this measure much.

What's the matter, are you a hybrid owner or dealer or something?

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by MaggieL

It's not supposed to say much about pollution...how much do you expect from one scalar quantity? It's one measure of total energy consumption.

That's what I'm trying to get at. If it's not about pollution, then what's the point? Why separate out energy costs from all the other costs if you aren't trying to make some sort of ecological point?

I think you'll find not much difference in price between gas stations across the street from each other unless one station has some other enormous advangtage over the other.

It doesn't happen often, and it's usually where it would be a big hassle to get across the road, but it does happen.

A few cents/gal one way or another doesn't move this measure much.

Except that the few cents is at the "across the street" level. The cost per gallon is much more variable the further apart the points are. As are all energy costs. So the calculation is based on a snapshot of a particular time and location and could vary wildly based on the ratios of the various types of energy costs.

What's the matter, are you a hybrid owner or dealer or something?

No, I have a regular gas-powered sedan. I just can't figure out what the point of the statistic is. Who is it directed at, and what decision is it supposed to help them make?

[JayMcGee]

mmmmm.... we seem to have drifted slightly off topic...


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