Charging a Smartphone While Driving Isn't as Free as You Think

[JenniferQ]

Charging a Smartphone While Driving Isnt as Free as You Think - Bloomberg Business

Another plus for our battery-operated cars.

 

[AMPd]

HA! I just read the same article.
Another win for the electric car!

 

[bonnie]

Am I the only one who found this funny?

“That’s why modern electricity power plants are not driven by gasoline engine generators,” said Bereisa, who worked on the EV-1 and Volt electric-vehicle programs and fuel-cell models during his 35 years at GM.

Did he hear what he said?

 

[hockeythug]

Would rather worry about much larger drains like under-inflated tires.

 

[nwdiver]

LOL... a rooftop solar panel actually makes more sense on an ICE than it would on an EV...

 

[JenniferQ]

Hah. Good point!

 

[Lon12]

Na, just replace your incandescent licence plate bulbs with LED and save 16w. Phone takes 4.8w so your ahead of the game. I think the most important thing to take away from those numbers is just how many cars are on the road burning gasoline. :crying:

 

[jct_4628]

Would rather worry about much larger drains like under-inflated tires.

I don't think it is the small amount of loss this causes any one person, it is the cumulative loss of the entire auto fleet. You talk about larger drains like under-inflated tires, imagine how much extra that is causing! The cell charging looses .03 mpg. Under-inflated tires can loose multiple miles per gallon. Imagine even at 2 MPG that is over a 66 times increase in pollution and lost miles per gallon. Multiply that over the entire auto fleet and that is a scary number

 

[CHG-ON]

Such a load of baloney. Do they really have nothing more important to report? I would be ashamed if I were that reporter. 1: 3 one hundredths of a gallon. Big deal. 2: what about the gas guzzling behemoths on the road?

 

[David29]

I agree with others who are pointing out how silly it is to be focused on this tiny load. Besides underinflated tires, there are factors such as vehicle speed, use of A/C, having windows or sunroof open, carrying loads on the roof, towing trailers, and several other much bigger ways to consume more (or less) energy. But taking this to its logical extreme would say that we all should drive the tiniest cars we can and travel at very low speeds -- go back to the 55 mph national speed limit of the 1980s? The solutions need to be much more global than charging a cellphone!

 

[FlatSix911]

Na, just replace your incandescent licence plate bulbs with LED and save 16w. Phone takes 4.8w so your ahead of the game.
I think the most important thing to take away from those numbers is just how many cars are on the road burning gasoline. :crying:

Don't forget to also replace the side turn/marker lights if you want an all LED vehicle.

Charging a Smartphone While Driving Isnt as Free as You Think - Bloomberg Business Another plus for our battery-operated cars.

The race to add more USB ports has replaced the cup holder race!