Surely you have heard about the Tesla company and its cars. Of course. Sleek and streamlined on the exterior, luxurious and highly comfortable on the inside. You’d want one!

Oh, and it’s not gasoline-powered; instead it uses electricity from a large battery pack. It doesn’t contribute to the smog of the cities or the general CO2 emissions. Sweet!

Only, of course it contributes to CO2 emissions and general air pollution when the source of the electrical energy is not renewable or nuclear. However, in a  world where renewables are becoming more and more commonplace, this will be less of a concern.

I have a quibble, however. It is that, while the battery allows pollution-less operation, it is also very heavy: In fact it weighs in at around 1000 kg for the top 85 kWH battery pack. Most smaller cars weigh that, or less than that.

The operating weight of a Tesla S is 2000-2250 kg, while that of, say a FIAT 500 (2007 model) is just about 1000 kg. This 1-tonne battery pack is mass that needs to be towed around – it needs energy to be accelerated and it causes additional rolling resistance. (The  biggest force acting on the car at high speeds is the air resistance, which is mitigated somewhat by the streamlined frame – bu at low speeds this does nothing to help the Tesla, as it is the rolling friction that is the biggest energy leech).

Thus, yes’ it’s a clean and bloody desirable piece of equipment, but for it to be significantly better than any gasoline powered car, energy must become much more plentiful than it is today. (Hint: Nuclear.).

I do look forward to Graphene capacitors/batteries become reality and enter the consumer market, which will eliminate the problem of added weight from energy storage systems.