
Norwegian Taxis, Wirelessly Charging While They Wait for a Fare - calabroa
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/business/jaguar-i-pace-oslo-taxis-charging.html
======
me_me_me
I quickly scanned the article, it seems it doesn't address one of the biggest
issues I can see right away.

Wasted energy. Phones wireless charging is wasting over 30% of energy. How is
this called a green technology if we would have to waste so much power.

~~~
fulafel
It's less bad than burning fossil fuels. But yep, it's silly to call EVs good
for the environment, the real green alternative is to cut down on cars.

~~~
me_me_me
> It's less bad than burning fossil fuels

How do you think that electricity will be mainly produced?

~~~
fulafel
Norway is a hydro country.

More generally the global shift to renewables (solar, wind) is proceeding
rapidly, but is hampered by politics: undertaxed or subsidized supply of very
cheap natural gas and coal.

But we need both measures, shift to renewable electricity and scaling down car
use, as EVs still have unsustainable co2 footprints.

~~~
me_me_me
I agree, Norway is in excellent position with hydro as its reliable baseline
power source at the scale they have.

Other countries would struggle, and sadly the fission power-plants are
demonized to the point of political suicide if you propose to build them. So
globaly we are stuck with fossils until a miracle breakthrough in fusion
(fingers crossed).

~~~
fulafel
Even in nuclear friendly political climates, nuclear is just too expensive and
unwieldy due to huge unit sizes, it had its chance in history but is now a
dead end due to low cost and rapid improvement in cost per megawatt in
renewables.

~~~
me_me_me
Renewables aren't on demand electricity for the most of cases. Or on required
scale to run as baseline for a power grid.

The grid need a way to absorb spikes in renewables production (solar in the
day) but also fill in during lows.

Nuclear fission is by far the safest and cleanest way when compared to
fossils. Its hardly 'unwieldy'.

