> I just want the "record" to be clear and fair.  Electric cars produce
pollution.

Oh sure, electric cars still have a pollution and carbon footprint. But
power plants are what's known as point-source polluters. There's generally
a single "pipe" through which your pollution comes out, so it's easy to
measure it's easier to apply mitigating technology, and it's easier to
upgrade mitigation. Yes, the renewable plants have impacts as well
(although I believe the bird-kill counts for mercury from coal-burning
plants far outweighs the bird kills of wind or solar).

Gasoline-powered cars are non-point source. They're effectively everywhere.
Inspecting them for emissions is very intrusive and expensive (when it
isn't being gamed by car companies). they have to move their emission
mitigation technology with them down the road. And those tailpipe emissions
are, by definition, in the exact same places where the people are. Also,
electric motors and their drive-trains are inherently more energy-efficient
than gasoline power-plants (hence the benefit of hybrids that use gasoline
to power electric motors).

Just because electric cars "are not pollution free" is hardly an argument
to hold back the rather large improvement they do represent.

And the move to electric cars is independent from the move to self-driving
cars.; though they are mutually reinforcing. Self-driving cars can get
themselves to a recharging station when they aren't needed or low on
charge. Self-driving cars behave better and therefore can be built lighter,
saving power. Self-driving cars will spend less time idling or circling for
parking. heck, they could even follow the sun for solar charging.

-Christopher Ferry, CRM
Boston, MA

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