Thirsty Hybrid And Electric Cars Could Triple Demands On Scarce Water Resources

Thirsty Hybrid And Electric Cars Could Triple Demands On Scarce Water Resources

ScienceDaily (Mar. 11, 2008) — Eco-minded drivers in drought-prone states take note: A new study concludes that producing electricity for hybrid and fully electric vehicles could sharply increase water consumption in the United States.
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Matter & Energy

* Nature of Water
* Electricity
* Energy Technology

Earth & Climate

* Water
* Energy and the Environment
* Drought Research

Reference

* Energy conservation
* Liquid nitrogen economy
* Alternative fuel vehicle
* Biomass

In the study, Carey W. King and Michael E. Webber note that policy makers often neglect the impact that fleets of hybrid and electric vehicles could have on already-scarce water resources. They calculated water usage, consumption, and withdrawal during petroleum refining and electricity generation in the United States.

Each mile driven with electricity consumes about three times more water (0.32 versus 0.07-0.14 gallons per mile) than with gasoline, the study found.

"This is not to say that the negative impacts on water resources make such a shift undesirable," King and Webber emphasized. "Rather this increase in water usage presents a significant potential impact on regional water resources and should be considered when planning for a plugged-in automotive economy."

The article, "The Water Intensity of the Plugged-In Automotive Economy" is scheduled for the June 1 issue of Environmental Science & Technology.

Adapted from materials provided by American Chemical Society, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.