this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2024
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xkcd

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xkcd #2948: Electric vs Gas (xkcd.com)
submitted 5 months ago by schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de to c/xkcd@lemmy.world
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Alt text:

An idling gas engine may be annoyingly loud, but that's the price you pay for having WAY less torque available at a standstill.

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[–] SkyNTP@lemmy.ml 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Real answer: power density. Pound for pound, gas still contains more energy than our best batteries. The weight of energy storage is still a massive deal for anything that cannot be tethered to a grid or be in close practical proximity for frequent recharging, from rockets, planes and cars (sometimes) to chainsaws and lawnmowers (sometimes).

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@kbin.run 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Thing is that pound of gas is gone, that pound of battery is still there and ready for recharge.

[–] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 1 points 5 months ago

A dead battery is far worse than an empty jerry can, atleast the jerry can is light. Hell there are even some real nice collapsible ones and thats not even accounting for fuel bladders. Electric is useful but it is also rather rigid as well.