More Lies And Junk Science From The Oil Industry

Charles Q. Choi
Special to LiveScience
LiveScience.comMon Mar 10, 2:15 PM ET

As environmentally friendly as hybrid and fully electric cars are, it turns out replacing normal vehicles with them might dangerously strain already scarce water reserves.

Hybrid electric vehicles run on electric mode for a limited distance before they switch to an internal combustion engine for longer trips, while fully electric vehicles operate solely off batteries. Both are presumed to be better for the planet than normal vehicles, because they release fewer emissions into the air.

But hybrid and fully electric cars rely in part on water. Specifically, the power plants that produce the electricity typically use water primarily to cool down the systems.

Such water consumption might be especially of concern in the United States "in the Southwest and Southeast and the West, where water resources are definitely strained," said researcher Michael Webber, a mechanical engineer at the University of Texas at Austin.

Webber and colleague Carey King compared the amount of water used, withdrawn and consumed during petroleum refining and electricity generation in the United States. They estimate that hybrid and fully electric vehicles could sharply increase the country's water consumption, with each mile driven with electricity demanding roughly three times more water than gasoline.

The researchers note these concerns do not necessarily mean electric cars are undesirable. "It just means there might be some tradeoffs," Webber said.

Policymakers may want to move to less water-intensive cooling technologies, such as air cooling. Seawater or recycled former wastewater unsuitable for drinking might also help cool power generators. Power generators that use little to no water, such as wind or solar technology, might also find use, Webber noted.

Webber and King are scheduled to detail their findings in the June 1 issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

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This is a confusing worry. Our engineers are better at solving problems than this.
1 - There is no obligation for cooling water to be potable.
2 - Cooling water is not "consumed", it is not gone, it is just heated up. It may turn into steam, but steam recovery can't be all that difficult.

This is not worth one note of woe.


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We currently burn gas in our cars that itself commutes thousands of miles from the Middle East, Alaska, and elsewhere. Why would it be any issue to cycle water from sources much closer to even the driest of the American Southwest. So the real question is: "What are they burning (and smoking) in Austin?"

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Hmmm seems like this "study" needs a paid for by Haliburton advisement across the bottom.


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Living in the southwest for almost 13 years couldn't fail to notice, it' always sunny. And guess what? Solar panels and numerous other renewable energy sources do not require cooling water. Wow, I just solved two problems at the same time!

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This is simply a propaganda play. Unfortunately, the government might try to use this "grasping straws" propaganda study to keep electric cars off the road.

The truth is, the new electric cars do not need water, antifreeze or oil. There's savings right there. Additionally, they require very little maintenance; therefore there is a lot less need for metal. They cause little or no pollution. Best of all, if someone installed solar energy panels at their home, the individual would no longer have to pay gas or an electic utility bill.

We really need to get big business off our backs. This is certianly a start in the right direction!

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I love the fact that we are being forced in this country that gas is the only way to go. The best part is its still cheep at $3.19 a gallon. There should also be a report out there telling people they need to drive gas powered cars instead of riding there bike to work and school because per mile they drink more water then gas power car.

Wheres the report on how may electric cars are out there and how many of them are solar powered?

Today's hybrid cars generate all of their own electricity from the gasoline they burn. So, while this might apply to fully electric cars and future plug-in hybrids, it does not apply to today's hybrid cars whose water use is identical to any non-hybrid car.
Such an elementary mistake casts doubt on the science behind the entire article.


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Hmmm, I have driven a 2005 Toyota Prius for almost 3 yrs and have almost 60,000 miles on the odometer. It doesn't use any more coolent than any of my other conventional autos: '94 Dodge Grand Caravan, '96 Ford Escort, '98 Dodge Stratus, and '99 Dodge RAM 1500. The small gasoline engine of the Prius has a typical cooling system.

With respect to the water used during the generation of electricity from the burning of coal or any other fossil fuel. That water is not "used up". To be used in the boiler and turbines, it must be more pure than any drinking water. Any condenser cooling water is contaminated with the excess heat it must carry away but no other pollutants that it didn't have already.

A typical coal fired electrical generating plant operates at only 40% effeciency. That means it works at 60% inefficiency. Two power plants close to me generate a total of 1650 MegaWatts (1.650 gigawatts) of electricity. At 40% efficiency, it releases 2475 megawatts of wasted heat and some of the cooling water is converted into steam in the cooling towers. It is still water, hot water or steam, but it is still water and can be used again and again.

I am not as sure about the purity of the water used in the oil refining process. Being that close to the multitude of toxic organic and flammable compounds found in crude oil, I have my doubts about it suitability for human consumption without "cleaning".

This appears to be another example of "scientific research" that contains sensational headlines to stir the emotions of those that read only the titles, but few facts and and scientific data to support its hypothesis. Hmmm, what ever happened to that report that claimed a Hummer was "more environmentally friendly" than a Toyota Prius ?

Give me some data to support your conjecture.

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This is a bigger bunch of BS than man-made-global-warming. What a crock!

If Al Gore's globe is warming and the seas are rising, doesn't that mean there'll be MORE water for use to offset the effects of electric vehicles??? Can't have it both ways, friend.

And let's not forget that 93% of our electricity comes from fossil fuels... a full 85% directly from coal burning power plants. Where's the big environmental savings in using electric cars???? Another scam for the MTV generation of sheeple. Duh on them!