Electric cars will not cut emissions. When batteries are being charged they
give off an explosive vapour. This also contains particles of the battery
which is very harmful. The green people should look at the complete scene
not just a little part which seems to suit them. Try visiting a place where
they have a fleet of electric vehicles and visit the battery charging shop.
If we do go over to electric vehicles a lot of people will get killed or
injured because people don't hear them coming. I know that from working at
Gatwick where they had a large fleet although that was years ago. Do not
forget all the factories that will be needed to make these motive power
batteries and then all the extra power stations and how will they be
powered?
Also people pushing for hydrogen power should be made to watch the film of
the Hindenburg disaster.
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But what?

Electric cars from non fossil generated electricity will cut both
carbon and other emissions?
Yes but switching to diesel saves precious little.

It probably saves about 30%.

It won't save more than about 25% at best.

It is a gross
exaggeration to claim that switching to diesel has "dramatically
brought
down" fuel consumption let alone carbon consumption and with the price
disparity these days the economic benefit is looking a bit thin as
well.


Well it depends on what you call 'dramatic' - i'd say that 30% on mpg
and nearly that on CO2*, is significant, but not dramatic.

Certainly significant in terms of fuel consumption even though your 30%
is OTT but your "nearly that on CO2" is way out.

The economic benefit is (now) stripped away almost entirely by the high
cost of diesel.

* diesel having less hydrogen to carbon ratio, is somewhat nearer to
coal than to gas..petrol tends in the other direction. Though additives
lower it again.

I had in mind a figure of 20% difference for the carbon content. I
cannot now find the source of that figure and an authoritative Merkin
source would have it that a (US) gallon of petrol produces 19.4 lbs of
CO2 with the figure for diesel 22.2. That difference is also certainly
significant and by my reckoning would reduce the possible maximum
difference from 25% to 14%.

well I won't totally quibble. I had it in mind that a part throttle diesel
beat petrol by about 30% on mpg and about 20% on CO2. You say it might be
nearer 20% and 14%. 'Significant, but not dramatic' is probably applicable
to both cases.