RedCelica

After beige watching the absolute fawk out of Homeland this week I contemplated what I am to do with the S2000 and truck if we simply ran out of oil. Obviously remaining gas reserves are through the roof, but I am hopefully we may have vehicles that are electric powered that have the range to and from the track. While I might not be alive by 2050, it looks like estimates and predictions say this is when we will see a legitimate global oil starvation. EVs should take hold long before then, and I am wondering if racing EVs will be as fun and exciting as petrol engines have been. Sure, you wont have the sound, but the speed and G's will be there. While it wont be the same, I think it will be almost equally as fun.

freq

I've driven electric go-karts and had the same amount of fun as gas powered go-karts.

Formula E is pretty to watch too.

King Tut

Yeah, I will just buy three EVs and have two of them sitting in the pits waiting for me to hop in for each third of the race.

robrob

We will all be dead by the time the oil runs out.

JUSTINTHECOASTIE

I'm sure there's a completely synthetic alternative already created, reason we don't know about it yet is because we don't need it yet lol

SmokeyGatto

If it came down to it, I'd go E100

Micalbertl

^ All about that sweet sweet corn juice

Bullwings

TL;DR - I'll race EVs although I'm sure my S2K will qualify for vintage racing 25 years from now and there will still be gasoline to support it.


Economics > Technology >> Substitutes > Supply


According to outdated data figures, rates, variables, etc. etc., we were supposed to run out of fossil fuels (oil + gas + coal) by 2020. Obviously, that stuff was all wrong (by today's technological standards). They were probably right, if all of those variables stayed constant and technology did not advance, and so on...

Domestically, coal has gone the way of the dodo. Technology has given us access to oil reserves we never thought accessible, OR even existed. Natural gas is now free since we can harvest it from pump wells gathering oil, rather than burn it off (just need to store and transport). Cars are producing more power and torque with 60% less consumption, etc. etc.

Not to long ago, rare earth metals (as they were so coined due to the thought of their scarcity and rarity) were in hot supply. The battery boom from renewable energies and hybrid cars caused their prices to go through the roof, and from 2010-2012 stocks like Molycorp (MCPIQ) (specialized in rare earth metals) were trading at $70 per share. MCPIQ now trades at $0.03 per share and rare earth metals are not in the slightest very rare at all.

Coal, should now be considered infinite in supply; however, unusable with our current standards and technology - i'm sure we'll be back one day.

Technology, substitutes, and the overall law of economic profit will ensure that things continue to move forward.

The same can be applied to all resources. Not enough food? 7 Billion people nothing - GMOs to save the day.

Read about Julian Simon and his bet versus Paul Ehrlich. This is a concept that has concerned many since the days of Malthus and so on. I stand on the other side of the fence - infinite resources driven by economic profitability.

or, listen to the podcast http://www.econtalk.org/archives/201...abin_on_e.html

RedCelica

Zero no votes...the future is bright