nuclear-news

Appeal of electric car damaged by connection with nuclear power

Is nuclear power damaging electric car image? The Green Car Website, 23 Mar 12, As Japan’s government prepares to restart dozens of nuclear power plants, idled since the Fukushima disaster last year, there is concern that electric cars could become tainted by their association with nuclear generation.
According to the Associated Press, over in Japan, where the country is
hugely reliant on nuclear for electricity generation, a newly nuclear
distrustful public is keen to debate how the country generates its
electricity in the future after the tsunami-triggered meltdowns last
March.
In Japan, electricity generation regulations are more rigid than in
other countries such as here, in the UK, where electric car owners can
chose to sign-up to electricity suppliers that generate their power
from wind or solar. In Japan, an electric car’s association with
nuclear is much more encased, with the country currently generating
around a third of its electricity from nuclear. Until Fukushima, the
Japanese government had been looking to expand its use of nuclear,
increasing its share of electricity generation to 50 per cent……
Speaking to the Associated Press, composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, a
long-time opponent of nuclear power, explains how the debate over
nuclear is spilling over into a debate about electric cars. He
complains of being attacked by people on Twitter, labelling him as
hypocritical for appearing in advertising for Nissan’s Leaf electric
car.
Many are not aware that, because he lives in New York, he can get his
electricity from a company that generates solely from wind power.
“How we make electricity is going to diversify, with fossil fuel and
nuclear power declining,” said Sakamoto. “People should be able to
choose the kind of electricity they want to use”.
If nuclear remains a key source of power, “then the green image of the
electric car will get bashed to bits, maybe to the extent it will be
irreparable,” said Ryuichi Kino, who has written books on nuclear
power and hybrid technology. “I have the feeling it’s quite possible
that might happen.”
http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/03/23/is-nuclear-power-damaging-electric-car-image/

March 24, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Japan, technology