<html> At 06:47 PM 7/3/2005 -0400, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Joe, you make a good point: plug-in electric vehicles are powered (most places) by coal -- burning in the power plants that provide the electricity.  So they don't prevent pollution, they just shift its location.</blockquote> The plug-in people have studied this, and say that the plug-in option prevents a large percentage of the pollution, even if the electricity comes only from coal-fired plants. Here's a link: <a href="http://www.calcars.org/vehicles.html" eudora="autourl">http://www.calcars.org/vehicles.html</a> quote from it: <<Studies show that what is called the "well-to-wheel emissions" of electric vehicles are lower than those from gasoline internal combustion vehicles. In California, Air Resources Board studies show that battery electric vehicles emit at least 67% lower "greenhouse gases" than gasoline cars -- even more assuming renewables. A plug-in HEV with only 20 miles all-electric daily range is 62% lower: see printed page 95 in the 2004 study, >> </html>