Serving the Internet we found an interesting development: The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan is planning to replace all fuel power car by electric ones. The country’s aims with this plan to cut the expenses on oil imports with 70%, and hence to save money. Due to its location, Bhutan is able to produce huge amounts of hydro-electricity, of which most is exported. At this moment private citizens are not allowed to import cars, but some observers expect the authorities may make an exception for electric cars.
With the approaching peaking of oil production, and subsequent oil depletion, more countries might follow Bhutan. And in space settlements we see no use for cars powered by internal combustion engines. Especially because in space solar power is abundantly available.
Many years ago i was in the Himalaya trying to get local municipal leaders to ignore the big hydro plans being pushed on them by the World Bank and opt instead for smaller, more localised turbines that serviced their needs (including irrigation) without the loss of autonomy or the need for huge infrastructure. Regretfully, my efforts were in vain.
I agree with you, smaller turbines are indeed better than the large plants.
Maybe you just didn’t know people who know people as they say here at home!
You mean bribing people?
Not all the time, sometimes it just means knowing who holds much influence and selling them the idea
Okay, but thanks for the clarification!
I knew no one! 🙂
That must be a very progressive government. Relying on oil imports is an expensive way to run an economy especially with the fluctuating oil prices in the world market
It’s a progressive country, it’s one of the few countries were an absolute monarch voluntarily transferred his power to his citizens.
Hi. Writing from Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. Thimphu is a valley and it is full of vehicles- the internal combustion types and Thimphu being a valley it is getting polluted pretty badly. Never heard of before traffic jams are frequent but that will not be solved by electric cars. Traffic jams would then be caused by the electric cars. What would change, if the switch to electric cars does happen (though will it really??), is that pollution in the capital would be dramatically cut down. Look at our neighbor Kathmandu and how polluted it is. We just hope and pray this move to electric cars succeeds!!
– Keshav
Keshav, thanks for your comment. I think your insight is quite helpful for understanding this development. And indeed if you have to have traffic jams, than at least ones without pollution.