Will Nuclear Fears Kill the Electric Car?

Every worry that I’ve had is for the health of people in the danger zone, while I’ve ignored news about what this all means for the energy industry. The future of nuclear power just didn’t seem as important as the immediate impact on human lives. That isn’t going to change, but one idea floating around there has managed to strike a chord with me.

If the possible – ok, probable – meltdown at Fukushima does have an effect on nuclear power across the globe, does that mean that we can kiss electric cars goodbye?

But as this article points out, a massive electric vehicle infrastructure may not be feasible without a strong nuclear power industry. Nuclear power is the most efficient and expansive way to generate a lot of energy very quickly, which is exactly what we will need to keep thousands – millions? – of electric vehicles humming to and fro, day after day. If events like Fukushima are going to melt the future of nuclear power, it may be impossible to supply the energy needed to sustain electric cars.

The development of electric car technology could end with the Volt and Leaf (as well as the Tesla Model S and Fisker Karma, if they ever see showrooms). In recent years, automakers raced to produce eco-friendly vehicles and we are finally seeing the fruit of their efforts. If it’s not fully-electric cars, it’s hybrids, and that’s fine and well too. It was never necessary – or probably feasible – to expect a completely-electric future. The important part was that cars were becoming greener, and that has happened and will continue to happen.

But fully-electric cars are still an important piece of the puzzle. If a cutback on nuclear power leads to the death of an electric infrastructure, it’s difficult to see how far automakers will still be willing to go to produce environmentally-friendly vehicles.