One fact everyone seems to forget is that it takes approximately 6.5 Kwh of energy to refine one gal of gas. That is JUST refinement and not the energy to pump, store, etc.
My Volt drives around 22 -> 28 miles on that power.
My Volt drives around 22 -> 28 miles on that power.
Eliminating gasoline refining would reduce the needed electricity by ~850 billion kWh / year, and the improved efficiency (ignoring charge/discharge cycle efficiency) would reduce the net energy to ~594 billion kWh / year - or 54 million average home PV installations. Quick googling shows that it will be about 10% higher for charging losses.
I think we agree ... that if there's less gas being refined, then there's less energy being used to do that ... if and only if gas refining is independent of refining into all the other products. If, on the other hand, refining into the other products efficiently ends up making gas anyway, then that's different.