# $100,000 electric cars? They're not environmentally friendly

[![](/lately/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Telsa-e1282515630321-300x300.jpg "Telsa Roadster license plate: "SUN PWR".")](http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2010/08/15/bgr-caption-contest-tesla-vanity-license-plate/)

There’s pretty much no way a \$100,000 car can be more environmentally
friendly than a \$20,000 car. This is true irrespective of the way in
which the cars are powered. If you buy a \$100,000 car, you put
\$100,000 into the economy. That is, \$100,000 becomes available to the
manufacturer’s suppliers and employees to buy stuff, and there’s no
reason that this money will be spent in a more environmentally friendly
way than any other \$100,000 that goes into the economy.

I think the only way to make the purchase of a \$100,000 car
environmentally friendly is to buy a \$20,000 car, and burn \$80,000. At
least that way you get rid of \$80,000 that would otherwise be used to
consume stuff.

(If an electric car ends up being cheaper over its lifetime (i.e.
including fuel/power) then it will be more environmentally friendly than
its gas-powered equivalent. But I don’t think this would ever apply to
the Tesla Roadster.)