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Most of this discussion should have gone into an "alternative energy" thread!
Back over to electric vehicles for just a second:
Even if you have as many electric vehicles as you formerly had gas-powered vehicles, the fact is that an electric engine uses energy more efficiently than a gas engine... so in getting from A to B, you will be saving more energy.
Batteries are recyclable, so they do not necessarily have to add to the waste stream after manufacture. Unfortunately, 30 years of neglecting battery technology development has left battery tech woefully inadequate to take over for gas engines right now, but considerable recent technological improvements, like applying the latest in fullerene technology to internal battery design, put worthwhile batteries just around the corner.
Another thing to consider is this: Presently our automobile usage tends to be inefficient (using full-sized cars to take one person to work or to the market, or driving a fuel-inefficient vehicle across the state, for instance). More sensible design and use of electric vehicles can make them much more effective and efficient than present gas-powered cars.
For instance, a scalable vehicle: The basic small vehicle for short local trips with 1-2 people; and an added trailer to provide extra storage, person capacity or power (for longer trips) could replace the bulk of automobiles on the roads today.
Putting more use into the "on-demand public vehicle" scenario (like the Zipcar) also frees up the need for so many gas-powered inefficient vehicles.
Okay, I'm done. Back to your nuke discussion.
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