PrepTest 84, Section 3, Question 19

Difficulty:

Henry: Engines powered by electricity from batteries cause less pollution than internal combustion engines. Therefore, to reduce urban pollution, we should replace standard automobiles with battery-powered vehicles.

Umit: I disagree. Battery-powered vehicles have very short ranges and must be recharged often. Their widespread use would create a greater demand for electricity generated by power plants, which are themselves a major source of pollution.

Question

Of the following, which one, if true, is the strongest counter Henry could make to Umit's objection?

Pollution caused by power plants is generally confined to a small number of locations a significant distance from major cities.

The increased air pollution resulting from a greater demand for electricity would be offset by the reduction in air pollution emitted by electric vehicles.

Electric motors could be restricted to lighter vehicles such as compact cars, which have smaller batteries and therefore require less power to charge than do the larger batteries needed to power larger vehicles.

Hybrid vehicles using both electric and gasoline power moderate the increased demand for electricity produced by power plants.

Most power plants are currently operating well below capacity and could therefore accommodate the increased demand for electricity.

Raise Hand ✋