How Long Can You Power an iPhone on a Gallon of Gasoline?

As in, consider the energy density of a gallon of gasoline and then apply this value to an everyday, mundane task like charging your phone. Apparently the amount of energy in one gallon of gasoline can charge an iPhone once a day for 20 years!

Ken Cohen of Exxon-Mobil recently compared gasoline and electricity in an article called How many gallons of gasoline would it take to charge an iPhone?

Of course Exxon-Mobil is interested in advancing the cause of fossil fuels, but the article’s facts cannot be denied. Like it or not, gasoline and diesel will be primary energy sources  for many decades to come. Simply put, nothing comes close to liquid fuels in terms of energy density, low cost and light weight.

Although electric and hybrid vehicles are much-discussed these days, there is little doubt that this technology simply does not have the wherewithal to provide reliable and economical transportation of people and goods on a mass scale. We would hope that auto manufacturers are putting as much emphasis on optimizing the thermal efficiency of gasoline and diesel vehicles as they are on chasing electric pipe dreams.