New range of plug-in hybrids from Volvo and Saab

That's because you aren't recognizing how much more efficiently the power plant uses the fuel.

Coal fired power plants are the most common and are not exactly an eco- friendly source of power given the immense amount of air-borne mercury and other pollutants that they create.

Note where, much earlier, I wrote that the benefit from using coal-derived electricity is much smaller. It isn't hard to find out how your power is generated, and most places you can 'sponsor' alternative power in the amount you use.

There is no net benefit to converting energy from one source to electrical, moving it hundreds of miles then charging up a battery. There are different sources of energy, but the only way to define a clear winner is to ignore indirect costs and losses of the one you favor. As with the the arguments for corn-based substitutes for oil and hydrogen-based fuel cells.

There is a net benefit to the environment if the process doesn't create either of the greenhouse gasses: methane and carbon dioxide. Solar, nuclear, hydro-electric and wind produced electrical energy satisfy this condition. That is why Sweden and much of the rest of the world is moving in this direction.

Which benefit are we now talking about. Is it financial cost, pollution or both. Realize that there are signficant side-costs to the first three sources of energy you mentioned.

For example the process to build solar cells results in some really nasty chemicals. And the single country that produces most of those cells is not known for their record of proper pollutant disposal.

You are mistaken. There is a benefit if the conversion is efficient enough to exceed transmission losses and still be higher than the low conversion efficiency of crude oil to automobile motion. Believe me or not as you choose.

The benefit is environmental. Greenhouse gases are very damaging. Chemicals that are not water borne nor air borne are easy to remediate. I worked in the semiconductor industry and we had a very small environmental footprint. Nuclear is also able to operate very safely as long as people get over this not-in-my-backyard attitude. Hydroelectric in New Zealand and other areas has a very small environmental footprint because the plants are located underground and don't interfere with any streams.