He he-I am unable and unwilling to rise to your challenge, but in reading all your post, I don't think we have any grounds upon which to debate.
I heard "fuel is nothing" asnd "fuel in negligable" and I laughed, but in the context of EXTRA fuel to run A/C, it is relatively little, so yes, I'll concede that point.
Electrically driven stuff is not necessarily less efficient than mechanical. Ron's example of electric-drive D7 and even the big haul trucks they use here at the mine, super-giant excavators and drag-lines-all electric powered by on-board diesel generators. All good and more efficient than hanging huge hydrostatic drive systems-and past a certain size, cheaper as well.
I had two points when getting into this, which I now regret.
1. Taking a stab at Ron
2. The more stuff between the actual burning of fuel and the desired result, the less efficient the system. It may be a necessaary evil, depending on overall design.
The first was unnecessary, and the second is of course mostly common knowlege......=).