Lisa Benson is absolutely correct. The U.S.A. is way behind on alternative energy. We were making reasonable progress until Ronald Reagan & G.H.W. Bush set us back, cutting funding for renewable energy & handing the government back over to Big Oil. Subtract those twelve years from 2015, and we would be seven years into the era of the charging station.
GM killed the EV-1 all by themselves. Didn’t have any government help. It went over 100 miles on a charge - BTW. And used easily recyclable & inexpensive lead-acid batteries. Watch “Who killed the electric car?”
Qs=
why is the Volt pictured so much larger than the other cars?
what fuel is to be used to generate all the electricity that electric cars will need?
if ckane is correct, that the car can generate its own electricity with EXPENSIVE GASOLINE (I heard Premium blend was required)…..to be able to drive 300 miles….what will be the cost of that electricity per mile?
if the current grids can provide sufficient power to recharge at home each night….what will the monthly electric bill be?
IMO, with God’s gifts of large amounts of crude and natural gas available at the lowest cost of production compared to any “alternative fuel”….people are not wise to demand electric cars…or cars with wind-sails or towing a windmill or maybe very long narrow vehicles covered with solar panels?
I seem to have lived long enough to see an entire society go nuts.
Wow, Larry, that’s how history works? Government support never helps technological innovation? You are using the internet, right? Guess who started that? The government, not Bill Gates.
The Baker Electric was quite efficient and popular, but too few charging stations, or technology for long travel- before gasoline cars were even on the road in large numbers.
Diesel ELECTRIC locomotives have been moving freight and passengers more efficiently than coal/wood/ fuel oil steam , or direct “petroleum” engines, for decades.
The Bush administration DID discourage alternative energy and electrics, due to “pressure” from friends in the oil industry, but he was just following the lead of many administrations going back to those days of the Baker Electric.
In some places, where electricity come from fossil fuel, electric cars are just transfer of pollution. But here, where we get the vast majority of our power from hydro, this is a plus.
…but, you need to have the terrain for it.
Anyone wonders why people buy electric cars? Just look at those overgrown four year olds tuning their cars so they can make as much noise as possible, a pricy version of an 8-year old putting playing cars between bike spokes so they sound just like a motor bike.
Noisy, smelly, big cars sell because they are bleeep extensions. Women buy them too, they have that same pathetic need to feel bigger, tougher because they can’t feel that way on their own.
You’ve got to start somewhere, sometime, one small step, etc. etc. Eventually the carbon fuels run out and replacement energy takes over. You need to start development early, not when the last drop runs out. You naybobs of negativity need to look a little further out.
Electricity will play a big part in carbon replacement, and it will come from various sources. Manitoba, for example, now has five large hydro electric power projects on the Nelson River producing electricity, part of which is exported to the U.S.. Fourteen more are in planning and development. Electricity production will last for as long as water floes over the dam. The electricity will feed into the North American power grid. So treat us with respect, eh.
BrianCrook almost 14 years ago
Lisa Benson is absolutely correct. The U.S.A. is way behind on alternative energy. We were making reasonable progress until Ronald Reagan & G.H.W. Bush set us back, cutting funding for renewable energy & handing the government back over to Big Oil. Subtract those twelve years from 2015, and we would be seven years into the era of the charging station.
avarner almost 14 years ago
GM killed the EV-1 all by themselves. Didn’t have any government help. It went over 100 miles on a charge - BTW. And used easily recyclable & inexpensive lead-acid batteries. Watch “Who killed the electric car?”
Jaedabee Premium Member almost 14 years ago
We obviously have enough gas to last us until the end of time, why change? *
charliekane almost 14 years ago
The longest journey begins with the first step…
BTW, it comes with a gas powered on board generator to extend the range to 300 miles.
May not be the vacation buggy, but it would get me back and forth to work.
disgustedtaxpayer almost 14 years ago
Qs= why is the Volt pictured so much larger than the other cars? what fuel is to be used to generate all the electricity that electric cars will need?
if ckane is correct, that the car can generate its own electricity with EXPENSIVE GASOLINE (I heard Premium blend was required)…..to be able to drive 300 miles….what will be the cost of that electricity per mile?
if the current grids can provide sufficient power to recharge at home each night….what will the monthly electric bill be?
IMO, with God’s gifts of large amounts of crude and natural gas available at the lowest cost of production compared to any “alternative fuel”….people are not wise to demand electric cars…or cars with wind-sails or towing a windmill or maybe very long narrow vehicles covered with solar panels?
I seem to have lived long enough to see an entire society go nuts.
Larry Bunch Premium Member almost 14 years ago
If electric cars were viable and wanted by the public, there would be no need for government intervention or support – it would just get done!
BrianCrook almost 14 years ago
Wow, Larry, that’s how history works? Government support never helps technological innovation? You are using the internet, right? Guess who started that? The government, not Bill Gates.
Dtroutma almost 14 years ago
The Baker Electric was quite efficient and popular, but too few charging stations, or technology for long travel- before gasoline cars were even on the road in large numbers.
Diesel ELECTRIC locomotives have been moving freight and passengers more efficiently than coal/wood/ fuel oil steam , or direct “petroleum” engines, for decades.
The Bush administration DID discourage alternative energy and electrics, due to “pressure” from friends in the oil industry, but he was just following the lead of many administrations going back to those days of the Baker Electric.
CorosiveFrog Premium Member almost 14 years ago
In some places, where electricity come from fossil fuel, electric cars are just transfer of pollution. But here, where we get the vast majority of our power from hydro, this is a plus.
…but, you need to have the terrain for it.
Anyone wonders why people buy electric cars? Just look at those overgrown four year olds tuning their cars so they can make as much noise as possible, a pricy version of an 8-year old putting playing cars between bike spokes so they sound just like a motor bike.
Noisy, smelly, big cars sell because they are bleeep extensions. Women buy them too, they have that same pathetic need to feel bigger, tougher because they can’t feel that way on their own.
It’s more about style than practicality.
Gypsy8 almost 14 years ago
You’ve got to start somewhere, sometime, one small step, etc. etc. Eventually the carbon fuels run out and replacement energy takes over. You need to start development early, not when the last drop runs out. You naybobs of negativity need to look a little further out.
Electricity will play a big part in carbon replacement, and it will come from various sources. Manitoba, for example, now has five large hydro electric power projects on the Nelson River producing electricity, part of which is exported to the U.S.. Fourteen more are in planning and development. Electricity production will last for as long as water floes over the dam. The electricity will feed into the North American power grid. So treat us with respect, eh.
WarBush almost 14 years ago
If BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell, Texaco, and Chevron all owned the sun, we’d all have green energy right about now.