Comments on: GM and Ford respond to the Energy Bill’s new CAFE standards http://fourwheeldrift.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/gm-and-ford-respond-to-the-energy-bills-new-cafe-standards/ Automotive news & opinion from the team at Apexstrategy.com -- writers of "Sam Barer's Sound Classics" Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:56:04 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: JOE FETZ http://fourwheeldrift.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/gm-and-ford-respond-to-the-energy-bills-new-cafe-standards/#comment-9990 JOE FETZ Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:52:11 +0000 http://fourwheeldrift.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/gm-and-ford-respond-to-the-energy-bills-new-cafe-standards/#comment-9990 Electric cars are a joke when the power generating the electricity is from fossil fuels. Unless you're generating electricity from nuke or other sources electric cars are a @#$$%%% joke. Electric cars are a joke when the power generating the electricity is from fossil fuels. Unless you’re generating electricity from nuke or other sources electric cars are a @#$$%%% joke.

]]> By: fourwheeldrift http://fourwheeldrift.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/gm-and-ford-respond-to-the-energy-bills-new-cafe-standards/#comment-9982 fourwheeldrift Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:01:26 +0000 http://fourwheeldrift.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/gm-and-ford-respond-to-the-energy-bills-new-cafe-standards/#comment-9982 Bobby, The good news is that all major manufacturers are working on electric cars of some type. The bad news is that the same issue that plagued the Baker and Detroit Electric cars of the early 1900s still is in play: range. In some ways this is much harder than rocket science. The mass market will simply not accept electric cars until batteries can provide the usability of a gas-powered vehicle. This means that one can travel between major cities (300-500 miles) with no more than 30 minutes to fully recharge. The fact of the matter is that if electric cars cannot provide the benefit of a "road trip", then consumers must have both an electric car for daily transport and an additional vehicle for taking the kids to the grandparents on Thanksgiving and Christmas. This also means an additional garage space, insurance payment etc... So it is somewhat complicated... ...But I will agree that it is insane that it has taken the industry this long to try to address the issue. Certainly 100 years is enough time to find a solution. The money, however, wasn't there, so manufacturers didn't care. Now that their revenues depend on it, you'll start seeing some much more interesting electric-based vehicles. Bobby,
The good news is that all major manufacturers are working on electric cars of some type. The bad news is that the same issue that plagued the Baker and Detroit Electric cars of the early 1900s still is in play: range.

In some ways this is much harder than rocket science. The mass market will simply not accept electric cars until batteries can provide the usability of a gas-powered vehicle. This means that one can travel between major cities (300-500 miles) with no more than 30 minutes to fully recharge.

The fact of the matter is that if electric cars cannot provide the benefit of a “road trip”, then consumers must have both an electric car for daily transport and an additional vehicle for taking the kids to the grandparents on Thanksgiving and Christmas. This also means an additional garage space, insurance payment etc…

So it is somewhat complicated…

…But I will agree that it is insane that it has taken the industry this long to try to address the issue. Certainly 100 years is enough time to find a solution. The money, however, wasn’t there, so manufacturers didn’t care.

Now that their revenues depend on it, you’ll start seeing some much more interesting electric-based vehicles.

]]> By: Bobby http://fourwheeldrift.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/gm-and-ford-respond-to-the-energy-bills-new-cafe-standards/#comment-9981 Bobby Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:29:09 +0000 http://fourwheeldrift.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/gm-and-ford-respond-to-the-energy-bills-new-cafe-standards/#comment-9981 Dang it, how about just bringing back the electric car already? This is not rocket science. Dang it, how about just bringing back the electric car already? This is not rocket science.

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