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"Needless delays" in producing an EV: LOL.
| GM and Chevron, and the Bush regime, may think it's a vital, critically needed delay. Sure, if the US were serious, we could be driving on NiMH batteries; but it also goes for LEAD. Just to get started, just to start really doing something other than talk. Just to start the movement toward reducing oil burning, instead of continuing to talk about 2020 or 2050 goals -- like talking about the far side of the Moon. But we, as a nation, are NOT serious. Not serious about reducing oil imports, not planning to reduce burning fossil fuels, and not caring about the oil addiction. The PSB 1260 lead batteries in the upgraded 1997 EV1 were good enough for 110 miles of all-electric range in the 3000-lb. EV1; they could be easily scaled down in weight to give 10 or 20 miles of all-electric driving, at a much cheaper price: 20,000 yen right now each (less than $200 per .72 kWh module), or about $2000 for the 7 kWh required for 20 miles of all-electric driving. To believe the GM Party Line, it's as if we were incapable of new research or adaptation, unable to design even a lead battery system that many amateur converters have done. At least, if that research has a chance of resulting in real EVs. It's OK to do endless "research" into fuel cells, hydrogen IC, exotic nano-tech Lithium or ulta-capacitors, it's OK to think that "research" and studies are actually doing something instead of just fiddling around while oil is burning. As if the hundreds of working, running Toyota RAV4-EV just do not exist. The plain fact is, the Alliance of Auto Mfg. (AAM), including GM and Toyota, and of course Honda, just does not WANT to do plug-in cars. And they don't HAVE to do plug in cars! All they have to do is LOOK "green", until the fad passes. Since no one is forcing them to make plug-in cars, they won't make them, or they will make them to fail. They will perhaps produce the VOLT for $40K but buy your own batteries, and whoops, the Lithium cost $30,000 and only last 3 years. Or you will see a "boutique" plug-in, like charging 2.6 kWh of Prius batteries from the wall, just to prove it can be done. Those who believe otherwise have a touching degree of faith, perhaps should join the Pentecostal Holy Gospel Rolling Church of the Many Forked Tongues...or perhaps, just enjoy self-flagellation, and don't remember GM's perfidy with the EV1, and being treated as a nuisance and a fleck of dirt instead of a paying customer. Some were arrested! Even Toyota would never do that. It's understandable if technical ignoramuses, such as those honest souls who want the VOLT to succeed, believe GM and dismiss past sins as "irrelevant"; but those who lived through it, and see, still, GM's aggressive enmity to restored pathetic "donated" and gutted, disabled EV1, even ordering revived EV1 off the road, have no excuse, IMO. Even that EV1 that Alexandra drove in, crippled though it be, was banished from sight by a simple GM threat of legal action -- implied CRUSHING. Why? Whatever for, if GM were serious and honest about building an EV?? The plain fact is, some are driving on NiMH (and lead) EVs right now; but CARB, and GM, are NOT. So it can't be very important in our national scheme of priorities. Looking at the size of the "grants" that are offered for Lithium "research", 10 or 20 million dollars, it's seems too small to be serious, but just large enough to pass for action amongst the ignorant and gullible reporters. And enough to buy off the "researchers". Just as bogus research into "fuel cells" was the excuse in 2003, now the 2008 excuse is "waiting for Lithium". Well, continue to wait, touching faith. As David Freeman said, "...you get the music, and they get the action...". And the paid-off media sucks along, partying to the music... Until and unless there is a change in national policy, there won't be real plug-in cars. Get used to it. |
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