Last night was Who Killed the Electric Car? night. Based on the facts presented in the movie it seems pretty clear who really killed the electric car. I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t–as Dave Barthmuss claims–the consumers.
But who cares? You don’t have to wait to get an electric commuter vehicle, you can pick one out right now!
It wasn’t the consumers, nor was it the hydrogen cars that caused the demise of the electric car. In fact, it is quite possible, the hydrogen car could be killed off by the same forces as the electric car, so hopefully those at the grassroots level will see to it that this doesn’t happen.
Electric car technology is here, now. Hydrogen is not.
The only futuristic alternative fuel technology I’m excited about is using algae to produce oil used to make biodiesel or–better yet–fuel cars directly. Or, best yet, drive less, ride a bike, eat locally, use mass-transit, etc.
The automakers could resurrect the electric car, but there are several problems with this. First, they would still have to deal with the government regulators. Second, EVs take hours to recharge. Third, the recharging stations have been implicated in problems such as fires. Fourth, plugging a couple hundred electric cars into the power grid is not a problem, but when you start plugging a couple million into the grid, can you say “blackout�
> they would still have to deal with the government regulators
As we’ve seen in the case of the EV1, the automakes have quite a bit of clout in the government. They got the mandate repealed that caused the creation of the EV1 in the first place.
> EVs take hours to recharge
True, they’re not for everyone.
> recharging stations have been implicated in problems such as fires
Why do we even need recharging stations? What’s wrong with a standard 110 or 220 volt outlet?
> when you start plugging a couple million into the grid, can you say “blackout�
Hm, could be. I guess I have no idea. How ’bout just a few hundred thousand? Say, 300,000 of the most frequent medium-range daily commuters? Surely that would make a substantial difference environmentally and not cause blackouts.
How ’bout some ther benefits of EVs:
* simpler, cheaper to maintain
* quiet
* zero emissions