Also if they gave the owner a device to search through the diagnostics a person could troubleshoot problems for themselves. I mean a touch pad rather than one of those plug in programmer pieces of crap.

……

You are assuming gas prices will remain constant. I believe Allah will bless military action against Iran, which will cause gas prices to rise considerably. Thus the market can change quickly, and did so during the Arab oil embargo of the 70’s.”

====

We’ll we’re still addicted despite the 70’s push for Ethanol. They dropped the bottom out again like a yo-yo and could do so again if they feel the PEV pressure. We can’t let that happen again.

I’m all for the Gov’t in cases like this stepping in and adding a fuel tax, whatever it takes to keep the push on.

M.

That was a good website, I’m reading it now. Thank you kindly for your contribution to the Jihad.

Noel #37:

“the $30,000 Volt is going to be a tough enough sell to the “average joe” against the $20,000 Prius.”

You are assuming gas prices will remain constant. I believe Allah will bless military action against Iran, which will cause gas prices to rise considerably. Thus the market can change quickly, and did so during the Arab oil embargo of the 70’s.

I don’t think that we basically disagree. I, along with many others, have repeatedly pointed out that one reason for the much better sales of the Prius over the Civic Hybrid is that it is a stand alone car, which makes a strong statement. Even Honda has said that.

I am just saying that we need to get a product into the market sooner, not later. Many have warned not to let the perfect become the enemy of the good. Also, as someone pointed out here this morning, the $30,000 Volt is going to be a tough enough sell to the “average joe” against the $20,000 Prius. Yes, you can buy one for $20K in LA.

My dad used to say “What ain’t there don’t give you no trouble”. As a long time Corvette enthusiast, I am taken back to’84 and ‘85. Those Corvettes were an order of magnitude more complex (especially in their electrical and electronic systems), and thus more capable, than their immediate predecessors. Alas, this leap of technology was accompanied by massive reliability problems. This, in turn, lost Corvette, and GM in general, a lot of customers.

My brother in law bought an ‘85. He had so much trouble with it he dumped it for a loss, and has never bought another GM car. This, we do not need.

The basic drive train of the Volt will be even more of a leap forward. I just fear that all sorts of fancy electronic bells and whistles will add even more opportunities for problems.

Of course, I am a guy who uses about 5% of the capabilities of my cell phone!

First off Big Oil knows what’s coming. They have heavily invested in alternative energy and alternative fuels. Whatever the pie is , they’ll have a piece of it. See http://www.bp.com/modularhome.do?categoryId=7010&contentId=7026283 for example.

Agreed.

Here is similar info from the Chevron site:

http://chevron.com/globalissues/emergingenergy/

And if you go to the Chevron home page, it lists their NET income for the third quarter at $3.7 Billion.

With those kinds of numbers, they will have a pretty nice reserve of cash to transition into whatever the next energy supply is.

I do agree that we need a minimum price of oil. Taxing the *** out it like they do in the United Kingdom is a good idea. At today’s prices:
Exchange rate 2.085 USD for 1 GBP
3.8 liters to US gallon
1.01 GBP for a liter of unleaded
That’s exactly $8.00 per US gallon.

Long term, if enough people use EV vehicles Uncle Sam will look to tax it. Good, he might introduce a carbon tax then too. Thus causing a minimum price for other carbon based fuels too, encouraging renewable sources.

I’ll be tempted to have a celebration when oil hits $100 a barrel.

Unfortunately, by the time we have politicians prepared to raise fuel taxes, it will be likely warm enough, due to global warming, that I’ll have a pet camel in my back yard (in New York).

I want the Volt because it reduces our dependence on oil, but I don’t think oil is going away any time soon. Have you read the NPC’s “Facing Hard Truths about Energy”?

They can’t even make a viable EV drive train prototype! The pathetic golf-cart drivetrain, which they had the temerity to “demonstrate”, limped along, whining, and you see what they are trying to do: discredit the idea of EVs.

Just as they did in 1996, when they tried to kill the EV1 with bad batteries. It was only Toyota, coming out of nowhere, that produced a Nickel Metal Hydride EV that went over 100 miles, and drove like a normal car. The HondaEV, which used the same batteries, proved GM was stonewalling, having purchased control of the batteries in 1994 and attempted to suppress them.

The two Japanese EVs forced GM to lower their price to $499/month, and, kicking and screaming, to eventually release the 160-mile-range 1999 EV1. And to upgrade the faulty Delco batteries to good Panasonic lead-acid batteries.[/quote]

Doug-

Again, a completely off-target, misinformed comment on your part.

The “Volt in motion” video was NOT a drivetrain prototype. It was a concept model for the car’s design and image- essentially just a rolling statue to spread awareness. Putting a golf cart motor in it was just a simple way to move it off a trailer and onto a podium or stage. It has NOTHING to do with discrediting EV’s, or anything of the sort.

re:the whole sordid GM EV1 history -> That was the past. This is now. MOVE ON and accept that lithium ion is the future.