First on this Memorial Day my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our troops on the battlefield, and my wishes for their safe return, and thanks too to all those veterans who have gone before them, and let us remember those who have lost their lives for our freedom.
When the Volt was first introduced in January 2007, oil was roughly $60 per barrel. Now it has touched $135. Timely as the Volt concept was then, GM couldn’t have predicted how important this car rapidly would become.
U.S. gas prices are now around the $4.00 mark or greater. Analysts point out that although oil prices have increased 33% since the beginning of the year, gas prices have only increased 22%. Refineries have been absorbing some of the cost increase, but this may not be able to continue. The oil price bubble may grow further, and Goldman Sachs predicts it could hit $200 barrel within the next 6 months to 2 years. This could translate into a $6-$7 per gallon gas.
Source (MarketWatch )
In a New York Times editorial, Ben Stein paints a very bleak picture. Conjuring up images of 6000 pound SUVs being used to chauffeur 100 pound teenagers, and the apocalyptic chaos of Mad Max movies, he writes “the prognosis for gasoline is grim in the long run.”
He points out that 2/3 of U.S. gas is imported and mostly from countries whose governments and people don’t like us, and asks what will happen, for example, if Venezuela decided to stop sending us oil.
Further, the threat of peak oil and the likelihood we are already there is put forth. Equally dismal is how woefully ill-prepared he feels the country will be to handle rapidly diminishing supplies.
He tells us we have become deeply and inextricably dependent on oil, and that if nothing is done about it, the future is terrifying.
His solution. Turn coal into oil, build nuclear plants, drill everywhere and “brush aside the concerns of the beautiful people who live on coastal pastures.”
I agree the situation is an emergency and drastic measures are needed, but Mr.Stein forgot to mention one obvious thing. Build and drive electric vehicles. And then very well, not only might the Volt save GM, but it may go along way to help save this country.
Source (New York Times )
This entry was posted on Monday, May 26th, 2008 at 7:02 am and is filed under Fuel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
May 26th, 2008 (7:24 am)Coal to oil for right now and move very fast to future alternatives.
May 26th, 2008 (7:29 am)This is some deep stuff, I just came from a model rocketry forum, where the top story is peak oil…
Happy Memorial day everyone!
I paid $3.72/gal. yesterday for gas…I also put $150 in tune-up parts on too…anything to squeeze every mile I can from aging dodge truck…we need the Volt, not just us, but the country…if only as a concept model for all of the other car makers to emulate…we need it now more than ever.
Johnnie
May 26th, 2008 (7:30 am)This was my primary reason to be such a strong supporter of the GM Volt concept- national security. Electricity is much more domestically dependent than oil is. This car will help us be on our we toward energy independent. Environmental benefit is a secondary plus for this vehicle.
May 26th, 2008 (7:49 am)Yes, A Happy Memorial Day!
Thanks to all that have given, allowing us to live in this country country safe with our families and friends.
May 26th, 2008 (7:51 am)An enjoyable Memorial Day to all, especially to jbfalaska and all other Veterans. Eight years in the Army Reserve, and I do not count as a Veteran because Bush Sr. saw fit not to drive on to Bagdhad. Please take a few moments to remember those who are in the field today, for some of you filling the boots that you are not willing to fill. Willing to defend your freedom, and accepting that as soldiers they do not make political decisions, but put their lives on the line trusting that the American people, through their elected representatives, will use them well.
I’m glad Lyle is receiving some ad money, but the ad that I saw when I pulled up this article was truly ironic. There are two candidates for President (one from each party) that want you to support a moritorium on the gas tax for the summer. It would be a drop in the bucket at current pricing levels. It would be less than that under the pricing levels outlined in Lyle’s article. (Have we forgotten about the bridge in Minneapolis so soon?) We need a better answer.
If you are coming to this web site, then you probably believe as I do: there is a better answer. The challenge for all of us, regardless of background or political affiliation, is to insist that our leaders give us better answers. Stand up. Talk about it with your friends and neighbors.
May 26th, 2008 (8:14 am)Don’t be too natioonalistic here, the soldiers were sent to Iraq to get/steal cheap oil, not to liberate Iraqis, but the oil price just keep going up, why why why????
I hate to say, Detroit can’t win the war against Japanese until it changes its way of doing business, that is FOCUS on long-term success, not short-term just to please wall street, may the old guy Kirkorian should be sued by Ford, or he will destroy Ford. I personally will ONLY buy Japanese because it is still beter than America made cheap j***ies. Kudos to Toyota and Honda. bye bye to Detroit
May 26th, 2008 (8:18 am)A lot of people I tell about the Volt don’t really get it. The first questions are usually something like:
“Where do I plug in when I’m not at home?”
“Will there be charging stations all over the place?”
The fact that most people rarely drive over 40 miles a day and that the gas engine is perfectly viable to cover those cases still doesn’t seem to sink in, no matter how many times you tell them.
When GM has sold enough Volts, it will get to the point that most people will know of someone that owns one. Once that critical mass has been reached, people will start to really get it, and the Volt will catch on like wildfire. Let’s hope this happens sooner than later.
May 26th, 2008 (8:21 am)Check out Montana and its Coal reserves and the Govenor’s efforts to get Washington to help.
500 years supply of coal and a process to convert it into oil.
May 26th, 2008 (8:25 am)#6 – Nationalistic
I too am buying Japanese for the moment. However, I do believe American car companies are generally more innovative. Toyota designed the Prius only in response to early American hybrid designs that were scrapped due to low gas prices of the late 90s.
I also agree that American companies are too focused on short-term success. Let’s hope thie Volt changes that trend. All things being equal, I would rather buy American.
May 26th, 2008 (8:50 am)I have owned both Japanese and American… Ultimately, they were both well built, but my old Toyota got much better mileage, but my Chevy and Ford were both much cheaper to maintain…
Now I am so frustrated with the high prices of gas that I am prepared to shell out the $30K for the Volt… I hope it lives up to all the hype…
May 26th, 2008 (8:51 am)I agree, the Volt is the best solution but I also think that coal to gas/diesel can help. But in that case to prevent total destruction of our environment we need CO2 sequestration AND we need to shut down coal plants for electricity generation.
The point is we have lots of ways to gen electricity, wind, nuclear, solar thermal, but currently really only 1 way to drive our cars, oil. The Volt is the best and certainly most elegant solution, but we need everything.
All we need to do is put our mind to it and we can beat these oil kingdoms and have a better environment to boot!
Happy Memorial Day to all,
Nathan
May 26th, 2008 (8:53 am)Folks, we are celebrating Memorial Day, not Veterans day. We are remembering those who sacrificed their lives for you and me. We honor them when we push for domestic independence via the Volt.
In the movie, Saving Private Ryan, we could see that Private Ryan’s middle name was America, and those who died were giving us the admonition “Earn it.” Each person who buys a PHEV is answering that call.
May 26th, 2008 (9:10 am)DaveG #7
You hit the nail on the head. I see this all the time when I tell people about the Volt… they just don’t get it. Look at the numbers above from Ben Stien: 66% of US gas is imported. If everyone in the US was driving a car with the Volt’s technology, 78% of them would be doing so gas-free. We could possibly export oil.
mmcc USAF 1971-1991
May 26th, 2008 (9:30 am)That is strange to hear about fuel tax holidays and subsidies at this point. It will weaken US economy even more, will support domestic fuel consumption and will make financial perspectives for innovators like GM very grim.
May 26th, 2008 (9:38 am)Just a suggestion to Volt nation: Make sure you write your congressperson and appeal for their support of H.R. 5351- the Renewable energy bill. I don’t believe it has been passed yet and it is the key to the success of the PHEV industry. It provides for significant tax credits for PHEV’s and a repeal or reduction in subsidies for the oil industry. The key number in the bill language is 60,000- that’s the number of vehicles a qualified manufacturer needs to produce (read: GM!!!)
This is a clear message to all of us; the government is willing to do what it takes if the auto industry and consumers are willing to step up. Side note: if I were sellingVolts, I would be drooling over the Wait List…. 23,000 + leads in one place!!!!
This day, remember those that gave “the last measure” so that we would have the right to make our voice heard!
USAF 1971-1975
May 26th, 2008 (9:42 am)#13mmcc, we use oil for more than cars, so reducing gasoline 78% via PHEVs will not allow us to “export oil”. It is possible to reduce oil imports to near-zero over two decades, though, if we go to 100% PHEVs and take steps to reduce oil use in long-haul and industry.
May 26th, 2008 (9:52 am)Amen brother.
Economics are going to force the solutions we’ve long neglected, and the Volt symbolizes the first of many 21st century trends – along with 2.5 MW and larger windmills, Nanosolar thin film solar panels, Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System, Virgin Galactic rapid re-use shuttle and so on.
May 26th, 2008 (9:57 am)Electric trains could replace “long haul” oil burners.
May 26th, 2008 (10:04 am)#6 – So what do you want to run our cars, trucks, and tractor-trailers on? With what do you want us to heat our homes? And with what do you intend to manufacter plactic products? Love, peace signs, tye-dye shirts, and good intentions?
Yes, we have the Department of Energy, but they are still not treating energy production with the importance it deserves. Energy is a national security issue. No blood for oil ? It depends how badly we need oil, doesn’t it, as long as it’s their blood, and our oil. We are slowly sliding into a deep depression, because we are not buying everything we used to buy with the extra money we now spend for more expensive gas and diesel. Our quality of life is slowing eroding, and President Bush just smiles. I am not a big Bush fan, but I don’t hate him either. I just think he doesn’t believe energy is that important.
If world demand for oil is driving the prices up, and we are bidding against the rest of the world for the price of Mideast oil, should’t the US drill wherever there might be oil, and use it to lower US (and only US) prices for fuel ? Here is the facts – oil prices are increasing. Your salary is not increasing. You cut back on purchases. The businesses you didn’t buy from are hurting from energy prices too. They reduce their employees. The now ex-employees cannot purchase what they used to, further hurting businesses. This downward spiral ends in another great depression. Oil (energy) is that important.
As for Toyota and Honda, they are the short-sighted ones now. They are saying the Volt is a dead end, it will not work. I’ve said to before – The Chevy Volt is a whole new beast, like the world has never seen. Go 40 miles on absolutely no gas. Or use gas (or other e-flex fuel) to go over 600 miles. It’s your choice. America is all about choice. Choice is good. And the Volt will be the only car in the world to give you that choice. When the Volt becomes the most popular car is the US, watch the importance of battery technology development soar.
So just ignore the liberal nay-sayers. Save your pennies, and get ready fot the next generation of personal transportation, The Chevy Volt.
May 26th, 2008 (10:04 am)unfortunately, turning coal into oil doesn’t really address the environmental problem. In fact, it may be worse.
May 26th, 2008 (10:19 am)Mark #20
“unfortunately, turning coal into oil doesn’t really address the environmental problem. In fact, it may be worse.”
Sometimes we need to take a step back to move forward.
May 26th, 2008 (10:32 am)First, thank you to all the veterans and current military personnel that have put their own lives at risk to defend our great country. I salute you.
Thank you Lyle for tying the importance of the GM-VOLT project to America’s national security; it is spot-on.
America has allowed itself to become hostage to foreign sourced energy. This is something we have voluntarily done to ourselves. It was not imposed on us. It’s not due to elaborate conspiracy theories. It is due to the average American not willing to stand up and make a contributable difference. We can not depend on the government to get us out of this hole. We need to dig ourselves out person-by-person, company-by-company, idea-by-idea. It will take the power and determination of the individual American; the power of one. The power of Lyle getting behind GM-VOLT.com. The power of Lutz standing up and giving strong individual leaderships in helping turn a big ship. The power of one.
I am the owner of a small venture capital firm and my firm has increasingly shifted its focus and portfolio investments towards organizations that are materially doing something (beyond PR marketing hype) about getting America self reliant with regards to energy. Some of the investments my firm is making may not be the technical best use of our available capital resources from a traditional evaluation standpoint but I believe that my firm needs to be part the solution outside of traditional technical analytics. The power of one.
I have had several of my business collogues ask me why I’m personally spending my $ and time on this America energy issue. Why I’m spending dollars to put up solar panels on my roof. Why I’m ordering a GM-VOLT. For me the answer is simple. I have an eight year old son. He will be 18 in the blink of an eye. Given the current trends, there is a very real chance he may end up being drafted to fight a war we find ourselves in because of our dependence of foreign energy. My son may end up dead or badly injured. If that day comes, I need to know that I myself did what I could to steer us in another direction. The power of one.
May 26th, 2008 (10:35 am)to “Nationalistic”
Screw you! <— from a 3 time war veteran
May 26th, 2008 (10:36 am)Ben Stein’s picture is bleak but very likely in my opinion. I agree with his solutions. His comment to …“brush aside the concerns of the beautiful people who live on coastal pastures” assumes some stability in the region. Natures “brush” will be the BIG QUAKE that’s long overdue on the West Coast. I believe there’s going to be a big quake soon with a large loss of life. Sorry to remind everybody but it is coming.
On the Volt, no doubt about it, it’s going to be a game changer. As it hits the street with ever increasing media attention, the buzz will really build. We’ll be hearing this a lot ….. “So I’d be able to commute back and forth to work for under a buck?” “WOW ! I want one !”
As I gaze into my crystal ball, I also see…..
1. Short Term: Toyota installing safety netting on buildings (to catch employees)
2. E-Bay / Pawn shops completely overwhelmed with items to sell (cash towards a Volt / E-Flex purchase)
3. Long Term: The Grid being beefed up with more capacity (Coal / Nuclear).
4. Algae Oil production becoming a commercial reality and ramping up steadily.
5. Cellulosic Ethanol playing a limited role (available acreage).
May 26th, 2008 (10:36 am)Thanks for this website. I was in the car industry for a bit and have since moved on. I hope GM realizes the genie they are about to let out of the bottle and that this platform makes a quick jump into their commercial and upfitter frames.
For those worried about coal fired power generation….hand in hand with the Volt is a research facility called EMC2 founded by the late Dr. Bussard (father of tokamak fusion physics). Their IEC fusion generator, or Polywell, is currently undergoing final tests of the math and theory before full scale runup….cost of the project? less than 10 million so far and 200 million for a 100 MW prototype.
This technology plus the EV movement could collide synergistically in the next five years. For more information about the Polywell and Dr. Bussard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polywell
and
http://www.emc2fusion.org/
we certainly do live in interesting times…
May 26th, 2008 (10:41 am)On a second note, yes we need a vehicle like the Volt. I think this is in our best interest over the senseless war in Iraq. I know because Ive been there for 2 years. Our national security is dependant on our growth of our own domestic energy. I wish all the money we spent over there were invested in energy technology back at home.
Thank you to all of you who support our veterans!
We fight for our country, not oil!
May 26th, 2008 (10:55 am)How do you manage to connect the first two sentences of this piece? Their juxtaposition shows much of what is wrong with the US’s approach to climate change. Tragically self centred.
Pity, the US could deliver great technology if only it would stop peering up its own rear end and look at what goes on elsewhere. That’s how Japan stomped all over Detroit.
May 26th, 2008 (10:55 am)I’m glad we can all find common ground with the Volt. I noticed our Volt comments are not always peaceful. I hope we can learn to do the little things that avoid divisiveness; avoid broad slanders, consider the other point of view, provoke intelligence (not anger). Good luck to us all.
May 26th, 2008 (10:56 am)Response to Amed M, #23 & #24
Thank you for your military service. I did not mean to imply that you were not fighting for our country. I should have better worded my sentiments.
May 26th, 2008 (11:56 am)Lyle, I couldn’t agree more. I want to drive a volt not only because it would save gas and the environment, but mainly because I’m a patriot and the volt has the potential to do wonders for our national security. I’m an Iraq war veteran (’03-’04) and I can tell you that even if that war isn’t about oil on the surface, it’s definitely an underlying cause. You don’t see America sending troops into Burma to ovethrow that “evil regime”. Why not? Because they don’t have resources that are vital to our economy. If Iraq didn’t have oil, America wouldn’t care who was in power there.
Sorry about the rant, but I remember rolling into Iraq on March 23rd 2003 and seeing the pipelines lining the road in Kuwait on the road north, just waiting to be installed. That was a little disheartening to troops being told that the war wasn’t about oil. The Volt has more potential to contribute to our national security than any politician. Gas will be 6-7 dollars per gallon soon, if not within a year than definitely within two. We NEED the volt now more than ever before.
God Bless America, and on with the Volt, GM!!!
May 26th, 2008 (11:57 am)>> As for Toyota and Honda, they are the short-sighted
>> ones now. They are saying the Volt is a dead end,
>> it will not work.
There’s some confusion here…
What has actually been said is a technology is needed for HIGH-VOLUME production, enough to replace a large portion of their current offerings.
How long will it take for 20% of GM’s inventory to offer the technology used in Volt?
May 26th, 2008 (12:00 pm)The Volt will essentially allow us to turn coal into oil, just via electricity instead of another chemical process. Besides, if Venezuela decides to stop sending us oil, we might decide they need a regime change too.
May 26th, 2008 (12:07 pm)We need to turn coal into Diesel and Gas, it would sell for around $2 a gallon or less and help the truckers and others that make the economy work.
This whole climate change thing is full of holes, they always leave out that Mars, and Pluto are warming as well? Are we causing them to warm? I think not. During the mid-evil warm period Greenland was green vikings grew grain on its slopes, and they grew grapes 300 miles north of where they can today in Scottland. There were no cars, no Al Gore to fly his private jets, this sequestering of co2 is crap, use it to grow algae to make more fuel.
This climate change crap is to make a different few people rich. We need the volt to get off of imported oil, but lets stick to the facts that climate change is more a function of the Sun and less what we are doing.
Thanks to all the Military personal that keep us safe. God Speed!
May 26th, 2008 (12:10 pm)I love my country and thank all the families that sacrificed for our freedoms and way of life over the last 232 years. Particular thanks to those serving now. So happy Memorial day to all Americans (and future Americans working legally towards citizenship too!)
On the other matter, I’ve got to say, I love Ben Stein! He’s right, we need to beat the NIMBYs down and get to our own resources. We also need to develop renewables that don’t effect our food supply. As to the environmental concerns we have to get our priorities straight. National security, jobs and economic growth trump the environmental concerns and if our energy endeavors are done right, there will be very little environmental impact. However we need to make a deal with the oil companies about domestic oil. We should not give them the go ahead to drill anywhere just so they can sell that oil to the Chinese at $200 a barrel. It needs to be ear marked for domestic consumption and at a good price, not market price. We should also settle on a national standard formulation for gasoline and allow new refineries to be built.
The Volt is nice, and I too believe that it is the spearhead of an automotive revolution, but you’re kidding yourselves if you believe that it’s going to make a big impact in our daily oil consumption in the next five years. Not until GM offers an E-Flex in all of their product offerings and Ford, Chrysler and maybe some new American independents do too, will it make a serious dent in oil consumption. (I personally fantasize about the Japanese manufacturers foolishly sticking to hybrids and loosing market share.) E-REVs combined with turbo diesels for larger vehicles and some ethanol are the future in the short term. Thankfully they are coming.
May 26th, 2008 (12:16 pm)I like the whole concept of electric cars because we can shift our transportation needs from walking an international tight rope to having energy self dependence since the US is in no way struggling to survive the electricity war.
Also, wind, solar, geothermal, fuel cell, hydro, tidal, wave, and all other renewable energies fit perfectly with either the AC transmission industry or stationary systms (like fuel cells – they do not and will never, ever belong in cars – wasted money on fuel cells for transportation research). So given that the US has the world’s best coal resource and renewable transportation, other than biofuels, belong on the grid, it only makes sense to use the electric car as the renewable energy vessel in the transportation industry.
The volt is the best compromise in the current time, but I want to see the day that electric cars, without the maintenance, complexity and added cost of I.C.E becomes the norm. Imagine stopping off to eat and having a recharge bill on your recipt or at rest areas with use of a credit card. No tired drivers driving over 8 hours straight. That is the direction we need to head IMHO. But then again, if I was president, I would reinstate a railroad (electric of course) and have all ground shipping being rail roads in rural areas with day cabs to deliver product on local routes. Day cabs have tighter turning radius (cab & 40 ft trailers instead of 53 ft), are more energy effecient & have no drivers sleeping with the heater & AC runing all night.
Just my two cents.
May 26th, 2008 (12:34 pm)“I worked for four administrations under three presidents. And in every one of those, our policy was that we would go to war to protect the energy reserves in the Persian Gulf. That is a major and very significant national security interest that we have.”
– James Baker III
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/saudi/interviews/baker.html
May 26th, 2008 (12:42 pm)VAN #18
All trains are electric. The big diesels that you see are a hybrid. The diesel engine runs a generator that powers the electric motors that run the train
May 26th, 2008 (12:44 pm)Happy Memorial Day to all the guys still on my old boat, the USS Asheville (SSN-758)!
The future of an oil dependent country looks grim, but if we take steps now and all stick together we will pull through.
May 26th, 2008 (12:44 pm)For once I agree with the New York Times. The A123 battery coupled in the Chevy Volt will go along way to preserving life in America as we know it. We should remember to treat our friends well that supply us with huge amounts of oil now (Canada for one). The window of opportunity is closing for terrorists nations with the advent of vehicles like the Chevy Volt.
God Bless the troops that keep our country strong and safe.
May 26th, 2008 (12:47 pm)Nationalistic quote: the soldiers were sent to Iraq to get/steal cheap oil
Ummmm not this time, terrorism was the reason for this particular war, oil security was secondary at best. You say get/steal cheap oil… well if that were the case how come we haven’t been getting cheap oil from Iraq or stealing it from Iraq?
May 26th, 2008 (12:53 pm)”
Nationalistic quote: the soldiers were sent to Iraq to get/steal cheap oil
Ummmm not this time, terrorism was the reason for this particular war, oil security was secondary at best. You say get/steal cheap oil… well if that were the case how come we haven’t been getting cheap oil from Iraq or stealing it from Iraq?”
Because he’s an idiot?
May 26th, 2008 (12:54 pm)Nuclear + thin film solar on buildings and homes + electric transportation through li-ion battery tech and ultracap tech sounds much much better and more stable and cheaper and cleaner than coal to oil.
Making coal into oil and then using that oil to make gasoline so cars can burn it sounds incredibly less efficient than simply taking the coal and using it in coal power plants which people’s EV’s will be charged from.
Refilling the volt at current electricity charges is 80 cents for 40 miles. Will turning coal to oil and using that oil for gasoline get the final consumer a cost of 80 cents for 40 miles. no! much higher
May 26th, 2008 (12:55 pm)PS it would be very hard to wire up the thousands of miles of track we now have, and there would be a huge loss of energy moving the electric power long distances. The contact rails have electrical resistance. The further the current moves along the rail the more resistance and the larger the power loss. Unless you add a lot of power plants to generate electricity there will be huge powers loss from resistance
May 26th, 2008 (1:03 pm)The I2R losses in electrical lines and the cost of electricity for decades is much, much cheaper and more effecient that the 6 miles to a gallon of diesel that is currently used.
May 26th, 2008 (1:03 pm)19 Terry K
Ok, I want to clarify a few things here:
1) President Bush is all about energy…he was a Texas oil man after all. He has done exactly what his friends in Big Oil wanted him to do. Record profits for Big Oil…yes, he is all about energy. Just don’t confuse that with a policy that benefits the American people, just his American people. Yes, energy is very important to him.
2) You stated above: “So what do you want to run our cars, trucks, and tractor-trailers on? With what do you want us to heat our homes? And with what do you intend to manufacter plactic products? Love, peace signs, tye-dye shirts, and good intentions?”
There are many alternatives to these and the Volt is one of them. The most important asset we have right now is our voice. Our Government is supposed to work for us but we have allowed it to work for powerful companies with armies of lobbyists. Each of us needs to stand up and actually talk to a representative in our government today and let them know that this is an important issue. You can’t just assume that it is on their mind and that they will fight for it.
3) By definition, a Liberal is someone who is willing to try something new. A Conservative is someone who wants to do things the way they have always been done. We have been shown that doing things the old way has been a mistake and it is time to chart a new course. If there are “Nay-Sayers” then they are more likely to be Conservatives than Liberals. Almost every Republican in the House voted AGAINST H.R. 5351- the Renewable energy bill, but thankfully, it still passed the House.
My personal thanks go out to CDAVIS, who in my opinion is a true American Patriot, cut from the same cloth as John Adams and Ben Franklin. These were men who had successful lives and risked it all for the idea of America.
P.S. I have fought in Bosnia, & Afghanistan and will be going to Iraq in a few months to help quell the insurgency.
May 26th, 2008 (1:16 pm)While I’m not exactly a “veteran” I have served in the U.S. Army for 8 years. MarkinWI said that he does not count as a veteran, but he is only half right. It it the fact that he chose to serve his country in any defense position that makes it worth it. Do not discount the citizens that serve from infantry to cooks. After all, infantry fights, but someone has to feed them. I come from a long line of military family members. Both grandfathers served in Korea, dad eas a Marine, cousin is a major in the army, brother-in-law in the Navy, cousin stationed in Germany. I am ex-military and I honor ALL military service from Green Berets to chefs, both past, present and future. Were it not for some of them, many of you would be typing in German or Japanese and it would be the Volkswagen Current or the Honda Spark, not the Chevrolet Volt. I find it offensive that so many Americans put down american stuff when american workers are paying for your collective asses to the right of a free education. American products are not perfect, but Japanese products aren’t perfect either. Try having an open mind. Or better yet, tell me what you have done to serve your country. Soldiers in Iraq aren’t there to bring back oil. Soldiers are in Iraq because some ass on Capitol Hill who wants to bring back oil told them to go. So don’t blame the ones getting shot at. At least we are willing to die for what we believe in-the stability and freedom of America (regardless of its problems). Focus on renewable energy and if you really want to see our country do better, then get together and convince those idiots in congress that they should do what you elected them to do (if you bothered to vote at all). Tell them you want renewable energy. Tell them you want more domestic strength for our economy, or do something about it yourself. Raise awareness, but please for pete’s sake, stop bitching…or move to Tokyo…
May 26th, 2008 (1:19 pm)…there…I said it…
May 26th, 2008 (1:22 pm)Coal is cheap but it causes numerous, significant problems like mercury in our fish and ocean acidification. I like fish. I don’t like the idea of poisoning myself or killing our oceans.
Fortunately, there are better ideas and smart people advancing those ideas. Getting our electricity directly from the sun is cleaner and will soon be cheaper. google “cheaper than coal”
May 26th, 2008 (1:22 pm)Id have to say that Im very impressed with the amount of veterans that post on this blog. I would assume we are much more aware with whats at stake for this country if we dont move away from our old energy policy.
May 26th, 2008 (1:26 pm)Dittos on the troop and veteran support. Thanks, Lyle.
May 26th, 2008 (1:50 pm)May Allah bless the American warriors, for they have liberated more people than any other army in the history of this world. This was true before 25 million Iraqis were liberated from an unelected and evil tyrant. May Iraq, Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the list goes on.
May today we give special attention to The Barbary wars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
During this time, Muslim pirates of the Mediterranean kidnapped, raped, and looted American and European ships.
” In 1786, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli’s envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). Upon inquiring “concerning the ground of the pretensions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury”, the ambassador replied:
It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise. He said, also, that the man who was the first to board a vessel had one slave over and above his share, and that when they sprang to the deck of an enemy’s ship, every sailor held a dagger in each hand and a third in his mouth; which usually truck such terror into the foe that they cried out for quarter at once. ”
May the Saudi and Iranian economy be destroyed as a result of the the obsolescence of oil as a form of transportation energy. May Saudi Arabia and Iran return to the famine and poverty like that of Africa, and with Allah’s blessing they will live a traditional muslim lifestyle without modern medicine, stable food supplies, electricity, air conditioning, refrigeration, automobiles, and all other things western.
DEATH TO OIL
http://www.oiljihad.org
May 26th, 2008 (1:53 pm)Why do Europeans NOW spend $8 to 9.00 for gas and diesel? We apparently are barely 1/2 way there.
Our biggest problem are no viable transportation alternatives to move large numbers of people as well as product.
Let’s keep our focus on the task at hand with the Volt instead of coal conversions, ethanol from various sources, especially corn, etc.
Finally, let’s test our local patriotism by opening jobs and decent health care for our veterans.
May 26th, 2008 (2:11 pm)As a Viet Nam veteran and a USAF retiree of 28 years of service, I appreciate your support of veterans. While we may debate the “why” we are presently in Iraq, I can assure you that those who serve do it for their country. If you believe we shouldn’t be in Iraq, make your point with the politicians and not take it out on those in the military.
We should be trying to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. That is my primary reason to support the Volt and the E-flex technology. I sincerely hope it succeeds beyond our expectations.
May 26th, 2008 (2:15 pm)to #6 Nationalistic
It’s a good thing most people don’t share your views. It’s a shame someone like you don’t have any pride in your country. Or is it your country? If it is shame on you. I would guess you are young, ignorant and very stupid.
Sorry for calling an ace and ace.
May 26th, 2008 (2:56 pm)Jason C:
That may be YOUR definition of a liberal and a conservative but it isn’t very accurate.
May 26th, 2008 (3:17 pm)I am a veteran of a foreign war and one thing that we fight for is so anyone can have their say whether we agree with them or not.
There are a lot of folks who say that this oil shortage means that we should drill for oil everywhere so we can continue our wasteful ways, that we should make this country basically unlivable, so we can continue our wasteful ways. I disagree. If we drill off the Florida keys we provide maybe 6 months of fuel at our present rate of consumption. The numbers are roughly the same for the other places that are being targeted for drilling. There are no long term answers there but a very slight delay before the chickens come home to roost anyway.
The Chevy Volt and other cars that will double (or more) our vehicles miles per gallon are steps in the right direction. It is easier to control polution at power plants and their capacity is being under utilized at night anyway. We need to reduce our overall consumption of oil for a number of reasons that others have spelled out in previous posts. We also need to pursue alternated energy sources with due haste. It is time to stop subsidising large SUVs and oil companies with our tax dollars and channel that money to the creation of alternate energy sources.
NASA has many top notch engineers and scientists. Perhaps we could call a moritorium on going back to the moon and direct those resources to helping to solve our nations energy problems.
May 26th, 2008 (3:23 pm)Thank you to everyone here who has served and is serving in the military. Thank you to all that have died for our country. Because of you, we can debate, argue, and disagree here, and do it all in English. We are a great country but we make mistakes like everyone else. It’s human nature to screwup every now and then. The object is not to screwup big. Bush is a big screwup. The soldiers are not.
They do go to Iraq because they were ordered to do so. Not for oil, but for terrorism. Unfortunately, Saddam wasn’t a threat to us and the WMDs didn’t exist. But that is not the soldiers fault.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all that served and are serving. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can raise my family in a good, safe, stable country because of all of you.
May 26th, 2008 (4:12 pm)Energy is a major if not the major issue because it is both national security and the economy. 2006 USA 234,500,000 cars, SUV’s, PU’s consumed 136,000,000,000 gallons of gasoline. Cars driven an average of 12,000 mi per year, SUV/PU 11,100 mi per year. Average car 22.4 mpg, SUV/PU 18.1 mpg. Yet an enormous sense of entitlement to cheap gasoline. Someone, some corporation, some President screwed us. Then come the global warning preachers conning the ignorant. Easy to do. Buy our renewable plan as the ony acceptable energy policy. America – Land of Fools.
Nam Vet
May 26th, 2008 (4:24 pm)Unfortunately, Iraq doesnt have any readily plunderable oil either. I think the Iraqi may be a very smart people. After all their current misery is over they will still have their unproven oil reserves.
Saudi Arabia would have been a more logical target, there wouldnt be any problems today with oil prices if the US had liberated Saudi Arabia.
imho
May 26th, 2008 (4:48 pm)#56. Rashiid, Ditto.
#57, Roger, Thank you for your service.
May 26th, 2008 (5:10 pm)Ditto for what Terry # 19 said!
Great work Lyle & Thanks for the site!
May 26th, 2008 (5:43 pm)Responses #52-58 mainly focus on the Chevy Volt article with some comments of a personal nature.
I’ll say it again: Keep focused on the GM Chevy Volt development and similar technologies. The present time and future are radically changing from what our recent past portrayed as reality.
Above all, make sure our vets have what they need to adjust back into civilian living including employment, health care and education. That’s a MUST!
May 26th, 2008 (6:06 pm)Rashid #56:
Saddam violated the 1991 cease fire agreement, and for that reason alone the invasion was justified. But let’s throw in 17 broken UN security council resolutions, financial support for suicide bombers against Israel (state sponsorship of terrorism), shooting at our air force on a daily basis which was enforcing UN mandates, the discovery of hidden chemical weapons during the mid 90′s, refusal to cooperate with the UN on disarmament, etc…
A case can be made that Clinton neglected his duties during the 1990s, and Bush inherited the Saddam problem, and dealt with it correctly.
The Volt can help make the middle east the way it was before oil. That’s the best step towards world peace.
May 26th, 2008 (6:18 pm)#61 Anti-Oil Jihadi says, ” The Volt can help make the middle east the way it was before oil. That’s the best step towards world peace.”
Hello my friend. I agree with the last statement. Let’s get off of oil and let the middle east return to what it was before oil. I wholeheartedly agree. But I won’t agree with the war in Iraq. But I do support the troops. I’m glad you’re back. I haven’t seen you for long time.
May 26th, 2008 (6:41 pm)Instead of a moratorium on the gas tax for the summer, the government should use the gas tax money to subsidize alternative fuel vehicles (the Volt) and subsidize the expansion of a hydrogen infrastructure. As of 05/21/08, there are 117 planned and operational stations from the U.S. and Canada listed in the Hydrogen Fueling Station database. http://www.hydrogenassociation.org/general/fuelingSearch.asp
May 26th, 2008 (7:59 pm)Who needs Chevrolet
http://www.teslamotors.com
In five years they will own the electric vehicle market.
May 26th, 2008 (8:32 pm)I agree! However, how about we don’t just wave our flags today and go jump into our SUVs tomorrow guilt free. Let’s each of us make a resolution to work on a plan to reduce our use of petroleum products and stick with it. If people are overly ambitious they can also work to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Hey, its for the troops!
Reduction of petroleum products:
1) Use less gasoline and move towards using no gasoline. You can do this by buying a very fuel efficient car(s) and sell your Huge truck to a worker that will actually use it everyday. Buying a plug-in hybrid or maybe a BEV (even if only for your second car).
2) Use less plastics. Do you need plastic bags for everything? How about bring some with you to carry things from the grocery store? Mindset – plastics are bad.
3) Buy more food from local farmers. Don’t accept the 1,500 mile meal anymore. The more you support your local farmers the better off you will be when gas and diesel really get expensive. Yes, that is coming.
4) Convert your homes from using oil heating. A new furnace using homegrown natural gas is better. We have a lot of it here. Even if it’s not renewable it is much better than using imported oil.
5) Use public transportation. Yes, the culture in America is that it is so bad and beneath us. That is just our silly culture. We much change it. Public transportation (when run well) is much more efficient and the vehicles can be switched over to using renewable energy sources much easier.
6) Travel less. A plane trip is like driving your car around the globe several times. Figure out how to enjoy your free time more locally. Let’s face it friends and family are more satisfying than taking 1000 pictures of Paris. Ok, maybe not but it’s for the troops! It’s a tiny sacrifice.
7) Try to buy things that are made locally. Furniture, toys, household items. Etc. Shipping a desk from Vietnam is wasteful. Besides, as harsh as this seems we cannot afford to be building up other third world economies UNTIL we have figured out the energy problem. It will only cause more disruption.
9) Read up and get yourself educated on energy. Write to the government and let them know what you would like them to do.
Well, you get the idea. Basically look at everything from a petroleum perspective. The funny thing is that if everyone in America did this we might be able to delay the oil crisis by quite a bit. It will give us more time to work on solutions. If Americans thought in this way the government would be powerless to do anything other than make policy to get us energy independent. The people lead the government.
After we get a handle on the oil problem we will then be in a much better frame of mind to work toward sustainable living. That involves the use of renewables like solar, wind, wave, etc. to reduce the use or our non-renewable resources. Hey, one step at a time. The oil situation is critical. Thank you troops!
May 26th, 2008 (8:41 pm)Oil from coal. That’s what Germany did during WWII. Yes, we can do that but do we want to spend all that time and money on an infrastructure that will only eat away from our coal reserves faster? Nuclear? Horrible idea both financially and environmentally (check out the forum for a good discussion on the topic).
It will take about 10 years to see any energy being produced by by just about any decision we make today. Why not go the correct path of renewability and sustainability? Building massive amounts of pumped storage hydro and giant fields of solar and wind will bring us about the same amount of energy in that 10 years (solar fields can start producing energy in only a year).
Couple that with massive efforts to get high milage plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles (BEV) on the streets.
All this can be done using existing technology that will only get better the more we use it. Let’s start today!
May 26th, 2008 (9:56 pm)For anyone who would like an optimistic view of what our energy future can be, I invite you to read The Rocky Mountain Institute’s “Winning The Oil Endgame”. http://nc.rmi.org/WTOE
The Volt and other vehicles like it are clearly the future.
It’s unfortunate that the point of Lyle’s post, the Ben Stein piece, failed to put much emphasis on conserving energy. Trite as it may be, the cheapest barrel of oil now and in the future is the one we don’t use or import. The RMI publication has a lot of good ideas on how to regain control of our future.
To all who served and continue to serve our country, at home and abroad, thank you for all you have done and continue to do.
May 26th, 2008 (11:38 pm)Well, I have been reading all the current information and am very happy to hear the volt doing so well, and by the way I have been reading all the comments to. I am currently in Iraq serving my wonderful and great country, I sadden by those who do not really understand what is going on, and yes we have liberated the Iraqi people, they have told me this many time. When is it time that you recognize that human beings are more important than the mighty dollar, I feel sorry for the fools open their mouths and spew hate, and lies. God please those human beings who love life and want others to enjoy that same freedom. I have served for 24 years, under many presidents, and my current commander and chief I will serve honorably and faithfully. I love life and want all humanity to enjoy, their personal pursuit for happiness, without tyrants, thieves, murders, ruling over them. Let us all be happy for those who have served and died and those who serve and live, so that the world and live free.
May 26th, 2008 (11:40 pm)Vilhelm #64
Hold thy breath and do indeed bet thy paycheck and see me in a couple.
May 26th, 2008 (11:51 pm)Best thread I’ve read in some time. Thanks V-Nation. This is why I come back to visit.
I hear the cry loud and clear – The Volt is a Security issue helping reduce oil and change America’s approach to dependency. Oil is a Green issue intended to help reduce carbon and save our Planet. For me (and my wife is retired US Air Force as well), as a military retiree, I’m thankful deployments will someday return from protecting Oil Barons who don’t share our free society values to fighting for the allowance of different points of views.
God Bless this Great Nation and her fallen soldiers.
May 27th, 2008 (12:28 am)???? Oil Barons and the US Military protecting them, for some reason people do not get the big picture, when does protecting the people begin? Forget the Oil, lets look at humanity, if wasn’t oil it will be something else, we need to protect the people, and give them the opportunity to live freely. That’s why I am for nuclear power, make energy cheap, I love and want the volt, and we would have had this already if we didn’t have the liberals fighting against something they know nothing about!! You can not compare liberals and conservatives; it’s like comparing sugar with salt. If you believe in global warming, (which I don’t), nuclear power would be the answer, it’s clean energy, and the waste issue was solved 12 years ago, but the Clinton administration shut it down after it had been completed and tested, go to IFR INEEL, to find out more.
May 27th, 2008 (3:49 am)Roger Brown #57
Based on your information I tried to find what effect could have electric transportation on US power grid.
In case I take gasoline consumption (136,000,000,000 gallons per annum) and took 20% fuel consumption efficiency in order to create thrust the result was 1 483 TWh per annum.
Taking into account car mi per annum and car like GM-Volt power usage 8 kWh per 40 miles resulted 562 TWh.
I would prefer to stick to figure 562 TWh since we are considering electric propulsion. Let’s assume that all cars are replaced with electric with range extention but we still need fuel for range extension 30%. That means that total max. Power consumption with Volt technology would be 393 TWh. United States consumes 4500 TWh per annum. That means potentially EV can consume no more than 9% of current US power output. The most optimistic forecast says that rate of electric car introduction on US market and replacement of conventional cars in case of strong US government support would be happening during coming 30 years. It means that power consumption growth atributable to EV (most possible) would be 0,3% per annum. Since most of EV would be charged over night the power grid will not face any supply problems. Moreover 393 TWh in 30 years can be covered with wind power. For instance Germany within five recent years installed 24 GW of wind power generating 64 TWh of electricity.
On other hand electric vehicles will not solve all existing problems with oil consumption because of air transport. But there are other solutions for that. And for government this issue should be primary task. There are some solutions introducing LNG or synthetic fuels.
May 27th, 2008 (7:25 am)Energy independence is an admirable goal, but as we all know, change does not happen overnight.
The Chevy Volt, E-Flex vehicles, and other electric vehicles will help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil, part they are only part of the solution. We need to become more efficient, as mentioned by Texas in #65 (more use of mass transit, etc.), we need to find alternatives such as ethanol and biodiesel, and we need to develop reasonable methods to produce our own energy.
As mentioned, there is no immediate solution to operating heavy equipment or aircraft other than the continued use of fuel. That is why the Dept. of Defense is looking seriously into coal-to-liquids (CTL) technology. Expect to see these plants on-line within the next 5-6 years. Note that these plants remove 99.9% of the sulfur and about 95% of the mercury from the coal, and have extremely low emissions. State of the art plants will sequester the CO2 underground.
With conservation, electrification of the automobile, new modern power plants (including some renewable as well as nuclear power), and CTL, we can become an energy independent nation.
In regards to the debt that we owe our men and women serving in the military, I provide the following link, as everytime I read it, it brings tears to my eyes.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=1737796
May 27th, 2008 (8:15 am)Personally, I’d side with anything other than Middle-East turmoil oil. The Volt is the America. The impact on our trade and budget issues alone makes electrifying the automobile industry, as GM states it, is our best chance at achieving continuing sales to meet America’s driving habits, while weening us off the destructive and volatile oil industry supply from Hugo Chavez, Vladimir Putin and the Sheikdoms.
CHEVY VOLT: American made, American Fueled. Taxes and dollars going to Americans.
May 27th, 2008 (10:28 am)#25 Morgan,
I”ve been reading a lot about Dr. Bussard’s research lately, myself. It does indeed appear to be inexpensive, simple, safe, and astonishingly elegant. The applications are mind-boggling, so I do certainly hope it comes widespread fruition, a gift to mankind by its creators, and not bottled up by some megacorp. I believe in my heart that if it works (a big “if” perhaps), that it would be the single biggest world-changing disruptive technology ever created.
I would add one more link to yours, which is Dr. Bussard giving a tech-talk at Google, shortly before his death last fall. It’s about 90 minutes long IIRC, but worth the watching, IMO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhL5VO2NStU
Now, a bit more back on topic… Happy Memorial Day all, and a huge THANK YOU to all who have served. All gave some, some gave ALL! We must never forget them.
May 27th, 2008 (11:42 am)I was one of about 500 who drove the GM EV1 Electric Car.
I put over 32,000 miles on it over a 3 year period.
It was fast and fun to drive, very powerful, very hight tech, got 80% of a charge in about 45 mins. I drove it everyday and now I miss it dearly.
I DIDN’T BUY GAS FOR THOSE 3 YEARS! NO GAS IN 1997!
That car need NO maintenance. No tune ups, NO oil changes, etc.
Once you have lived this way, there’s NO going back.
See the movie: “Who Killed the Electric Car” and educate yourself.
Then you will be as mad as I am.
I’m sure you will GET IT.
We should have kept making EVs back in 1997.
Now we have to catch up with the world with a technology we started.
Just like TVs and VCRs.
When will we learn from our short sighted ways.
Sorry, but gas IS over. Catch Up.
May 27th, 2008 (12:04 pm)…Turn coal into oil, build nuclear plants, drill everywhere & “brush aside the concerns of the beautiful people who live on coastal pastures”…
Ben Stein, profits before people & planet.
May 27th, 2008 (12:56 pm)#36 OhmExcited:
Right. And now we reap the bitter harvest of our arrogance and hubris.
#45 Jason C, #46 Firefly, #49 Amed M, #53 Jim F, #56 Len, #57 Rashiid Amul:
You guys have said it all. My hat is off to you.
# 77 Guy Incognito:
Thank you.
May 27th, 2008 (1:38 pm)#78 Jeff; You are 100% correct. I hope gas goes to $10 a gallon. Maybe that will wake everyone up in america. Oil is a dead old and past technology. Lets get back to being a leader instead of a follower! America needs to WAKE UP!
Thanks for all the men and women who have served our country.
May 27th, 2008 (3:56 pm)to #78-Jeff
You say you drove the EV-1 and put 32,000 mile in three years and the car can recharge 80% in 45 minutes. The charging part is what I find hard to believe. Recharging to a full charge took as long as 8hrs and it took 2 to 3 hrs to get 80% of the charge with nickel-metal hydride
May 27th, 2008 (5:13 pm)To Joe # 82: Yeh, the nickel batts in the generation 2 EV1s took longer to charge cause they stored more power and had more range. 120 mile per charge. I had lead-acid batts in my gen 1 car, about 50 mile range, and I would have about 15% of charge left when I got home from work. The middle range of the batt would charge fast with the 30amp Magnacharger. The last 15% would take several hours to charge. The point being, if I needed to go out at night in the EV1 after work, it was not a big problem to get most of a full charge pretty fast. You did have to make the EV1 work for you and I easily did. I would also charge at work sometimes with 110 volt charger. The car would be full by the end of the day even if I went out to lunch. I never saw any of this plugging in and charging as an inconvenience because the trade-off was so great. I never had to spend time and money at a gas station or at the repair shop for routine maintenance. Every morning my car was fully fueled and ready to go. My electric bill was only $30 a month more than before I had the EV1. That was about 2 cents a mile. I would race Porsche 911s from stoplight to stoplight on the way to work, 15 miles, and win and blow there minds. The car was too good to be true. The EV1 and the people in Lansing who made it were American Heros. Too bad GM management was too short-sighted to become the Apple computer of automakers at that time. But maybe now they will do it with the Volt. Maybe the public and our government will help this time. Having the EV1 taken from me was horrible. A big disappointment in my follow man.
I say all this because I think if we aren’t careful it could happen again all in the name of greed.
May 27th, 2008 (6:00 pm)I know the well-wishing and thanks to soldiers in the field are well intentioned, but I get the impression that many don’t understand the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. It was for those who cannot say “you’re welcome” that we played taps yesterday. Veteran’s day is for those like myself and several other vets on this forum who can reply.
If you are mad about gas prices, perhaps a little bit of your anger should be directed towards Americans rather than oil shieks and “Big Oil”. Don’t forget that oil is traded on the commodities market and there are a lot of investors making a killing on Wall Street today at your expense. Diesel fuel costs $2.20 per gallon in Mexico where they don’t have to run the crude through a futures market prior to refining. It’s the same oil, just a different process!
May 27th, 2008 (6:08 pm)#83 Jeff:
Thanks for a fascinating and educational comment from someone who was actually there.
Jun 2nd, 2008 (8:27 pm)The VOLT is the best concept by far. I’m very glad GM has started the plug in hybrid race…
Where were all of you when GM built the EV1? the best electric car ever built. No you didn’t care because gasoline was $1 per gallon.
You didn’t care when CARB pushed back the mandate and then just abandoned it.
The only good thing about high gas prices is that we will adjust with electric drivelines.
to #6 Nationalistic…
Tell that to a soldier who is keeping the terrorist away from you.
Tell that to the families who lost family to the terrorist on 911.
Saddam was only credited with killing approx. 300,000 people … maybe we should have left him kill millions like Hitler..
We only found 30,000 missiles capable of caring nerve gas..
a few of which he tested on a village killing thousands… but maybe we should have waited till he tested a nuclear bomb on a city.
You do no deserve the privileges our soldiers have secured for you.
You are nothing but a lazy rider who would criticize the one who fights for you.