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As a man thinks, so he is. Some people are never. Recent Posts
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CarSpace Alternate RouteTurn off the nav system, crumple up that MapQuest printout, and let's find out where the next random turn may take us! Oct 9, 2009 - Tokyo Stars
This 122 inch long, 43 inch wide two-seater is the Nissan Land Glider concept. You ride tandem-style in this electric vehicle and the body and tires lean up to 17 degrees into turns like a motorcycle. I love it when the engineers get to have a little fun. Be sure to check out the Land Glider and the rest of Inside Line's coverage of the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show
Sep 28, 2009 - Tell Ya What I'm Gonna Do
Nissan is talking about $30k for the Leaf, but now they're toying with the idea of leasing battery packs. Just what you need, two monthly payments when you purchase a new vehicle! Read more about battery leasing at Reuters.com
Sep 23, 2009 - Silent Running
After years of trying to make cars sound as if they were riding on air, engineers are considering how they might bring back some noise. They're trying to make some of them -- those silent hybrids -- more audible. Perhaps some baseball cards in the spokes?
Sep 14, 2009 - Limiting Factor
The tests appear to be among the most thorough done by companies planning to introduce the batteries, said Menahem Anderman, president of consulting firm Advanced Automotive Batteries in Oregon House, California. How about a show of hands for those who think EV's are going to be all over the roads tomorrow? Or even in 10 years? EV's may indeed be the future, but until the breakthrough in battery technology happens, I wouldn't give up that gasoline credit card just yet.
Jul 6, 2009 - 2012: The Year We Make Contact?
Toyota plans to build 20,000-30,000 plug-in Priuses a year and intends to price them at about $48,000 - twice the price of a conventional Prius hybrid and about $8,000 more than the Chevrolet Volt, which will hit the market at the tail end of 2010. Just like the Volt, I don't think a $48K vehicle is likely to be a widespread commercial success. And I still am asking the question that nobody seems to want to answer. Where is all the extra capacity to charge up these vehicles going to come from? Energy is not free, although some EV proponents seem to act as if all we need to do is make electric cars and plug them in and all will be right with the world. Read the entire story at Green Car Advisor.
Feb 18, 2009 - Electric Bandwagon
The thing that bothers me the most about electric vehicles is that proponents of EV's never seem to talk about about where the electricity to charge the cars is going to come from or how much it's going to cost. How much is adding the load of charging vehicles to the grid going to affect pricing of electricity? It has to go up. Same supply, more demand. Off-peak hours won't make a difference as we won't be shifting demand, we'll be adding demand. Zero-emissions is not going to come at zero cost. Read more at freep.com and breitbart.com
Jan 19, 2009 - Stop Forcing Markets
So when I read the following in an article, I had one reaction... For electric and hybrid vehicles to achieve their environmental potential, the world's governments will need to step in with high levels of financial support for consumers and industry, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm. And the cost savings in fuel won't be nearly enough to provide the incentive without that government cash. It's time to stop trying to force markets and let them just happen. The sustainable electric vehicle market exists. It's called the golf cart industry. This is not to say we shouldn't continue to develop electric vehicles or that they won't eventually be successful in the marketplace. But there's a difference between dreaming and fantisizing. Read the entire article at Yahoo Finance
Jan 16, 2009 - Charging Forward
The Cadillac Converj made its debut on Sunday. It uses the same Voltec drive system as the Volt. Color me a skeptic, but does anyone really think that a vehicle that's going to cost $40,000 and can travel "up to 40 miles on a charge" is the solution to what ails GM? Read more about the Converj and check out the rest of the Detroit Show coverage on Inside Line
Jan 12, 2009 - Frizzlezap
The Dodge Circuit EV is just such a beast. Chrysler bragged that the Circuit EV sprints from zero to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds and has a top speed of more than 120 mph. It uses three powertrain components: a 268-horsepower electric motor, an advanced lithium-ion battery system and a controller that manages energy flow. Dodge said the Circuit EV has a driving range of 150-200 miles between charges. It plugs into a standard 110-volt household outlet. I get the feeling that if I test the 0-60 time or that 120 mph top speed, that the 150-200 miles between charges is going to suffer. But it's nice to dream. That's what auto shows are for! Read more about the Circuit and check out the rest of the Detroit Auto Show coverage on Inside Line
Nov 13, 2008 - Silent Is Cool?
Will a Mini without engine noise still be cool? According the the Green Car Advisor more than 9,000 people must think so as they are interested in leasing one - at $850 per month. I always knew that cool came with a price tag. That must make the electric Mini really cool!
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