AutoblogGreen

A technological revolution doesn't occur just
because some segment of the public demands that it
occur, so Chelsea can stop taking bows for helping it to come about. The BYD carmaker has ben working in obscurity for 4 years on a VOLT type car and it will appear two years before the VOLT, cost 1/3rd less and get 50% more electric driving range. Notice that that company was under no pressure from the public at all. Looks like you're beter off without public pressure, huh? Besides, without nanotechnology, none of the crrent battery developments that are making plug-ins practical (well, more or less practical) would have happened, with or without public "pressure." All the automakers are looking to make plug-ins, but they are in different situation with respect to batteries. It would be utterly and physically impossible for them all to go to market at the same time. And they won't. But so what?

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Before anyone pays attention to Kent please take a look at his comment history.

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Kent, where are the specs of BYD's (pre)answer to the Volt?

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To make any real impact it will take LOTS of money and scale. Only the big 3 have enough money and experience to quickly scale up production on millions of PHEVs each year.

It takes public education to create customer DEMAND to get these huge ships to change course. Chelsea Sexton has worked extremely hard and sacrificed much for MANY YEARS. IF PHEVs become widely available to the public, we can thank Chelsea, Ed Begley Jr., Chris Paine, Felix Kramer and others for their tireless and relentless sacrifice.

The PHEV is just a part of the equation and a stepping stone to the stated goal which is the full electrification of the automobile to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.

Bob Lutz at GM has also stated many times this is GM’s company goal with E-Flex. Apparently, Mr. Lutz had this paradigm shift when he first learned about the Tesla and discovered that the time is NOW right for PHEVs which will lead to full BEVs. We must keep the pressure on GM and Chelsea and others won’t quit until PHEV and BEVs are available to everyone.

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In the very end she says -

"But for car companies or lawmakers to decide, universally, what people want... is pretty arrogant."

Um, isn't writing laws that require car companies to build a certain type of car fairly similiar to "deciding" what people want?

Toyota and the other automakers are right in opposing further legislation which limits their freedom to produce a legal product which people want to buy. It's America people, companies should be allowed to sell anything that consumers will buy.

An increase in the price of fuel would be much more effective in getting inefficient vehicles off the road. Legislation targeted at automakers will only go so far as to limit what NEW vehicles are produced, but they won't make them less attractive. Pricier fuel will make both used and new gas guzzlers unattractive all together.

There's the issue of tax breaks for commercial transportation and what-not but I feel like I'm already starting to ramble so I'll stop.

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EV,s automakers ! let face it they do not want to make them,? a efficent ev is not a plus for them . GM tested a BEV in 1969,go to www.electricauto.com click on history,& read the report GM published.the ev battery has been here since 1966 lead colbalt, it moved the 1969 test car 146 miles on a charge. not 60 like the EV1 GM could of put lead colbalt but they may have got 250 mile or more. not good when your intent is to kill an idea. There are a wide choice of motors lead colbalt battery will give the range of lith ion @ 1fh the price & expected to last 600000 miles. any car truck or van can be converted serious buyers can have them if they want one now, why wait on the automakers to do what they are not going to do they coul of had had them alredy for decades???

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