Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, USA
Pro-hydrogen blog collects Toyota and Honda executives criticizing plug-in cars
Forecasting flaps for Tesla, Nissan and Chevy. Highlighting the limited range batteries offer. Wondering how well they would perform under less-than-ideal conditions. Explaining the cost of replacing li-ion batteries.There's a lot of electric vehicle and plug-in criticism going on on Greg Blencoe's self-defined "for hydrogen advocates only" blog post that has gathered up 25 quotes from Toyota and Honda executives. Blencoe also found five additional quotes from sources outside of the Japanese automakers are added at the end (one coming from us) that plainly criticize EVs and plug-ins. Blencoe is the CEO of Hydrogen Discoveries, a hydrogen pipeline start-up company based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and he gets some credit for collecting these in one place, but we're not sure that using quotes from five people talking to different media outlets at different times should really count as 25.
[Source: Hydrogen Discoveries]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gorr 5:31PM (11/13/2008)
I told you that before and these silly manufacturers are still ignoring the inboard water electrolyser that i said many times before to install in normal ice cars and electric fuelcell cars too. But fuelcell cars willl need many many billions for each manufacturers to put on-sale and eat their current ice cars sale LOL. Silly, so install water electrolyser in a normal ice car and i will go see it in the show room or at walmart because they will cut 20% of the inflated retail price. It's chatters now that rule the market, not car manufacturers association associated with goverment agencies associated to big oil associated to international banks, it's chatters that rule.
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MarkT 11:59PM (11/13/2008)
The clue here is in the phrase "a hydrogen pipeline start-up"! PHEV and EV technology is pretty much ready to go and prices will quickly reduce with economies of scale. In car fuel storage technology will improve dramatically. The fueling infrastructure (electric outlets) is everywhere. With hydrogen the typical test-bed vehicle costs in the order of many $100Ks and the infrastructure does not yet exist on any meaningful scale. Obviously the oil companies would much prefer everyone to have to go to their stations and fill up with hydrogen instead of gas or diesel. Personally I'd rather plug in at home or at work - a lot more convenient, not to mention giving me many more options about how I get my power (micro-generation, etc). Hydrogen seems to be a technology that is a decade or so off. Interesting but not addressing the existing needs.
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RSR 8:46AM (11/14/2008)
Rather than spending time and energy to bring down the rivals, they should focus on doing their own stuff right.
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Graylion 11:18AM (11/14/2008)
Let me make one thing clear: A car that cannot be refuelled is of no use to me. 95% of daily travel my be within the 30 km range. And for my holidays where I might drive from Ireland to Spain I am supposed to do exactly what? drive in 200km increments, interrupted by 8h recharges?
Sorry no.
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paulwesterberg 11:34AM (11/14/2008)
For long trips you could use a range extended plug in electric vehicle like the volt.
Eventually charging systems will improve and high voltage hookups will be installed that will allow you to charge to 80-90% relatively quickly.
Graylion 12:12PM (11/14/2008)
yep, I am a big fan of the volt :)
Chris M 3:00AM (11/15/2008)
Of course, Blencoe is desperate to keep the hydrogen hype going, as his company and his career are dependent on it. Therefore, he feels he must attack anything that threatens the H2 bandwagon.
That collection of quotes is interesting, though I suspect more than a few are taken out of context. One I found amusing was
“The bottom line: As EV range increases, cost increases. The new industry rule of thumb, according to presenters at the Toyota Sustainable Mobility Seminar here, is that batteries will cost about $500 per electric mile delivered.”
That rule-of-thumb would indicate a $120,000 cost for the Tesla Roadster battery pack, far more than the whole car costs! The real cost is closer to $22,000 or about $92 per electric mile delivered.
Ironically, on another page of his website, he states "Hydrogen critics will join the following long list of 'experts' throughout history who were completely wrong". He doesn't seem to realize the risk that some of his "top 25 quotes" and some of his own quotes might end up on that list of "experts who were completely wrong". Hey, I've already uncovered a wildly erroneous "rule of thumb".
Before anyone else points out the obvious, yes, I realize the risk that I might end up on that list, but for some reason I'm not unduly worried about that.
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Chris M 3:09AM (11/15/2008)
On Blencoes "Hydrogen critics will join the following long list of 'experts' throughout history who were completely wrong" webpage, he talks about why some experts were completely wrong in their predictions, and said:
"In many cases, it is because the recognized 'experts' want to defend their position as the “top dog” and fight off competitors"
Considering that he is an expert and is defending his position and fighting off what he perceives as competitors to H2 fuel... Maybe he should look in the mirror...
Serge 12:21PM (11/17/2008)
I'm looking forward to hydrogen hype ending with departure of its biggest backers in a couple of months.
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