Recent Comments:
Michigan governor proposes reducing speed limit to save gas {Autoblog Green}
Jul 3rd 2008 5:59PM Aside from being quite the 'Big Brother' scenario, one with which I understand California residents are already familiar, there's also a (very good) legal road-block to traffic camera systems.
"Prove that I was the one driving the car."
The burden of proof that a person violated the law is on the state. "Innocent until proven guilty." So far as I am aware, a motor vehicle is not a legal entity, only the person driving it. Granted I've done no research into the matter, but I am curious as to how some judicial systems have managed to effectively prosecute traffic violations that only capture the image of a license plate. Has legislation gone into place that makes the vehicle owner solely responsible for any 'crime' in which their vehicle (read: license plate) was involved? If so, that's a huge legal precedent and I believe it would be found unconstitutional.
The very reason this distinction has to be made is for the legal protection of U.S. citizens from an overzealous law enforcement officer or department.
Michigan governor proposes reducing speed limit to save gas {Autoblog Green}
Jul 3rd 2008 1:49PM ...which will also slow down transport of goods and increase the cost of that transport due to decreased deliveries over time and pay for more drivers. This would more than offset what would be saved in fuel costs. The consumer foots that bill of course!
For those in or around metropolitan areas, who actually manages to reach or exceed the speed limit on an interstate as it is during rush hour?
People who are quite used to being able to legally travel at 70 miles per hour will find themselves being pulled over more often. Again, those in or near metropolitan areas, what does a police car or state trooper on the side of the road do to traffic flow? Braking chain reactions, resulting in accidents and traffic jams.
More drivers will divert to side-streets due to increased volume on interstates to save some time. However, this introduces even more wasteful stop-and-go driving.
This will increase overall driving time and keep MORE vehicles on the roads at one time, exacerbating the entire issue. Reducing speed limits will not help the issues at hand, even in the short term.
Prince Charles converts 38 year old Aston Martin to run on British wine {Autoblog Green}
Jul 2nd 2008 11:36AM A.Brien, please read the last sentence in the post again.
Personally I don't think I could have brought myself to modify a DB6 in any way, other than possibly adjusting the seat. Then again, I wouldn't even be driving it 300 miles a year either.
GM HCCI engine can operate at idle {Autoblog Green}
Jun 26th 2008 4:36PM Interesting indeed...
But it seems far too little and far too late. GM seems to be beating the proverbial dead horse(-less carriage) and further demonstrating how far ICEs have traveled into the land of diminishing returns. The engineering has become so overly complex that I can't understand how anyone believes the ends justify the means.
Considering that monetary and engineering investment used in producing a technology with a less-than-stellar improvement, doesn't it seem apparent that the resources could have been better utilized in newer branches of R&D? Even assuming the budget and resources for the Volt program were locked-in, why not begin on systems design on the next major revision of e-flex platform to lower production transition costs?
Granted, at the very least, this technology can be utilized in the range-extending engines.
First glimpse of ZAP Alias prototype revealed in video {Autoblog Green}
Jun 26th 2008 1:37PM At the very least, it's not CGI.
It also appears to have driven (or should I say, appears to have been rolled?) through a dirty/dusty area judging from the dirt on the rear wheel.
Volt battery decision soon, and 20 mile EV option possible {Autoblog Green}
Jun 16th 2008 4:59PM Late to the party--oh well.
There's another simple-yet-big reason GM isn't going the hypercar route. Overall design.
How many people do you know (outside of ABG and a like-thinking circle of friends) that would immediately say the Aptera looks 'just fine' and they'd have no qualms driving it on aesthetics alone?
Right.
GM wants to build a 'normal' every-day vehicle that doesn't break the mold of the current mental image of what Joe Carbuyer thinks a car should look like. The Aptera is just too 'weird' for most people to handle. (Conservative business practices are too weird for some as well...)
For manufacturing materials used, again, GM's tried and true manufacturing wins out, or at least in the short-term. This way they won't be required to retool an entire plant while developing a new supply chain for ultra-light materials when they still don't know how it will sell. Once Honda and Toyoda quit screwing around with hydrogen and non-plugins, GM will have to retool for weight management, assuming we don't get a super-efficient and super cheap battery tech first.
Nissan exec expects quadrupling of electric car range by 2015 {Autoblog Green}
Jun 13th 2008 11:27AM @Phil - What, so they can be like Toyota, piddling around making half-promises of plug-in hybrids when at least two other major manufacturers are planning on having EVs moving to market in the same (or shortly thereafter) model year? That's also a huge waste in capital for R&D that could go directly into getting an EV in production.
We don't need more hybrids or bs 'clean' diesels to nudge the status-quo, we need a flood of EVs requiring the mass production of the newer battery techs to drive the costs down as quickly as possible. The sooner large-scale competition exists for EVs or series-hybrid EVs, the better.
Toyota exec throws wet blanket on PHEV dreams {Autoblog Green}
Jun 12th 2008 1:14PM Of course it's more complicated than what some people like to believe. However, when you have a fresh start-up building a viable, fully electric vehicle while the Big Dogs (sans GM now) fart around in the land of indecision, it's a bit off-putting.
Quite simply, they have the mass marketing, capital and engineers to smash Tesla into the ground. They have the supply chains and the ability to broker deals with battery manufacturers to get better prices for a product in the less-than-astronomical price-range.
People at Toyota and the other manufacturers obviously lack the foresight in understanding that they needed to 'make the plunge' in order to be effective in five years. They have their Prius cash cow while it will last. After all, if they promise a plug-in now (or god forbid an all-electric) who would want to drop the bank on a new, 'standard' Prius?
America likely won't be getting a Smart diesel soon {Autoblog Green}
Apr 20th 2008 11:26PM My god, you people are amazing!
Smart is already flopping in Europe and some of you seem to think you're ENTITLED to a vehicle that cannot even meet US emissions requirements? Why should they spend exorbitant amounts of money to appease what would only be another failing market? These are BUSINESSES, not charities.
dhofmann: Why should you be embarrassed by a 20 second 0-60 time if you knew you were doing your part in killing the planet a little less quickly than the rest of us? Oh right, for it to be 'okay,' the rest of us have to suffer right there along side you during what would become a 4-hour-long 'rush-hour.' Fantstic.
BMW brings five Hydrogen 7s to Singapore {Autoblog Green}
Mar 15th 2008 9:32PM Holy jeez guys! READ what I said before responding! :P
I said "*By that same reasoning*, EVs are still terrible producers of CO2," meaning John's reasoning, which I just argued AGAINST, as he said hydrogen cars produce a CO2 nightmare and should be illegal.
My (apparently too vague) point was that they don't produce a CO2 nightmare. Their fuel manfacturing process creates the CO2 and it produces far less than millions of gasoline vehicles. And of course EV's are much much much better--click my name to see my previous posts ;)
