You are correct it was only a rumor.
What they were objecting to was the "days certain" in the CAFE and NHTSA regulations at which they would be required to meet those standards.
If it were not for "days certain," rather than goals to be met, we would have the safer, more fuel efficient vehicles we have today, ten to fifteen years sooner and the vehicles would not be anywhere near as expensive.
I believe we have been over this before...By definition, it is.
If you want something that is truly synthetic, how far back in the chain do you have to go? Carbon and hydrogen?
From Wikipedia "At the turn of the century, 40 percent of American automobiles were powered by steam, 38 percent by electricity, and 22 percent by gasoline. 33,842 electric cars were registered in the United States, and America became the country where electric cars had gained the most acceptance. Sales of electric cars peaked in 1912."
Not if you are willing to live with a range of 30 miles and a top speed of 30 mph.
Ed
s: snipped-for-privacy@anonymitaet-im-inter.net...
The battery has been re-invented and that is why the electical car has become a reality. Companies like GMW routinely discarded electrical options because they are too efficient and last longer than combustion cars. Because of competition from cellphones and computers the batteries have become better and others than GMW and the likes are coming massively into the market for electrical cars. The auto industry is going into a bigger transition than ever before and those who are not electric are out. Hybrids will have some parenthetical short time lasting a few years while there will be enough production capacity of electrical cars. It is already happening so there is no question of when it is now and anyone thinking about replacing a car should think electric or at least pluginhybrid in the meantime. The old car as we know it is just that old car and old technology and is soon soooo obsolete. This change is part of the reason why GM went bust and why GMW will never make it.
The battery has been re-invented and that is why the electical car has become a reality. \
***** I dont think it has become a reality. Yes, you can get some sort of electrical car (cart, more like it), and it will get you a few miles between charges until, like computers using similar battery technology, the charge interval worsens to the point of frustration.It is a concept whose time is not quite ripe.
I have a GM Reatta which was made in 1990. It was an attempt by GM to put some of their parts into a nice looking little chassis, bugger the thing to death with electronics that were before their time (meaning they appealed to some people but quickly became an unbearable PITA). It was an expensive failure. Still attractive and nice to drive, when the gods of transportation are looking the other way, it was a "high technology" flop.
I think the present electric cars are bound to be floppish too. Someday they may be worth buying, but right now I dont have the time, the income, the patience, and the inclination to buy into another Floppomobile.
Even real old companies like renault, mercedes and vw are coming out with electric cars
The electrical car is here and it is ready even if you are not. The production capacities are building up and fast.
The hybrids are just a short step away already. Main issue with the electrics is getting the cost down, which will happen as production ramps up. Some will never buy them, but there is a huge base of drivers who drive less than 30 miles a day who would love to have one now. I can see a future infrastructure with standardization of batteries and battery stations where they can be swapped, solving the "distance" issue. Maybe it's a mirage. Heating and A/C are issues I haven't seen addressed. Seems a small efficient combustion engine is still needed for that.
--Vic
Even real old companies like renault, mercedes and vw are coming out with electric cars
************** I know, everyone is being put in the position of having, or claiming to be working on, electrical cars.If you know me at all, you know that I am very conservative about things like this. As far as I can tell, none of these cars are really really ready to be sold en masse and used on the highways, any more than the electrics that went in my Reatta were ready to be used either.
There is still a little bit of "Popular Science" cover story about these cars.
They WILL come in time, no doubt. I would rather have a redheaded Italian wife or a gambling addiction, though, at this stage of the development.
Heating is not an issue. They have used electrical cars in finnland for years without heating problems. The electrical cars do not need to ventilate as much as the combustion (and hybrids) do because there are no fumes to get rid of so there is a lot less heating needed and the heat from you is more or less enough. Also during standstill when the battery is recharged it is also possible to heat the car. There are lot of new things most people need to learn and rethink regarding electrical cars. The old car companies never wanted electrical cars and have tried their utmost to stop this change. They still are with the hybrids where they are muddling the issue. The hybrids are worse than the old cars but pluginhybrids are sort of ok as a short time interim solution - or - maybe not.
All the old car companies are pretending to care but they are more or less forced into electric because of the internet and outsider companies making real electrics. Only thing holding back electrics now is production capacity.
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