"What killed the electric car ?" --- "True Stories" on More4 last night
What do you think conspiracy theory to kill off the electric car or was the technology just not ready ?
It made me wonder --- the current Honda & Toyota hybrid electric vehicles have no provision for the owner charging from the mains -- hmm.
[Edited on 1/4/09 by britishtrident]
I didnt see it but i dont think the government would let it happen as the number of people employed in the oil companies that would lose their jobs
would be huge. Until electric cars are a big enough business to offset the job losses in the oil industry, it aint gonna happen
I watched it and was horrified.
When GM crushed all those EV1's I felt really angry.
I think this programme shows what big business is good for, perpetuating the status quo. Oil companies, car manufacturers and parts companies all
have a massive common interest in keeping oil powered cars.
So they allow a certain level of technological development, but choke supply so you can't buy them.
If a battery electric car requires 1 unit of electricity to travel a set distance and a hydrogen fuel cell car requires 3 unit of electricity to
generate the gas, transport it, store it and convert it into movement.
This is why I think it will be down to small businesses and entrepeneurs to make the changes.
I was impressed by the guy who owned Energy Conversion Devices.
I hope to make a motorbike, on a similar basis to Quitgas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzi4tL3QMWk
Cheers
Mike
The motor industry in particular is very conservative. They don't want to change anything. The sums of money invested in a new model is so huge
that they're scared witless of losing sales volume so they play it safe.
The oil industry, understandably, doesn't want its market to collapse. Even if electric cars were introduced in the west now, their market
wouldn't collapse as it is growing in Asia very quickly.
Understand that business exists for one reason only, to make money. They're not there for the good of the environment, the good of their
empoyees, the good of their customers or products. They want to make cash. If maintaining the status quo is the best or easiest way to do that then
that is what they'll do.
I maintain that electric motors are by far the best way to propel a vehicle. Batteries or power generation are what let the side down. As soon as
that problem is solved, electric cars will be everywhere. If the big companies won't do it (and I suspect many won't or will be late into
the game) new start ups will.
Ben Elton wrote a novel about this.
Very much ment to watch it, had it down as a must see, but then went out to pub.
Is is available on the ch4 website?
Daniel
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
Ben Elton wrote a novel about this.
I just googled What killed the electric car and watched on Google Video... check it out on there if you missed it.
Confirms my suspicions, particularly the bit about the oil company buying the battery factory and GM buying the trams....
Check this Leccy bike if you haven't already seen it. Its quick!
I fancy putting a leccy motor in my scooter, but where do I get the battery packs??
Steve