Comments on: The Race For The Electric Car

Competition To Build A Viable Electric Car Heats Up, As Silicon Valley Gets Into The Game

[incog-nito]

THE key to fuel-efficiency is aerodynamics. At speeds above 40 mph air resistance becomes a big factor. Automakers used to pay attention to this, but inexplicably stopped doing so and started making blocky, squarish vehicles with horrible aerodynamics. Instead they rely on sheer horsepower to push a vehicle down the road at high speed. No wonder today''s cars get crappy gas mileage.

[williamgdc]

What%u2019s the big deal about trying to produce an inexpensive electric car?

India has had such a car for about 7 years now, the REVA. Current models offer a top speed of 40 mph and a range of 50 miles. The cost is about $7,000 and it runs on less than 2 cents per mile.

%u201CThe export model in Europe is classified as a quadricycle (category L7e) under European law; it has received Full EU Type approval, which means it meets all European automotive mechanical and electrical standards governing emissions, safety and other relevant factors.%u201D

See:
http://www.revaindia.com/aboutevs.htm
http://www.revaindia.com/aboutus.htm
http://www.revaindia.com/faqs.htm

William

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it does not take a genius to see the folly of those "alternative-wannabes".

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it does not take a genius to see the folly of those "alternative-wannabes".

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it does not take a genius to see the folly of those "alternative-wannabes".

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it does not take a genius to see the folly of those "alternative-wannabes".

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it does not take a genius to see the folly of those "alternative-wannabes".

[shovethis1]

GM had an electric car, the EV1. Most of the people who owned EV1''s wanted to keep them. Name a Secretary of state who has oil tanker named after her? What company (Haliburton) has profited after a war was started by the company''s president (Chaney) resulting in thousands of young Americans dying? The Bush administration killed it. The oil companies do not want it. Who pays for ad time on TV networks, and politicians back pockets? What vp candidates husband (Palin) works for EXXON?

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it does not take a genius to see the folly of those "alternative-wannabes".

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it does not take a genius to see the folly of those "alternative-wannabes".

[jamesmrush]

(cont)
The fact that it may be good for the environment and reduce one''s "carbon footprint" will be purely an ancillary benefit - one which some will care deeply about and others not at all. Tying the search for alternatives to our current energy use and production to the environmental movement is - unfortunately - not a boon to the search and may end up being a hidrance by confusing the issue with the general population. The majority of people just want what they have now (warm homes, decent-sized cars that will run for hundreds of miles when need be, etc) but have it cost less. I wish the best of luck to Mr. Lutz in his chase - I only wish that he or someone had the foresight to position their company for this inevitability much earlier.

[jamesmrush]

This was a very interesting story, but Ms. Stahl is guilty of something just about every other story on the search for alternative energy vehicles is ... intertwining the search for a viable alternative-energy vehicle with the "Green" movement. Ms. Stahl''s comments about Mr. Lutz''s carbon footprint and the "problem" with electric vehicles being that the majority of electricity produced in the U.S. is generated by coal-fired plants is misplaced. This "problem" is only a problem if your PRIMARY objective is to reduce carbon emissions. I would argue that Mr. Lutz''s apparent disdain for the Green movement and his seemingly incongruous actions of staking his company''s future on the pursuit of an electric (alternative energy) vehicle is evidence enough of the changing times we are entering. In order for any energy revolution or alternative energy vehicle to succeed it MUST make sense in terms of dollars for the utility companies, car companies, and individual consumers.

[bonker64]

The problem is even if we make electric cars here in the usa, they make them so exspensive that only the rich can drive them, thats the problem its all about money and the government doesn''t do anything about it.

[trobwild]

Your commentary about the future of electric cars did not include the Canadian Electric Car maker that has an exclusive agreement with a private company called eestor that is making a completely different type of battery that could be a hugh game changer event. They expect to have a production model using this battery in late 2009.

[slim1h2o]

Get out of the way Detroit. The only true visionary that was there, was Henry Ford, A hundred years ago,

Not a very good track record if you should ask me.

[nfgpncoti]

I must write in to comment on the Electric Car segment of last night''s program. I am ashamed of the entire crew, including Lesley Stahl, the producers, director and the managemtn of the program. How dare Ms Stahl ask BobLutz how many helicopters he and his wife have? Unless all of the CBS crew are prepared to list your personal assets attached to the show notes, I feel this type of personal attacks remind one of a socialist government. I hope your educated viewer community (now minus one) don''t stand for this type of program content and voice their opinions now.

[fharlass]

Dear Mr. Lutz: If a single person can be assigned much of the backward thinking in Detroit, it is you. You have made numerous statments over the years reflecting fuel efficient cars. Why they keep you at GM is beyond the understanding of many people. Get out of the way and let modern day thinkers do their thing. You belong with Ford''s Edsel. Why not retire - T-Rex?

[missingamerica]

Somebody must be getting worried about the arrival of decent electric cars...

How else do you explain the 40% reduction in the price of oil, when I have seen no figures to date that show the reduction in the demand for oil in the face of this Republican economic collapse to be more than 5%?

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it did not take a genius to see the folly of these other "alternative-wannabes".

[billdale]

(cont''d 2):
Even if oil supplies are your energy source of choice, they are quickly dwindling-- especially since India and China are suddenly putting millions of their countrymen in gas-powered cars every year, depleting supplies ever faster, so gasoline prices will inevitably climb regardless of the best intentions of federal regulators.
At today''s gasoline prices, it would not take long to pay off an otherwise expensive EV. And once the car is paid for, you''d only be paying a few dollars a week for electricity rather than the hundred or so you''d spend for a week''s worth of gasoline-- and if you install solar panels on the roof of your house to charge your EV, that cost could drop to nearly nothing, while your neighbors in their gas guzzlers will see the wisdom of the EV you drive.
Lesley also dismisses EVs as some kind of flash-in-the-pan like hydrogen fuel cells, ethanol and others, but it did not take a genius to see the folly of these other "alternative-wannabes".