Are the major car companies ever going to provide a decent Hybrid/Electric car?

Question

Or is it going to be Saturn electric car all over again?

The technology is available to easily provide 100mpg, yet we are still stuck with the Prius.

Answer 1

In truth, there is little reason to aim for 100 mpg in simple terms. Electricly powered vehicles, both hydrogen fuel cell and battery-based, could quite possibly be on the market in very large numbers within a decade. However, both are, and will be, very expensive when they first come out, and the technology for both is still in development. So, long and short, there is no point to a 100 mpg car, because the expense of making one practical would be comparable to a gas-free car (if not more).

Answer 2

Watch the movie " Who killed the electric car?" I watched it a few days ago.Possible the car industry is not going to make anymore electric cars then again who knows? . I made me think about these auto makers and how the government let them get away with this. I hope H/b is an introduction to make more electric cars.

We are working on a project to make our own electric car. Already have the motor for it  now looking to buy a small stick shift (body)  car.:)

Answer 3

the current (no pun intended) production hybrids, well ,design them as a series hybrid, meaning throw away the transmission, go to a smaller more fuel efficient engine, match it to a alternator. the electric motors are far more efficient motive force. in the day to day operation, after running to the store or coffee shop etc, go home and plug it in to recharge the battery. when you need to go long distances, you start up the power plant and go. an engine that's tuned to run at a constant rpm will be more efficient.  OH! I APPOLOGIZE! the oil industry doesn't like fuel efficient vehicles now do they??? I'm in favor for the pure battery powered vehicle for the general day to day running doing your coffee shop, grocery and work vehicle. save your gas guzzeling fume spittin' buggies for the family vacation. and speaking of series hybrid, I have completed a conversion to a motorcycle. it has passed inspection (tax grab here in BC) it has a small engine powering an alternator, charging the battery pack as needed, can also be plugged into a base charger. in other words, a Plug in Series Hybrid. Have a Nice Day.

Answer 4

The Chevy Volt looks promising. It's a plug-in hybrid, not on the market yet though. Nice looking car, too.

http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/

Answer 5

Who cares what the major car companies are doing?  We're not "stuck with" anything.

Take a look at this:

"100% electric

0-60 in 3.9 seconds

135 MPG

220 Miles per charge"

Tesla Roadster.  They're in production NOW (starting March 17th, 2008).  Sure, they're $100,000, but it's an all-electric car that's available now.  It's more than decent.  And you don't have to wait three years (Tesla should have a sedan out before then) for some "unexpected delay" by a major car company.

Answer 6

The prius is a "decent" car, perhaps not the best that could be achieved but for the price it is very good.

but people would rather buy large expensive heavy 4x4 trucks or "executive" company cars with poor fuel efficiency

The large amount of opprobrium that gets heaped on the Prius is one reason. The motoring journalists hate "green" even if it delivers a much better driving experience, smooth quiet, etc. It somehow threatens their masculinity/expert status/power.

eg in UK negligable coverage of the Norfolk built Tesla sports car http://www.teslamotors.com. Top Gear fossil heads would rather crash a 250mph jet car than mention the 350-400mph electric bluebird.

http://www.speedace.info

Answer 7

Sure. But not until someone shows them how.

Care to volunteer?

Answer 8

If 100 mpg is so simple ,make it and it will sell and u will be worth millions.

Answer 9

Just don't buy a new car until they make one that's up to  the standards worth buying.   Tell them at the dealership why your not buying it and maybe they will get it through there thick heads it's what the customer wants not what the oil companies want.

Answer 10

the solar race cars get far more.

but then, if they're in an accident, the driver's in a bit of trouble.

and, of course, there's no room for a passenger, or groceries, or, in most cases, even a rear view mirror.

seems that our auto safety laws are making us die less often, but burn more gas.

as for, they're just trying to sell us a new one every few years, don't you think that Hundai would jump on this in a week if it were possible?

get over it, there isn't a giant global conspiracy against global warming, cars, houses, jobs, or whatever.

stuff just is what it is.

Answer 11

I wouldn't label the Prius as technology wasted. A modified Prius would be capable of 80 mpg, but I strongly feel the US consumer wouldn't be interested in such a product: No a/c on account of both its weight and its power consumption. Also out due to weight would be bumpers, power steering, power windows and automatic transmission.

Answer 12

I am working on a new type of engine, but it costs so much to even get one developed and the government is not helping.

Answer 13

They will make it if people will buy it.  100mpg is nothing, yahoo had an article the other day where some engineering team built a car that went 7,124 miles on one gallon of gas!

Answer 14

yea, they are just trying to get money of us. they are increasing the MPG slowly, they can make it up to 75 mpg but they are making more money first by releasing crapppier versions, then they will start releasing better ones,

Answer 15

Batteries have improved dramatically in the past two decades.  Electric cars will keep improving.  However, if you plug in your car at home and the power comes from coal, what have you accomplished?  Nuclear power puts no pollution into the atmosphere and leaves a tiny amount of radioactive spent fuel.  Those global warming wackos are the same people blocking the building of new nuke plants.  Somehow those left leaning French have kept their lefties in check and lead the world in Nuclear power having started with an American, Westinghouse design.

Answer 16

Your logic is flawed.  If the technology is available to easily provide 100 mpg why is there an X prize contest to build the first car to get 100 mpg?  It can't be that easy!

Answer 17

They would if they can make them cost effective. The major car companies are not going to invest in making a car that the average consumer cannot afford. They will lose money.

Answer 18

Yes, they are.

There's the Chevy Volt, available hopefully in 2010.

http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/

Toyota is working on a plug-in version of the Prius.  The first one will probably use NiMh batteries and get around 80 mpg, hopefully available in early 2009.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automoti...

Soon after that they'll switch to lithium ion batteries and it will probably get over 100 mpg.

Mitsubishi is working on an electric car to be available in 2010.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/07/...

Many other big auto companies like Ford are also working on plug-in hybrids and electric cars.  Many small companies will have them available in the next year or two as well.

Available in California in October 2008, the Aptera typ-1e will cost about $27,000 with a top speed of 95 mph and range of 120 miles per charge.

http://www.aptera.com/details.php

Soon thereafter Aptera will introduce the typ-1h, a plug-in hybrid version of the typ-1e with a 40-60 mile range on purely electrical energy, and a range of over 600 miles total when in electric/gas hybrid mode, for around $30,000.  On a 120 mile trip, the typ-1h will get 300 miles per gallon.  The shorter the trip, the higher the efficiency.

http://www.aptera.com/details.php

Available in late 2009, the ZAP Alias will cost $30,000, have a top speed of 100 mph, and a range of 100 miles per charge.

http://zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/el...

Soon thereafter the ZAP-X will be available at a cost of $60,000 with a top speed of 155 mph and a range of 350 miles per charge.

http://zapworld.com/electric-vehicles/el...

Available in 2009, the Miles Javlon will cost $30-35,000 with a top speed of 80 mph and a range of 120 miles per charge.

http://www.milesev.com/index.asp#hsv.swf

Phoenix Motorcars will start selling their SUT to individuals in late 2008 or early 2009.  It will cost $45,000 and have a top speed of 100 mph with a range of 100+ miles per charge.

http://phoenixmotorcars.com/