How ridiculous is it that we have to settle for hybrids, when we could have electric cars?

Question

I recently just saw the documentary called, "Who killed the Electric car?". It talks about this amazing little car which is powered by electricity. It's smaller, faster, and gives off NO harmful emissions. The car can charge at night, and be well enough to get you through the day. It can even be used as a GENERATOR for your house in a power-outage. Well, guess what? GM buys out all the batteries which are used in these cars, which means-- No more electric car.

Now people are worrying about global warming, and getting HYBRIDS!! Figure that? Even though, we had a perfectly fine car working for the enviroment until GM recalled them, destroyed them and destroyed their batteries. No more electric cars.

Whats your opinion?

Answer 1

I saw that movie once in school. The oil company just wants to make money and they really don't care about the environment. Hybrids are pretty good but the oil company owns more money so even if they do make an electric car they will do what they did before. Electricity is also a problem to the environment. I suggest getting a prius. They have really good gas miles.

Answer 2

That the oil companies have the car makers by the balls

Answer 3

i know its kinda retarded and it costs more to have hybrids now

Answer 4

what about a water powered car that converts water to hydrogen on demand with a form of synthesized electrolysis. and then sends the hydrogen to a combustion engine? the only by product would be water NO POLLUTION!!!

Answer 5

Just as ridiculous as it is to meandor around thinking that of all the people who are smart enough to make a decision in the world... only the unqualified make the right ones. Your the only sain person in a crazy world... NO REALLY YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE! Now step away from the blue pill, and take the red pill.

Answer 6

don't fall for that lame propaganda.  When it is profitable, they will sell electric cars.... and it just so happens GM will shortly be selling the Volt...   The car companies are in business to make money, just like everyone else.

Answer 7

they dont build electric cars because the gas stations r going 2 lose $. soon the gas will be gone and they will make more electric cars.

Answer 8

GM sold the battery patens to Chevron/texaco, who then sued Toyota/panasonic huge $$ and stoped them producing big NiMH batteries, hence hybrids because battery only range is 1-2 miles

Newer vehicles like the Tesla sportscar http://teslamotors.com or the Phoenix SUTtp://www.phoenixnmotorcars.com use Li similar to mobilephone, but with safer construction, see killacycle crash http://killacycle.com/

and teh batteries can be recharged in 10 minutes and have a very long life (>10 years) before needing recycling

Answer 9

electric cars would be great, but the oil companies wont let it happen. People have invented items to make vehicles run on other things besides gas, diesel, ect. They have invented hydrogen fueled vehicles, ect, and guess what, the oil companies tried to "buy" the people out so they would not invent the product for sale or use. One guy did this, and they tried to buy him, he said no, and this person just happened to disapear, never heard from again... And Im sure that this has happened more times.

Answer 10

The key words are "affordable alternatives."  Did you look at what the selling price for that electric car was?  Or it's performance?  It wasn't a reaslistic option.  

Companies continue with projects that consumers buy. Consumers, in large part, determine what stays on the market.  

Also, let's not dilute ourselves to think the search for alternative feuls has to do with pollution.  It's focus is getting off oil dependence.

Lastly, gas is a great fuel because it yields a high net energy yield.  An alternative would have to match that, and be cheaper, or it won't sell.

Answer 11

So you buy an electric car...if there is one. The batteries will last maybe 5-8 years IF you take care of them. Replacing that battery pack is in the neighborhood of $8000 to $10,000 dollars. Which of course the old batteries now go to a landfill unless they can be rebuilt and many can not. Until batteries get more range or cars get much lighter, electric cars remain a niche item sadly.

The better short term solution is the cleaner diesel that already exists. With the arrival of low-sulfur diesel( in the US, Europe has had it for a long time now), many cars are getting close to 60mpg without a battery pack and have extremely low emissions.  That would be 30% more range than the best cars that now exist in gasoline. No more black smoke, no more clanking engines, the diesel Golf is almost as fast as their GTI.  The Euros have had them for years and they love them.



The huge C-class Mercedes Benz is a four door luxury car and it gets 35mpg with six seats!

Answer 12

All an electric car will ever be good for is short range, back and forth to work travel. You will have to have a second car for trips.  

It takes more energy to build a car than it will ever use.

Answer 13

yea your right whatever that oil companies dont like they will destroy and thats what they did to the electric car.

Answer 14

Essentially the hybrid s a marketing gimmik.  There is a n independant manufactureer (Tessla Motors) that is about to put a high end elelectric sports car into production.

They will eventually offer a lower cost model--their business model calls for targeting and establishing a foothold in the luxury market and then using that as a springboard to marketing economy and mid-range models.

Electrics are on the way--and, as you pointed out, the technology is there to make them very practical.  The biggest block is the special interests.  But--we also need to remember that the electricity needs to come from somewhere--and support policy changes that will encourae solar, wind, and other alterantive enrgy technologies.  Otherwise, all the electric car will do is draw electricity produced by burning coal--and that doesn't help a whole lot.

Answer 15

I personally think the idea of an electric car is insane. The car would have to be charged with electricity and that’s a new problem in them making. We already use way too much electricity and in the summer time there are whole neighborhood with brown outs do to too much electric running. Let’s not forget that the cost of electricity is a lot more then the cost of gas. Don’t think using eclectic is better for the environment, that too is one of the many causes of the whole Global warming thing.

I saw a show on TV a while back where this guy figured out a way to use old used cooking grease to power a car. Now that idea I would go for.

Answer 16

Your question does not make sense. Why would a large company kill off a product that can make them billions. The answer is that there is not a market for a car that needs recharging every 40 miles. The car is just not practical. I also would like to correct one of your statements which is false. That statement is that people are worrying about global warming. THe correct statement would be that a few lunies woory about global warming. Educated people realize that global warming is a hoax. What normal people are worrying about is the cost to fight this hoax. All the trillions of dollars wasted which could go a long way towards ending global hunger and poverty. Think about it for awhile.

Answer 17

the batteries that run electric cars are just as damaging to the environment as burning fossil fuels

makes no difference, as there is no lesser of the two evils here

Answer 18

I agree 100%!! It is ridiculous! I wish that I could buy a hybrid, but I can't afford one. Better yet, I wish there were still electric cars, but of course, now we'll have to wait years for them to come back around. Very ridiculous. This is one reason why we need to vote in the next presidential election for someone that is environmentally conscious!!

Answer 19

I agree with you I've seen the docu as well years ago

Answer 20

I agree. But why wouldn't the auto makers want to get the dollars out of us. We have the technology, but if they can get $20,000 per car from us for a new car every 10ish years? So I blame the auto makers greed!