Why do some americans get so bent out of shape at the mere mention of developing electric cars?

Question

I just dont get it. Are they like oil company stockholders or something? Seems like just saying, "hey why don't we try to see if we can have a goal that within the next 20 years progressively all gasoline and fossil fueled powered cars will off the roads of the U.S and lets go for electric cars starting now." and these people are ready to fight.

Why is that?

Answer 1

no one is against a good electric car.

Answer 2

Don't know what you're talking about. People are clamoring for smaller cars.Smart Cars and hybrids. Toyota can't keep up with the demand for Priuses so they are building a plant in the USA. GM is coming out with an all electric car next year.

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

Answer 3

They are afraid someone will take away their toys -- i.e 350 HP fast cars.

Or they don't realize we had electric cars 100 years ago.

Answer 4

It is beyond me, they probably think that having an electric car will make them socialist ...and we all know socialists are so bad.....ignorance is bliss

Answer 5

Some are shortsighted who see how woefully inept electric cars are at this time, and seem incapable of imagining them improving substantially.

Others will point out that if the cars get their energy from gas powered electric companies, we haven't gained much.

Others point to the logistics of having to plug in instead of just refueling.

But I imaging plug-in spots opening up next to restaurants, malls & other sites.  So people would plug in & eat for an hour while their car recharges or for a couple hours while they shop.  (Plug the car in - slide your credit card - go into the restaurant, mall or other site)

Answer 6

I have never heard ANYONE speak against new technology.  In fact, the first person I heard speak for developing hydrogen powered autos was Bush...you know the one the libs still think is secretly tied to big oil ;)

Answer 7

I don't think the average guy is "against them" - but there is a lot of negative publicity (originating I suspect with the oil industry) that claims they are:

1) slow

2) expensive

3) lack range

4) will all come from abroad

Number 4, sadly is probably right since GM, Ford and Chrysler have wasted the easy profits they made in the past and have only belatedly started serious R&D on electric and hybrid cars.

But, number 1,2 and 3 will all be overcome and there will be a new generation of cars arriving sooner than we think.

Answer 8

There are problems with electric cars.

1. To work, they must be very light, which means they are generally unsafe. Canada bans almost all elec cars, even though companies there make 11 different kinds for export.

2. Elec cars need batteries. Batteries that can safely store enough energy, is the largest problem to developing elec cars.

Large batteries, tend to overheat and catch on fire.

There is not a single hazardious waste facility in the US authorized to dispose of elec car batteries. Right now, they are all shipped to the single facility in Canada, that can dispose of them, But Canada wants to close that facility down.

Since there is no safe way to dispose of elec car batteries, They always leak and the heavy metals enter the water tables.

Elec car batteries, are more hazardious to the enviroment, than nuclear waste.

3. Elec car batteries, need elec to work.

We already have a deficit in elec production in the US, widespread use of elec cars, would result in brownouts all over the US.

And since most of the elec in the US, is produced by fossil fuel powered elec power plants, ( the leading cause of green house gas's in the world ), using more elec cars, would result in more pollution.

Answer 9

Why would we do that?  I like the idea of electric cars but I don't know that it can happen in 20 years or if we want that to happen.  There really isn't a practical electric car right now.  If there was, the fossil fuel variety might be a better option.

fs

Answer 10

I honestly can't think of anyone that gets mad at the idea of electric cars.

I don't know where you're getting these ideas. Maybe I just don't hang around with the right people...or hear enough people ever saying that.