Why is the auto industry so slow to come up with more practical technology?

Question

I was watching CNN and some very resourceful individuals have taken out their car engines and replaced them with batteries. Why is it that car manufacturers can't offer consumers battery cars at a reasonable price?

Answer 1

well, first of all auto makers are doing business. They can't just carelessly use a new technology, that maybe is profitable.

There's also a lot of investment involved. After you design some technology, you have to make some machines that will be able to create them in mass production

Answer 2

No one has taken out an engine and replaced it with batteries and gotten acceptable performance out of the vehicle yet.  The technology does not exist to make batteries powerful enough, light enough and cheaply enough to do that.  That is why Chevy is spending billions to develop their electric car which may or may not come out in 2010.

Answer 3

Eco-friendly car has to be driven by electricity. Thus, development of eco-friendly electrical car depends mostly on development of efficient batteries.

In my opinion, we very much lack in developing proper efficient batteries for car / vehicles which has capacity to store higher energy density.

We are yet to develop compact, sufficiently larger capacity of batteries which can run for longer time before being recharged.

For more on the subject and other environmental issues please refer my blog: http://www.environmentengineering.blogsp...

Answer 4

First, the problem is the American Auto Industry, the rest of the world has long ago moved on while the US makers sit twiddling their thumbs stuck in the 70's a good example is the New Dodge Challenger...they just don't get it and that is why all three are near bankruptsy!

Answer 5

There are a three main reasons why.....

Reason 1: Auto-companies make to much money off of current technology and since the current technology is still available and is still in high demand they see no reason to forcefully purse alternative technologies that will be real problem solvers, like an all electric car.

Reason 2: auto-companies do not change unless they are forced to by the government and/or drastic loses in their market shares due to stagnation. You have to remember that it took a law to get seat belts, a law to get airbags, a law to raise average mileage, and so on.

Reason 3: Auto-companies are to interested in the short term gain. Like every new technology that is introduced to the market (no matter how "NEW" it actually is) it always cost more to produce in the beginning which results in lower profits, so they would rather maintain current profits and take and promise the good stuff is right around the corner with no intention of delivering until forced to (even then they will put up a fight).

Answer 6

Ever design a car? Neither have I but I do know it takes almost 3 years to get through with the testing because of regulations and laws and potential lawsuits from shihzter lawers.

Most of the stories are fake and besides where do we get the electricity to re-charge all of these cars? What about commercial vehicles? What about planes? See you have no idea what you are talking about but merely parroting the tv and stupid people. Oh there is one other thing: The distances these cars can go is very small the most they go are 40 miles before charging. Think this is enough? Reset your odometer before you leave the house and see how short 40 miles really is.

Answer 7

remember GM and its Impact. if I remember correctly, GM spent over a billion dollars on the Impact electric car program then crushed them. I wonder if that will happen to the chevy concept car the Volt?? if you go to EV Canada's site, you can see who is coming out with electric cars. the big three auto makers are out of touch and it seems they are having financial problems. as for performance, check out the White Zombie.

Answer 8

I am an engineer. It takes a really long time to do it right and test it enough so that every moron out there can get acceptable performance and reliability from their car. And how costly the infrastructure is out there to introduce a new technology. Look at the Prius. It takes forever to rget one repaired as only some Toyota dealers have invested in the training to be able to repair them. Anf people do not want to pay for it.

Answer 9

I suggest that all the people that say the technology to develop viable electric cars does not exist watch, " Who Killed The Electric Car"?  It is very informative and will make you say what the ####!!!

It made me VERY angry to think that we had it and lost it because of  CARB  and big business oil companies.

WATCH you will see what I mean.

Once the demand increases more companies will start developing more batteries with longer life at a lower price just to stay competetive.

As far as the question of "WHere will the electricty come from to charge all these batteries?" There is a giant source of FREE energy right above our heads. IT IS CALLED THE SUN!!!

Answer 10

There's very little motivation; research & development is expensive and so implementing new technologies. They make more money sticking to the old standard and we keep eating up their ridiculous trucks and SUV's.

Answer 11

It cost lots of money to Eng. it correctly and then it would have a range that the people want to buy...