Who Killed the Electric Car

Interesting documentary. GM may not be in the mess they are today if they hadn't killed this technology.

 

They would be in worse shape because the market has not embraced electric automobiles and GM still would have been crippled by its overpaid union.

 

You have a point about the union. But, the market would've radically changed with the advent of electric cars, the public would've embraced the car if allowed.

 

I disagree. I think the documentary and other agenda-driven sources paint this rosy, unrealistic picture of the situation in order to advance this idea that corporations are evil and the government has to force them to do the right thing "for the environment." The reality is that electricity has never been viewed by automakers in any nation as a viable replacement for petroleum. There is no worldwide conspiracy, so don't you think that if electric cars were really that effective the Japanese would have pursued the technology given that they have almost no natural sources of oil?

 

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Nobody said it was a replacement, just a viable alternative. The EV1 could go 150 miles on a single charge, which is more than enough for most peoples' daily commute. If not the EV1, why not hybrid technology? My point is that GM made a HUGE mistake in not pursuing more fuel efficient vehicles sooner.

 

No, I think the auto industry is like "everyone" else. It took/takes the easiest, cheapest, most cost effective way out. As long as there's oil, and countries have goods and services for trade, they'll trade what's readily available and established rather than venture into something different or new. Science and conscience are not in control, "easy money" men are.

 

This is another thing the documentary touched on. The EV1 was virtually maintanence free, with no oil or oil filters. It had no cooling system to speak of. No catalytic convertor or muffler. The brakes would last forever because the electric motor helped in slowing the car down when you pressed the brakes. It also used some of that kinetic energy to repower the battery. Think of how much money your average mechanic makes in servicing your car. Think of how much money companies make selling parts to your mechanic. Now think of how much money they would lose with this technology.

 

And your point is still wrong. GM's problems have not come from the type of vehicles they sell, but rather from labor and other back-end costs. Moreover, anyone who knows much about the auto industry is aware both that hybrids have made little impact on the market and that auto makers had far bigger profit margins on SUVs than anything else they sold. You might be able to make an argument that the auto industry should have been pushing alternative fuels for the good of the country (although that's anti-capitalist, as they should really just be doing what's best for their business), but you cannot legitimately argue that doing so would have helped them financially. That's simply not true.

When you watch a documentary with an obvious agenda, you need to watch it skeptically. Ask yourself questions and cross-reference the information with data from other sources. Plus, like I said earlier, you can just ask yourself common sense things like why Japanese automakers haven't embraced alternative technologies when they have even less access to petroleum than the U.S. These "documentaries" are not really about telling the truth so much as trying to convert people to their point of view.

 

First let me say that I NEVER said these factors DIDN'T contribute to GM's problems. This is your problem, you always assume someone isn't seeing the whole picture when they are trying to make a point.

Second, how do you explain the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, and Honda Civic/Civic Hybrid being among the best sellers last year without acknowledging their fuel efficiency? These cars beat GM and Ford products hands down. I know a guy who was on the waiting list for a Prius for over a month. In fact, Toyota sold more Prius' than Ford did Explorers in 2007.

As far as companies doing what is best for their business, I think the numbers speak for themselves. Ford and GM were not forward thinking. GM has cut production of the Hummer. Explorer sales are lagging. These companies put too much faith in these products and did little to diversify. I'm sure you will come back with some snide remark about how I'm an idiot, but you know I'm right.