<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Nov 8 2007, 02:14 PM) [snapback]536878[/snapback]</div> Indeed. Or a mix of PHEV and EV. The perfect is the enemy of the good. We need a good short/midterm solution. Hydrogen is not that solution (even if it turns out to be "the bomb" (sorry, couldn't resist) it's at best a long term solution. More than likely it's not going to be a transportation sector solution at all (could be a great thing for stationary power, however). The good news is that we don't really need anything new. We just need political will and economies of scale. The bad news is that at the moment we lack both.
Again My outlook of EV vehicles, at the present time they dont work for me. They do however work for those who own them.. thats great for them.. What would work for me? A car the size of the camry with a 300-500 mile range per charge, with the air on that will cruise at hwy speeds, and would be comp priced as a non-EV. Then I would be sold.. B) We have beaten the power plant issue into the ground on previous posts and the idea of opening those makes my head hurt. :lol: Unless you have those fancy solar panels and can charge the car for free at home.. And even have the power co pay you! I would love to have a 3cyl bio-diesel hybrid, then imagine the mileage!!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hycamguy07 @ Nov 8 2007, 05:07 PM) [snapback]536960[/snapback]</div> Of course, if oil keeps going the way it has, the EV could cost $100K and still be cheaper.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ Nov 9 2007, 12:03 AM) [snapback]537079[/snapback]</div> That would be nice as people would have to revert back to horse back & buggies...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(huskers @ Nov 7 2007, 11:48 AM) [snapback]536174[/snapback]</div> I think it's started - just not caved in. Those that say: "I don't care if it's $10 a gallon." - think again What about the truckers that deliver all the food and other goods? Other deliveries? Cab drivers? What about SouthWest and American Airlines raising their fares within the last month to cover fuel costs? So your job does not have a significant slice of the budget for energy costs?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ Nov 9 2007, 12:59 PM) [snapback]537295[/snapback]</div> Excellent Point Deltaflyer! *Deliveries, Food & other Goods prices will start to rise. This is the sign of progress? Years ago the trains were steam and ran on wood or coal. As a sign of progress they converted to diesel. they get lousy MPGs.. The car market had steam vehicles and EVs but they gave way to a thing called progress and gas & diesel all but wiped them out.. Now look at us today.... Have we really progressed or are we just trying to use up all our natural resources?? :mellow:
They'll have to find a different way. And they will. The railroad will make a big come back. It's far more efficient to haul goods by train than semis. Ships just might start using wind again (not exclusively, but as supplemental power, there are companies working on this, mostly in Europe). Mainly, a metric shiteload of wasteful consumption will be eliminated. That's a good thing. There will be far less useless plastic packaging. People will buy their own grocery bags instead of using disposable plastic ones. These are good things. The short term will suck, but the mid/long term will be better for it. On a historical note, it was the discovery of oil in Texas that killed the EV (of course, batteries weren't anywhere near up to snuff 100 years ago). The price of gas dropped an order of magnitude. I think this happened in 1901. Henry Ford's innovations were the other piece of the puzzle.
Oil is at $87 today.About a ten dollar drop this week. IMO the runup was caused by the anticipation of a US invasion of Iran. The recent NIE has alleviated that reasoning amongst speculators.
Yeah, there's always a geopolitcal component to the price of oil. That's generally a bad thing. There is still considerable upward pressure on the price as the result of increasing demand. Just look at where oil was 8 years ago. So we've got two forces as work. One is pretty inexorable and the other is wildly variable. That makes for a pretty wild ride.
Wasn't it in the 80"s when oil cost 100 a barrel and we were still only paying $1-1.10 a gal.? Seems like someones getting the pockets lined.... Maybe its that new hummer they just got.....
