GM Highwire

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AndrewGS @ Aug 14 2006, 12:10 AM) [snapback]302863[/snapback]</div>

I used to say the same thing. In fact, I invested quite a bit of money (well, quite a bit of my gambling money, which isn't very much) in fuel-cell stocks about 5-6 years ago, and I lost my shirt. It was an expensive lesson, but I learned that a lot of people putting a lot of money on the line doesn't mean they're making better decisions than you. I don't know why GM and Ford (and to some extent the Japanese companies) put so much money into hydrogen research, but 5 years later I don't see much result of it. All of the independent (pure-play) companies I was looking at then are still losing money. (I try to keep up-to-date, just in case a couple developments come along that change the field, and I should reinvest in it).

Battery-electric vehicles (probably paired with additional technology for power boosts, like ultra-caps, flywheel, hydraulic compression, etc.) are much more efficient well-to-wheel, are simpler and require fewer advancements in fewer disciplines to be made to be nearly comparable to today's vehicles. Again I don't know why there isn't a major manufacturer making an electric vehicle. Some say it uses too few parts and auto-manufacturers would lose jobs, but if somebody like Ford would make money, they don't care about jobs, especially since that will be a gradual thing as sales increase. Maybe they had to get comfortable with the life-cycle of NiMH, maybe that's too expensive/heavy in that quantitiy and they're waiting for cheap Li-Ion or something. Maybe they think the next big thing just has to be complex and difficult and overlook BEVs? I'm sure darelldd has an opinion on this. It's a mystery, but I know hydrogen will not be commercialized in the next decade, but a BEV could be.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AndrewGS @ Aug 13 2006, 09:53 PM) [snapback]302634[/snapback]</div>

problem is that using clean power to create ethanol is not cost effective.

Not only that, but current E85 creates only 26% more energy than what is used in the process of creating it. If you add 30% lower mpg for E85, you actually lose energy by creating E85.

There is nothing mysterious in creating an E85 capable car, any car, including hybrids... It would take around $200 to convert Prius to E85 car...