They're doing exactly that. The Chevrolet Volt has already entered the production cycle. The Volt is an electric car featuring next-generation motors and batteries, with gasoline-powered generator to generate electricity.
The GM Sequel isn't far behind. It is also an electric car with wheel-mounted independent motors. Rather than fossil fuels, this car uses a hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant to generate electricity, which emits only pure water. To reuse Luke's quote from above, "Nuclear Power + Water Hydrolysis + This Car = Win."
Both are able to be plugged in to charge, and the Volt will eventually also be offered in a fuel-cell version. GM's actually way ahead of the game where next-generation power plants are concerned, especially with fuel-cell technology.
You forget that fuel-cell vehicles cost an upwards of ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
Electric cars are cheap compared to this and their fuel is even cheaper than this air car. Hydrogen is currently created via gasoline emissions and it would take years and millions more dollars setting up solar gas stations for hydrogen conversion.
Just think about this; hydrogen cars operate as thus. Hydrogen ---> Electricity to power motor ---> water emission.
Electric cars operate like this. Electricity to power car ---> no emissions.
If they had simply thrown batteries in, let you plug it in at night, you would get the same, if not more mileage and only pay 5 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour.
Fuel cell vehicles cost nowhere near 1 million dollars, even in their current prototype state.
The production Chevrolet Volt will be affordable, and GM has stated that they're willing to sell it at a loss to do so.
Electric cars have two problems: range and performance. Both of these problems are addressed by having a power plant on board. The Volt uses a gasoline generator, and the Sequel uses a Fuel Cell generator.
The Sequel is considered a zero-emission vehicle, just like an electric with no power plant. Pure water emissions are not harmful, and could even be beneficial.
Both of the GM vehicles have batteries, and allow you to plug them in, so that their onboard power plant will operate only when necessary.
The vast majority of residential electricity in the US is created by burning fossil fuels. If you charge a plug-in hybrid or an electric vehicle with no power plant, you're still requiring that coal, oil, or natural gas be burned somewhere else.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt @ May 27th 2007 8:25PM
They're doing exactly that. The Chevrolet Volt has already entered the production cycle. The Volt is an electric car featuring next-generation motors and batteries, with gasoline-powered generator to generate electricity.
The GM Sequel isn't far behind. It is also an electric car with wheel-mounted independent motors. Rather than fossil fuels, this car uses a hydrogen-fuel-cell power plant to generate electricity, which emits only pure water. To reuse Luke's quote from above, "Nuclear Power + Water Hydrolysis + This Car = Win."
Both are able to be plugged in to charge, and the Volt will eventually also be offered in a fuel-cell version. GM's actually way ahead of the game where next-generation power plants are concerned, especially with fuel-cell technology.
Ignatius @ May 28th 2007 12:15AM
You forget that fuel-cell vehicles cost an upwards of ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
Electric cars are cheap compared to this and their fuel is even cheaper than this air car. Hydrogen is currently created via gasoline emissions and it would take years and millions more dollars setting up solar gas stations for hydrogen conversion.
Just think about this; hydrogen cars operate as thus. Hydrogen ---> Electricity to power motor ---> water emission.
Electric cars operate like this. Electricity to power car ---> no emissions.
If they had simply thrown batteries in, let you plug it in at night, you would get the same, if not more mileage and only pay 5 to 10 cents per kilowatt hour.
Matt @ May 28th 2007 1:47AM
Some information of which you should be aware:
Fuel cell vehicles cost nowhere near 1 million dollars, even in their current prototype state.
The production Chevrolet Volt will be affordable, and GM has stated that they're willing to sell it at a loss to do so.
Electric cars have two problems: range and performance. Both of these problems are addressed by having a power plant on board. The Volt uses a gasoline generator, and the Sequel uses a Fuel Cell generator.
The Sequel is considered a zero-emission vehicle, just like an electric with no power plant. Pure water emissions are not harmful, and could even be beneficial.
Both of the GM vehicles have batteries, and allow you to plug them in, so that their onboard power plant will operate only when necessary.
The vast majority of residential electricity in the US is created by burning fossil fuels. If you charge a plug-in hybrid or an electric vehicle with no power plant, you're still requiring that coal, oil, or natural gas be burned somewhere else.