I just wonder how long it will be until the oil companies buy this company and moth ball it. I heard a lot of small companies with great EV ideas are getting bought up and scuttled. Of course I hope this isn't true.
I think EVs and these charging ideas are fantastic and need to be co-funded by the Obama admin and put on the fast track.
Why would the oil companies mothball it? It case you haven't noticed, the oil companies are becoming energy companies. If there's a profit to be made, you can be sure they will be all over it.
While we can all argue about how much oil remains, it's basically accepted as fact that oil production has peeking, and we'll run out at some point. The oil companies may as well get in on the ground floor. If anything, the oil companies have a great head start, as they own a lot of premium real estate, i.e. gas stations at major intersections. I believe you'll begin to see some of these converting into battery swap stations in the next decade or so.
"Why would the oil companies mothball it?" -- Oh, I don't know. Maybe because they did that very thing to the high tech batteries developed for the EV-1? The car had a 160 mile range in the late nineties. Texaco, of all places, bought the battery technology and mothballed it. Last year we had GM engineers talking about the Volt saying, "Oh, you know, battery technology isn't good enough to get the 40 mile range we want." You had 160 miles ten years ago, you dolts. You sold the battery tech to Texaco.
The EV1 was a 2 seat car, and there was nothing "advanced" about the batteries. The entire car was basically one big battery. It had a 160 mile range in warm weather locales, i.e. California and Nevada. That's why the car was never brought to the cold weather states. I'd like to see the range hauling a family of 4 w/ luggage through northern Wisconsin in January with the heat cranked.
The Volt is a 4 person sedan, and must be capable of running in all climates w/ a trunk full of luggage. That's why they're shooting for a 40 mile range.
Look, I'd like to see a viable electric vehicle. I believe plug-in hybrids will bridge the gap until something like Better Place's technology gains a foothold. There have been no breakthrough advances in battery technology, no matter what the conspiracy theorists say. Period.
HP's Jon Rubenstein told us that his company wanted to veer in a new direction, and veer it surely did -- the HP Veer 4G will arguably be the smallest fully-functional smartphone on the market when it goes on sale May 15th.
The most commented posts on Engadget over the past 24 hours.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I just wonder how long it will be until the oil companies buy this company and moth ball it. I heard a lot of small companies with great EV ideas are getting bought up and scuttled. Of course I hope this isn't true.
I think EVs and these charging ideas are fantastic and need to be co-funded by the Obama admin and put on the fast track.
Scott
Why would the oil companies mothball it? It case you haven't noticed, the oil companies are becoming energy companies. If there's a profit to be made, you can be sure they will be all over it.
While we can all argue about how much oil remains, it's basically accepted as fact that oil production has peeking, and we'll run out at some point. The oil companies may as well get in on the ground floor. If anything, the oil companies have a great head start, as they own a lot of premium real estate, i.e. gas stations at major intersections. I believe you'll begin to see some of these converting into battery swap stations in the next decade or so.
"Why would the oil companies mothball it?" -- Oh, I don't know. Maybe because they did that very thing to the high tech batteries developed for the EV-1? The car had a 160 mile range in the late nineties. Texaco, of all places, bought the battery technology and mothballed it. Last year we had GM engineers talking about the Volt saying, "Oh, you know, battery technology isn't good enough to get the 40 mile range we want." You had 160 miles ten years ago, you dolts. You sold the battery tech to Texaco.
BS. You have to stop listening to the loonies.
The EV1 was a 2 seat car, and there was nothing "advanced" about the batteries. The entire car was basically one big battery. It had a 160 mile range in warm weather locales, i.e. California and Nevada. That's why the car was never brought to the cold weather states. I'd like to see the range hauling a family of 4 w/ luggage through northern Wisconsin in January with the heat cranked.
The Volt is a 4 person sedan, and must be capable of running in all climates w/ a trunk full of luggage. That's why they're shooting for a 40 mile range.
Look, I'd like to see a viable electric vehicle. I believe plug-in hybrids will bridge the gap until something like Better Place's technology gains a foothold. There have been no breakthrough advances in battery technology, no matter what the conspiracy theorists say. Period.
So, that old inventor guy from Who Killed The Electric Car was lying?