2222

Panelists Predict Smart Grid Cars in Five Years

There is a clear misconception that batteries will save the world. I don't know about you but my Lithium Ion Battery for my cell phone dies in about 8 months and its expensive to replace ($30). The automotive duty cycle is hard enough just hauling our butts around. Now lets think about smart grids that transfer power in and out of our car battery more frequently, factor in the charge time as well as the fact that if the battery is too hot or too cold (like in my driverway this winter) you get butkis for storage and you have a no-go in my mind. I like the Volt concept for a commuter car but all these jokers that see the car plugged in and use it to sell power to the grid are wacked, that means we are using gasoline to make electricity to put on the grid. A million small power plants can't be as effecient as one big electric power plant. Then what about our desire to get off of imported oil and the emissions from all those cars idling all day? I just don't see it as viable. We need to switch to natural gas and then to hydrogen and we better do it soon.....

The Current Stagnation of Natural Gas Vehicles in America

Good article and interesting short term plan. To me there are still several drawbacks that you missed. Why put in a network of stations if it s short term? Why not just go to hydrogen? While a 30% reduction in CO2 is ok its not enough. We need the 80% that Fuel Cells can provide. Also the effeciency of an NGV is significantly less than gasoline. What about the imnpurity (sulfur) in the current miles of pipeline is not easily removed so some work is required to make all that pipeline useable. The last question is will the consumer pay for even a slight engine hardening cost if the cost per mile is less, to date no.

Who Might Benefit From Detroit's Failings

Whats been a disgrace is how Americans believe whatever they read and focus solely on low price. Or how Americans quote 20 year old data as current fact. Comeon folks - do your homework. Current products are within the statistical noise on quality, the designs are way better looking thatn the stogy Camry, even the Malibu gets better JD Power rankings than the Accord. Yet we buy them in droves like mindless drones. How about we support the home team by at leaset getting updated uinformation and stop grinding old axes. Want to see how the Japanese treat their workers and whjy they can charge less and make more for their cars. Look here. Horrible.

online.wsj.com/article...
WSJ
FUJISAWA, Japan -- In the parlance of Japan's new brutal economy, Dan Yamamoto is a "disposable" worker.

On Dec 03 03:52 PM stox2buy wrote:

> let all 3 die if they can't compete, it's been a disgrace the way
> they behave.

The Big Three Crisis: Stocks Plunge as Politicians Moralize

WOW Midas, you should just leave the US now and save us all the venom. How about getting some current facts and stop grinding a very old ax. As Qobserver points out the quality is nearly the same with the Malibu BEATING (since you like caps) Accord and Camry in JD Powers quality survey. GM makes more models that get over 30 mpg than any other manufacturer. Look at the October Consumer Reports and GM placed 3 of the top 7 Hybrids based on Return on Investment. Wagoner and Mullaly have cut all the fluff out and cut all the benefits to get competitive. Both have very competitive products – have you bothered to look at them objectively or is that too intelligent? Meanwhile all Toyota's recent growth has come from SUVs and Pick-ups (opening factories just when fuel hit $4) - mind you the Sequoia gets the same fuel economy as the Hummer! Yet we oh so smart Americans give them a free ride for that debacle. Look at the quality problems with the Tundra. My friend just got a $10,000 check from Toyota because the bumper rusted off. Not to mention that 50% of Toyotas are still imported from Japan. You should stop listening to the media and get some current facts.

How about we stop giving the foreign makers a free pass and start supporting our home teams before it’s too late. Those of you that scorn the US manufacturers need to realize that they are your friends and neighbors and the ones I know work hard and are proud of what their companies are doing to get back on track.

Step right up, I am offering one way tickets to the country you would prefer to live in....