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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.

Doubling Fuel Economy Despite Economic Turmoil

Hey Mister Jim,

Couldn't agree more that this group pushed a button at their desk to make some headlines. I think you are wrong on HP. With Electric vehicles the torque available is more important and with Hydrogen and a fuel cell you can get all the torque you need. That Equinox that GM has been driving around has 235 ft/lbs. The thing is a blast to drive and gets nearly 50 miles per gallon with zero emissions in an SUV. I read they have already gotten a million kilometers in customer hands. I want one in red right now - forget about waiting till 2050. We could be off imported pertrleum well before that if we would make it a national priority to switch to Hydrogen. Buy American - Buy GM - get me a return on my tax dollars.

Toyota: Undeniably Cheap Despite Industry Slump

Maybe these jokers aren't as smart as our media make them out to be. Expanding at the wrong time. All their growth from SUVs (Sequoa) and Pick Ups (Tundra) over the past 3 years wasn't too bright. Gas prices are back down and Prius sales dried up. quality taking a big hit as they get too big and now loosing money. What their gov't can't manipulate the Yen fast enough? Can't layoff their contract workers in Japan fast enough? When are Americans going to learn to stop sending our monry over there? I just hope that someday we all open our eyes to their un-honorable business practices and stop investing in them. They are unethical and not the saints you make them out to be. I would never buy their stock.......

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....

Auto Industry: In for a Penny, In for a Pound

Dear John,

Have you lost your mind? Japanese ownership of Ford or GM? Why don't you just move over to Japan and save us from listening to your drivel? Your over assessment of the Japanese is a continuation of the false mystique that the uninformed blindly believe. You give undue credit to the Japanese. Contrary to popular perception Toyota’s growth in the past 10 years has come from light trucks – not fuel efficient vehicles. Look at the brilliant move Toyota made getting into Pick-up trucks just when fuel hit $4/gallon. How effective is their plant in Texas when there are no sales? Look into all the tax credits that plant got and the fact that they pay Americans half what UAW has. WOW that took real smarts. Investing in the US - give me a break - do your homework. How many jobs have the big three lost over the past ten years and how many have all the imports added, then do that for the number of factories. You sir need to support the home team. And stop writing!

Chevy Volt Debuts to Enthusiasm in California

I agree with 272270. Give the home team a fair shake here. The technology is a huge step forward and maybe it will be a little expensive at the start but has the potential at higher volume to be a great commuter vehicle that reduces the cost per mile by 50%. Anything that moves us toward reducing our addiction to imported oil is a step in the right direction. Bashing GM (our home team) by ill-informed readers who quote suposed 'facts' is really getting old. GM has great prodcuts that get over 30 mog. Do your homework.
If this is the futre, I'll take one (even at this price) tomorrow in red!!!