[fso301]

I think premium pricing is fine as it enables a few entrepreneurs to blaze a narrow trail forward.

As long as the nations electricity production capacity is completely unable to meet the needs of a large number of electric vehicles, relegating EV's to impractical toys for rich boys status is fine.

[RayChuang88]

Here's the thing: the near future--and even the Obama Administration and CARB admits this!--is plug-in hybrid electric vehicles using a modified version of the hybrid drivetrain tecnology developed by Toyota and Ford.

Essentially, you charge the battery pack at home, then get 30-50 miles of operation on battery pack power before the vehicle runs like a conventional hybrid car. This allows for much smaller battery packs, so even the Toyota Prius or the current Ford Fusion hybrid just needs an upgraded battery pack to achieve full PHEV capability.

[Izzy Dunne]

making their use impractical in the northern and southern halves of the country

That's darn near most of us...

[Izzy Dunne]

I think they need to incorporate a gas-powered electrical generator on board.

THAT's the ticket!

[MarkL]

And let's not forget one other thing... The strain this will place on the already stressed energy grid. Anybody else remember the CA term, "rolling blackout?"

Mark

[G-Man 1]

Maby the gov. can get the battery technology from the alien space craft they have in area 51. In about 8 years. Then captain zerobama can get the credit for inventing it before he leaves office.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Lost in this discussion is that these batteries don't have the same characteristics as a normal car battery. Once those batteries die they're completely dead. No jump start is possible.

[Bloodclot]

Let’s not forget something else.

Many people don’t have garages and/or driveways so they have to park their cars on the street some distance away from their dwelling. Can you say extension cord!

Now imagine a city like New York where many live in condo/apartment complexes and picture thousands of extension cords hanging out of windows to these electric cars.

Not very practical is it?

[Ted]

http://betterplace.com

Israeli electric car project, will be interesting to watch

[mbynack]

A practical design for an electric car. The faster you go, the more power it generates. /s

[Western Phil]

How much is the “road fee” or usage tax that would be imposed to replace the lost revenue not harvested by the consumption of gasoline?

[driftless2]

The electic car promotion is another example of libs not being able to see The Big Picture. Like recycling, when the total costs are figured in, the juice is not worth the squeeze. Maybe in time there’ll be a viable electic car. But it will most likely come from private industry and demand driven and not from the screwball desires of leftist bureaucrats.

[justlurking]

making their use impractical in the northern and southern halves of the country.

Um, after two halves, what is left?

[Question_Assumptions]

What people also ignore is that the government gets money to maintain the roads via a motor fuel tax. As plug in cars become more popular, they are going to figure out some way to tax those cars for their road use. I’m guessing that they’ll require special plugs and outlets that can be metered or they’ll require drivers to submit their odometer readings.