PBS Charged Up About 'Foul Play' Killing Electric Car

Business & Media Institute ^ | June 13, 2006 | Ken Shepherd

[freemarket_kenshepherd]

full article available here: http://www.businessandmedia.org/news/2006/news20060613b.asp

[2banana]

Someone should film the executives at PBS and what they drive...

[martin_fierro]

Foul play my a$$.

[oceanview]

plug in hybrids are coming. they make alot of sense.

[saganite]

I have a work colleague who drives an electric car. He told me this theory some months ago. According to him, electric cars are just so damn good they threatened to destroy the oil industry so they had to be killed off.

[Frontierman]

I wanna know who killed Public Television? Something tells me its a BIG conspiracy cooked up by Big Brancaccio, Big Moyers and Big Bird.

[ClearCase_guy]

Capitalism says: Through the workings of the marketplace, moving like an invisble hand, the people will make good decisions and arrive at workable economic solutions.

Leftists say: The people are fools! They are easily tricked and led astray by greedy businessmen and slick advertising campaigns! Left to themselves, chaos will erupt! We need to take things away from them for their own good!

[kingu]

Folks didn't buy them; but their biggest problem was production size (usually too small) or design. But of course, that's a conspiracy. Come on, wackaloons, keep it up.

[Brilliant]

Yeah, I'm sure GM killed it because it thought that the electric car would obsolete all of those factories that produce gasoline powered cars.

[SteveMcKing]

Personally, I not only want to drive a car but a cool car.

They have barely met the first condition for my requirements (ie. "car"), and the second factor - coolness - is still eons away from reality.

[Puppage]

plug in hybrids are coming. they make alot of sense.

I agree. However, until they make one that acts just like a normal vehicle, people won't buy them enmass

[norwaypinesavage]

"Plug in hybrids...make a lot of sense."

Gasoline, delivered to your car, costs about $3.00 per 125,000 BTU. Electricity, delivered to your house, costs about $5.00 per 125,000 BTU. Tell me why plug-in hybrids make sense.

[CertainInalienableRights]

From GM's site:

(http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/adv_tech/300_hybrids/hyb_ev1.html)

(emphasis mine)

"EV1 owners were a proud, loyal group. Unfortunately, there were not enough of them. GM was able to lease only about 800 EV1s in four years-- not enough to establish commercial viability. And that came only after GM invested more than $1 billion to develop, design and build the car, install a charging infrastructure, dedicate a sales team entirely to the EV1, provide reduced EV1 lease payments, and to create and place award-winning advertising. The EV1 was a good learning experience for GM. The electric propulsion system forms the basis of GM’s advanced technology vehicle programs, from hybrids to fuel cells"

[BurbankKarl]

They pulled the plug after two of the chargers caused house fires....

one at a fashion model's house.

[NaughtiusMaximus]

The extension cords kept getting tangled up.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

Don't know how they're selling now, but
when I was helping my mother car shop in 2002 they couldn't give away
Honda Insights - asking price (new) - $18k

[camle]

they come up with an electric car with the range, capabilities, comfort and performance of mine for a reasonable price and I surely would consider it.

[frogjerk]

Gasoline, delivered to your car, costs about $3.00 per 125,000 BTU. Electricity, delivered to your house, costs about $5.00 per 125,000 BTU. Tell me why plug-in hybrids make sense.

Agreed. I never understood why I should go out and buy a car that costs more to fuel.

[Leroy S. Mort]

Make 'em all white and call 'em "iCars" and I think I could guarantee them 2% of the market.

[bruinbirdman]

". . . but their biggest problem was production size (usually too small) or design."

The most powerful locomotive engines use electric motors. Of course, the electricity is provided by diesel generators.

yitbos