California all but abandons electric car requirements

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 3 March 2003

[CounterCounterCulture]

In a historic shift, the state of California announced today a series of new rules that largely abandon the state's 12-year commitment requiring automobile companies to build and sell electric cars.

The California Air Resources Board said electric car technology has not lived up to its promise, and that instead, state smog officials will allow hybrid cars, including the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic and other soon-to-be released models, to qualify under its clean car rules.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Vroom vroom sput-put-prrrrt...

[Red Dog #1]

Don't you just hate it when reality gets in the way of well intentioned progressive ideas?

[CounterCounterCulture]

From The Simpsons (Special Edna)

Lisa Simpson: "The Futuresphere - it's what the people of 1965 imagined what life would be like in 1987."

- * - * -

Prerecorded message: "Welcome to the electric car of the future. Sponsered by the gasoline producers of America."

Car (in ultra-whiney voice): "Hello...I'm an electric carrrrr...I can't go very faaaaast...or very farrrrr...and if you drive me, people will think you're gayyyyy...

Gay robots: "One of us! One of us!"

[Seeking the truth]

I wonder where all those EV-1's are stockpiled now?

[Seeking the truth]

I wonder where all those EV-1's are stockpiled now?

[CounterCounterCulture]

We're going to drops those as weapons of mass destruction on the Iraqis...ooops, I've already violated the "Loose lips sink ships" rule. I'll shaddup now...

[Amerigomag]

Another liberal, utopian idea is forced to face the reality of the daylight.

This is the same agency that approves the liscensing and operation of replica automobiles. In the case of the more popular replica autos, the liberal lust to tax overcame the need to purify the air.

Never mind that fact that the most popular of these replica cars utilize 1960s smog technologies (none) and get less than 12 mpg. The fact that they cost around $100,000 and their assesed value never diminishes guaranteeing the state around $600 annually per vehicle in Vehicle Liscense Fees.

Yes sir, when the California Air Resources Board faces the reality of a law suit or the propspect of spectacular taxing potential there liberal agenda fades quicker than the 427 Corbra can reach a 100 mph from a standing start.

[tubebender]

Here in Eureka the local Dodge/Volvo dealer just gave away two of them...one to a Botanical Garden and one to the local hospital.

[RS]

I actually saw one of these little Ford electrics the other day - Had a "Vote Democratic" bumper sticker on the back.
I was tempted to add " ...and you will all drive one of these..."

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

The California Air Resources Board said electric car technology has not lived up to its promise,

Ya think? I just saw one of these deathtraps on the road today, as a matter of fact, and I was musing to myself not only how plainly silly they look (one burly guy could flip one over by himself), but the fact that all these years later and this is *still* the best they can do?

Hint: if you can't build it in anything other than resembling that 3-wheeled car in Mr. Bean, don't bother...ie, either build it in a real, actual car that real, actual people (not elves) can fit in, or go home.

Hybrids, OTOH, are a much better attempt.

[FreedomCalls]

Another liberal, utopian idea is forced to face the reality of the daylight.

How long until the New Jersey "smart gun" law also faces that same reality?

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Since 1990, California has led the nation in pushing for purely electric cars. But after spending billions, automakers still could not build an electric car that could travel more than about 100 miles without needing recharging and sell for under $35,000.

Hybrid cars, by comparison, cost about $20,000, run on a gas-electric system that delivers 50 miles per gallon or more, emit almost no smog, and don't need recharging.

What a shame they pissed away all that money when they probably knew the unprobable outcome in advance. The wonders of govt.

Especially considering that the fuel economy of hybrids are good enough, and they can actually produce them in vehicles that people might actually want to drive. Given the mantra we always hear of every 1 mpg gain across the board frees up X millions of barrels of oil, if they would have just went down the hybrid road to begin with, maybe by now we wouldn't need any oil from the ME at all. Wishful thinking I guess.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Had a "Vote Democratic" bumper sticker on the back.

What, no GREEN PARTY sticker? What a enviro-POSEUR. ;-)

[FreedomCalls]

...that 3-wheeled car in Mr. Bean...

That would be a Robin Reliant!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=robin+reliant&sa=N&tab=iw

[reformed_dem]

They have enough trouble supplying us with electricity for our houses, offices, schools, etc. How do they expect to supply the electricity to keep electric cars charged up?

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

LOL, you found it...that's hysterical! Now I have to show the wife, she always rolls over laughing when that car comes along.

[Sloth]

a lawsuit by the automakers and the Bush administration, which argued that California was forcing Detroit to build costly electric cars that had little consumer interest.

Detroit wasn't being "forced" to do anything. They should have simply refused to sell cars in KKKalifornia.

[Dog Gone]

What?? They passed a law REQUIRING them!

What about the law they passed last year requiring that 20% of all new power plants be wackoenviro stuff like windmills and solar panels in foggy San Francisco?

Could liberals actually be wrong in their utopian legislation?

[B4Ranch]

I've always wondered where they expected to get the fuel taxes from with electric cars.

[goldstategop]

Even a Yugo or VW Jetta is a better deal than an EV-1 despite their reputation for spotty reliability. At least they SOLD some of those junk cars. But ELECTRIC? Who wants to be seen driving them apart from a few wealthy liberal celebrities? The truth is average people aren't interested in having a go go kart pushed upon them despite the liberals' attempts to get them inside cars that hold no appeal for them.