Electric Cars

I am on a tear today so I thought I would muse about the electric car. If you have not seen the movie "Who killed the electric car", it's a good flick complete with a Baywatch babe. I can't help but feel for those folks who had an EV-1 and loved it only to have it taken away and crushed. Do the same thing to a little kid and you can scar them for life. Recently, GM has been advertising all sorts of concept vehicles, so many in fact that one blogger (not me) said: "Yawn, since GM's sales are down so much it looks like they are only making concept cars nowadays." (Note to GM: although that last statement is a bit of an exaggeration you have to admit that it's pretty funny)

I was thinking about the situation and I think it takes a big, powerful corporation like GM to take on the big oil companies, who are sure to be the losers if pure electric cars are actually introduced nationwide. From what I have seen on the wires, it looks like the most viable options for electric cars are coming from China, and if this happens I predict that either Ford or GM will fold within a decade if that happens.

Considering that the lead-acid battery used in the EV-1 is heavier than an equivalent modern battery (lithum ion, et al.), I wonder how the EV-1 would perform with an upgraded battery pack - I bet it would blow the doors off most gasoline engine cars. Theoretically, GM could start selling the EV-1 sooner than later with minimal effort. Too bad they crushed almost all of the EV-1's, so now we may never know.

It's really a shame because the wait list for the Chevy Volt is up to 10,000 names(only?), and it would be the bomb to have an Energizer Bunny as a hood ornament or trunk emblem. I think the biggest issue is that except for an accident, a good electric car could run almost indefinitely and be easily repaired. There is simply less aftermarket for car companies and their minions (for lack of a term better than "non-interlocked allied business partners") and although I don't believe in a conspiracy, there is a hint of mutual self-preservation going on here. In the brave new world of increased profits through reduced lifecycle cost, I think this is a business model worthy of a total overhaul.