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160 Comments
- yocouchdigga, on 02/27/2009, -1/+97Pretty sure Tesla could've used some of that...
- pagit, on 02/27/2009, -1/+75I can not trust the big 3 to use this money solely on electric cars.
- inactive, on 02/28/2009, -1/+51There are so many stupid people in the world, and on Digg - it baffles me.
- jivatmanx, on 02/28/2009, -1/+38"Gas engines are gunna be around for at least the next century"
sounds like...
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the United States Office of Patents, recommending that his office be abolished, 1899. (Note: I wish his office had been abolished, regardless)
"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." -- Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895."
"There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom." Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize winner for physics, 1923. - dae3dae3, on 02/28/2009, -1/+29The applications were only due on December 31st. These are billion dollar loans with thousand page applications that need to be reviewed. It is just a matter of fact that billion dollar loans take a while to be reviewed and processed. The agency needs to be as efficient as possible and make the loans as directed but they shouldn't piss away billions of dollars just to make a show of how fast they are getting the money payed out.
You don't just throw a billion dollars at someone because they can fill out a form. These applications need to be checked out carefully so the money isn't wasted. - inactive, on 02/28/2009, -1/+29You people are morons. He was talking about the car company called Tesla that made electric cars and recently had to fold up shop due to lack of capital.
- inactive, on 02/28/2009, -0/+21The internet is egalitarian, even the dim witted have a chance to have their hoots and hollers heard.
- doiveo, on 02/27/2009, -3/+23You sound like someone the Wright Brothers would have had to deal with.
- rolf, on 02/28/2009, -2/+19Aptera is better. Mostly because they're actually affordable and actually redefine an efficient car. Tesla is nice sports car, but all it really does is offload the environmental footprint to the electric generation station, it doesn't aim to be all that much more efficient aerodynamically, going for the conventional look and along with that, similiar conventional all-around amount of power to push it. Aptera aims to be efficient overall (and the hybrids look to be rather usable). That's important when batteries are nasty things with chemicals/elements that need to be mined.
http://www.aptera.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptera_Motors - dpbBryan, on 02/28/2009, -0/+13I'm just wondering if you're retarded.
- twiztidsinz, on 02/28/2009, -0/+13Lets go back to 1900...
Find a gas station...
Go ahead..
I dare you.. - inactive, on 02/28/2009, -1/+11Yeah, I mean damn - it's so annoying to bring my laptop to an electric charging station whenever the battery dies, I can't imagine having to do that for my car.
Why are you daring me - it's easy! Tesla Roadster. - benichols, on 02/28/2009, -1/+11According to a University of California (Irvine) study, the most fuel efficient car makes more than 2-4x the pollution of the dirtiest coal fired power plant. The irony of the Prius driver picketing the coal plant! Transferring the power generation domestically and eliminating more than half the pollution makes "ABSOLUTELY no sense"? Better to do nothing, paralyzed by fear, than make even small steps, isn't it? And don't forget Greenpeace has their own agenda just like everyone else.
Far more important than "cleanest source possible or nothing" is energy independence. But if that happened we'd have no more use for the word sheeple. - Rtibbitts07, on 02/28/2009, -0/+7I live in Michigan with 1 nuclear power plant 15 miles north of me, and one 15 miles south of me, and live in a fairly upscale city on the beach of Lake Michigan. I haven't turned glowing green yet, and my city isn't reminiscent of Pyrpiat yet either.
Not to mention the jobs they supply, I'm not just talking about "jobs are being created" that everyone reads but never sees, I'm talking about the power plants actively recruit kids graduating high school and pay for their college or further education and give them jobs. - angryfirelord, on 02/28/2009, -2/+9I wouldn't be so pessimistic. Yes, gas cars are going to be around for a while, but that doesn't mean a demand for them doesn't exist. Of course, I wouldn't give the big 3 a penny considering their track record on quality.
- roijen, on 02/28/2009, -0/+6What are your qualifications?
- Exilon, on 02/28/2009, -0/+6By the way you paint it, Michigan and France should both be a crater in the ground by now.
- grexeo, on 02/28/2009, -0/+6I feel sorry for you. You must have such a depressing outlook on life.
- digid, on 02/28/2009, -1/+6@watermelonx
So I'm naive to your understanding of energy economics. But I'm interested if you've seen this video and if you haven't does it change anything about what you just said?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-665674869 ... - doiveo, on 02/28/2009, -0/+5Bincoder seems to profess a divine knowledge of physics. When you consider the amount of energy store in just a single hydrogen atom, I'm not so fast to dismiss the possibility. I'm certainly not going to just give up.
The reality is we have no idea how the problem will be solved, only that it must for us to maintain anything close to our current lives. - Wreckage, on 02/28/2009, -2/+7Regular cars are not selling. The market for electric cars has virtually disappeared with the economy.
- blipblopblip, on 02/28/2009, -2/+6Electric cars are not as easy to tax for them so they won't take off.
- du1834, on 02/28/2009, -2/+6I could have sworn Tesla reported a few months ago that they were not allowed to get some of that money because it was rerouted to the Big 3 for bailout? Anyone know if this is true or untrue?
- inactive, on 02/28/2009, -1/+5Steorn is a notorious scam outfit. They've been huffing and puffing for almost a decade drumming up investments and have only provided broken promises. Orbo is pretty much the Duke Nukem Forever of energy.
- benichols, on 02/28/2009, -0/+4Think that's because of inefficiency? Hmmm.
- HunterJameson, on 03/01/2009, -0/+4No, 33PercentGod, Rtibbitts07 is completely right.
Tesla is making luxury cars. Their first car is 0-60 in 4 seconds and costs 100 grand.
Their next car is supposed to be a luxury sedan that rivals BMWs, and other luxury cars.
The prices aren't high because that's just the cost, the price is high because Tesla is too busy making really, really cool (but expensive) ***** to make anything that the everyday person could actually buy.
Personally, if I was investing in Tesla, I would want them to invest in the smaller cars that can be mass marketed. If a multi millionaire wants to buy a car that goes 0-60 in 4 seconds, he's going to buy a car that goes 0-60 in 4 seconds for longer than a few hours a day. Tesla is wasting their time.
Tesla could build a 2 door, smart car-sized model that costs 20 grand (which is expensive for something so small, but the price would come down), but they haven't. - pitdog, on 02/28/2009, -4/+8well, at least the money is still there, unlike billions in Iraq
- norman619, on 02/28/2009, -1/+5The infrastructre isn't in place so mass adoption of such cars is pointless. Very few cities have charging stations set up for these cars. I think California was one of the few states to actually put them in. When I lived in San Diego many of the large malls actually had charging stations for people to leave their cars charging while they shopped. I haven't seen such stations in any of the many other cities I have visited and lived in since. Pushing these cars out now would be a bit like putting the cart before the horse. I can understand why other staes/cities haven't done the same. Why would they make such a huge investment is these stations when there aren't many cars out there to take advantage of them? It's a kind of catch 22.
- BKnecht, on 02/28/2009, -2/+6There are 20+ companies which are producing NEW or retrofiting Electric cars (2-4 passenger) as well as NEVs...TODAY!
What is the problem with the government SEEING what is being done and funding their CURRENT success instead of sitting on the funds or giving it to the bankrupt Detroit gasoline auto manufacturers?
Full-sized cars
Cars and trucks of normal size and speed (highway speed).
• AC Propulsion eBox, a li-ion powered conversion of a Toyota Scion xB with 150 mi (240 km) range, 95 mph (153 km/h) top speed and 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 7 seconds.
• Blade Electron. Australian Li-ion phosphate EV by Blade Electric Vehicles with 120 km (75 mi) range, 120 km/h (75 mph) top speed and 0-60 km/h (37 mph) in 7 seconds acceleration.[1]
• Tesla Roadster, USA and EU li-ion powered sports car by Tesla Motors with 244 mi (393 km) range, 125 mph (201 km/h) top speed and 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.9 seconds acceleration.
Microcars
Cars that are very small but are as fast and capable as larger cars.
• Electrorides EV-Mini [2]
• REVA Indian-built city car. Also sold the UK as the G-Wiz as well as in several European countries. In the USA, limited for use as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle.
• Kewet
• Lumeneo Smera, 80 mph (130 km/h) . [3]
• Maranello 4cycle — an Italian car.
• MM NmG, previously named Corbin Sparrow
• Zytek[1] Smart fortwo EV - an electric version of the Smart Fortwo
Low-speed vehicles (also known as Neighborhood or Suburban cars)
These vehicles have a low top speed (like most scooters) and may not be street-legal without restrictions.
• Oka NEV ZEV ([2]) Low Speed Electric Vehicle made in Russia, sold in USA.
• CityEl (cityel.de) three-wheeled EV, produced in Germany.
• Dynasty EV a neighborhood electric vehicle with a design reminiscent of the Volkswagen Beetle
• Global Electric Motorcars, LLC (GEM) quite common in California.
• Miles Electric Vehicles (Miles Electric Vehicles) LSVs for fleet and neighborhood use sold internationally by a Los Angeles based manufacturer.
• NICE (http://www.nicecarcompany.co.uk) UK based. Makers of the MEGA City.
• Open (startlab.it) Since the beginning of this year also sold in Japan as Girasole, with higher speed and wider range as the Open.
• Piaggio Porter Electric an Italian suburban electric vehicle [4]
• REVA Indian-built city car. May be exported to the USA with a speed limiter for use as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. Unrestricted use in most other countries.
• Twike three-wheeled ev with pedal assist option. produced in Germany.
• Vantage TruckAll/VanGo (vantage.metrogolfcars.com) low speed trucks and vans, based in the USA.
• Xebra (zapworld.com) an economy priced, enclosed three-wheel electric vehicle. Imports to the USA in 2006 from China.
• ZENN (zenncars.com) a fully-enclosed 3-Door hatchback Low-speed vehicle (LSV). - organik, on 02/28/2009, -1/+5You can charge at home, and the VAST majority of people's daily drive is to work and back, and a couple errands (less than 60 miles). Short enough you don't need to charge anywhere else.
- Exilon, on 02/28/2009, -0/+4Some how, I think lax427 and benichols are on different channels
- inactive, on 02/28/2009, -5/+9why the F can't we just keep our own money and not give it away to corporations!!?!? bureacrats don't know a goddamn thing about spurring the economy we're in this mess because of reckless spending
- DrNemo, on 02/28/2009, -0/+4This is another misdirection of resources that will lead to bad decisions. There should be no need of loaning or direct funding if there is a demand for electric cars.
- inactive, on 02/28/2009, -0/+4It's going to be hard to believe that any "change" will come to the US until their entire infrastructure is re-ordered. Their country was built during a time when fuel efficiency wasn't a factor to be considered... cars don't need to be retrofit to face today's reality, but rather the lifestyle which dictates that every household needs a personal vehicle to go to a store to buy food or get back and forth to work.
- funkyloki, on 02/28/2009, -0/+3So what you mean is that bad businessmen get reincarnated as janitors?
- TTT1, on 02/28/2009, -2/+5Watch "Who Killed The Electric Car"
K. Thx. - Prism123, on 02/28/2009, -0/+3you are quite simply wrong about electric cars making no sense.
While coal plants are dirty they are also far more efficient than a car engine at converting its energy source to power. The motor in an electric car is also far far more efficient than a gasoline engine since we are very good at making electric motors. Even with the current proportion of energy coming from coal an electric car will create less pollution than a gasoline car will to go the same distance. I do support nuclear though, specifically the ongoing research into fusion power. - notoneofus, on 02/28/2009, -1/+4You're saying there's no current taxes on electricity?
- tonmil, on 02/28/2009, -1/+4Strings attached? You don't perform to standard you get nationalized.
- Virgule, on 02/28/2009, -1/+4u mad?
- inactive, on 02/28/2009, -2/+5Oh ok so now the government decides what cars we drive? ***** THAT! Please people wake up and realize the government is well beyond the founders intended level of power. This is our democracy, our money, and our nation. Lets take it back from these communist *****.
- inactive, on 03/01/2009, -0/+2Im a student studying nuclear engineering at the University of Illinois. I'm not trying to be a know-it-all, I'm just trying to spread the world that nuclear power plants are a viable alternative energy source that deserve some respect. Their growth has been completely restricted due to a misinformed public and events that have been blown out of proportion: TMI and Chernobyl. Chernobyl was the result of a VERY poorly built power plant in the USSR over 20 years ago! Three Mile Island injured and killed no one and the media had a frenzy. Do a little research everyone before you go on to quote my posts like I have no clue what I'm talking about. I've already done my research, now you all do yours.
- XenoWolf, on 03/01/2009, -0/+2Good job COMPLETELY missing the point of the Aptera.
- Rtibbitts07, on 02/28/2009, -4/+6Yea, for their electric cars for everyday people program...
oh wait, their car costs $100,000...... - inactive, on 03/01/2009, -0/+2Yeah, try doing a little research first. I've done mine; I'm a student at the University of Illinois studying nuclear engineering. NPPs take about 5 years to build and cost FAR less in the long run than coal burning plants. With modern technology, they will last about 40-60 years, and will then be decommissioned. They are decommissioned because the core reactor most likely needs repairs (its too old) and is too expensive to fix. Either way, they are a viable energy source that many americans need to research before making ridiculous claims.
- scrtyfrk, on 02/28/2009, -3/+5@bincoder: That's right! The big three have admitted there's still a lot to be done to have a viable "American" electric car. There's not even infrastructure to support electric cars and with less than a 50 mile radius on what's currently out there, I don't think there's anything to write home about yet. I rather that money sit in a trust or something earning some interest while they get some free press. Once that runs out, then break into that money.
@doiveo: I doubt the Wright brothers were sitting on their collective asses for 30 years trying to produce the equivalent of the "Spruce Goose" while what was needed at the time was a much simpler airplane that would at least take off the ground for a few seconds. Everyone, government and the big 3, knew it would come to this some day. After all, it's been known for a long time that fossil fuels were limited and mostly controlled by foreign countries. Even $1M spent right after the 1973 gas crisis on researching electric cars would have yielded something by now. But what did we get? The HUMMER! So you will hopefully understand my resistance to just start handing out blank checks to these guys. - varun1s, on 02/28/2009, -0/+2True or not, it's not that relevant if you think about it. Coal will never have as large a share of nations electricity that it does now, mainly due to rise of wind, nuclear, solar. Maybe someday more geothermal and wave. So at what point do we start development of electric cars? When coal is at 60%? 40%, 20%, 0%?? It will never be zero. Every other percentage is an artificial and debatable one. Lets start building electric cars now. So that the new technology gets time to mature.
- ThinkBox, on 03/01/2009, -0/+2@notoneofus No, but there is a ton of tax on gasoline and diesel fuel.
Q:Why aren't Diesel fuel engines popular in the USA?
A: Because Diesel is primarily used by commercial transportation, the Government taxes it so heavily that its fuel efficiency doesn't outweigh its costs unless you have a LARGE vehicle.
The same effect is seen with electric vehicles. The biggest environmental impact your car will make in its first 5 years of use will be in the components used to construct the car, not its emissions. Electric cars are more expensive to make, the materials used in its composition are worse for the environment, and hybrids aren't very far ahead of diesel engines when you look at MPG. It just doesnt work right now.
I'm not saying money and time shouldn't be invested in better electric technology.
I'm not saying this because i just "LOVE my gas-guzzler and electric cars are just for pussies."
I'm saying this because its the truth.
If the government wanted the USA to have more fuel efficient cars, then the taxes on diesel engines would be lessened. -- But they keep the taxes high and that keeps consumers away.
This is yet another example where government intervention hurts the market, the environment, and the people.
(also, dont get me started on how the government wants to get its hands all up in the auto industry - they give YOUR money so they can control the market, not so they can make things "better") - crimsonkage, on 02/28/2009, -0/+2Using normal battery technology they are, Now with fuel cells they are the *****.
- Frostman3D, on 02/28/2009, -0/+2That sounds awesome! Let's all purchase electric cars made in Japan, that will help the economy.
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