Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics of Energy -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (931)	7/25/2008 8:45:58 AM
From: Road Walker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 86355

Well its still good. Good in isolation at least. But since the issue is all the costs and benefits, not just if one specific benefit remains a benefit, a lesser "good" on the benefits side, without a corresponding reduction in the costs side, can tilt the whole thing to negative. And there will be other benefits to electric, including reduced maintenance and noise. There is every reason to believe that when in mass production, electric vehicles will be competitive with IC vehicles over the life of the vehicle. Probably a lot cheaper. Yes and SUVs out sell personal flying saucers... because they don't exist. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUVs also outsell hybrids. They can hardly be said not to exist. We were not talking hybrids. But there are many, many more SUV models than hybrid models (and some SUVs are hybrids). Listen, I've been in sale/marketing my whole life. The taste of the public is fickle and can turn on a dime; you are taking a photograph of the current market and saying that's what people will always prefer, and it's not the case. Look at SUVs. It's only been what, 15-20 years since they became popular? And SUVs have been available since I was a kid. Before that it was the family 4 door sedan. Next it will be something else... and you can see the tide turning right now. So when you say... "They won't be a major fraction of new car sales for at least the next 10 years, and likely longer. They won't represent a majority of the personal vehicles on the road for multiple decades, if ever." ... about electric vehicles you are making a pure guess. On the other hand the best marketing minds at GM, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagon to name a few are investing $Billion on the bet that electric is the next big thing. They are essentially reinventing the passenger car. They are working partnerships with electric utilities to pressure government to put in subsidies. Things change for the better sometimes, like it or not.