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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: i-node who wrote (604558)	3/23/2011 7:04:03 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1574750

> Now on Google Maps: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations More government subsidies for bad ideas. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the idea of all electric cars. But they are at least 10 years away from viability (although, Nissan is way ahead of everyone else with this technology, it still isn't ready for serious applications). Of course the technology still isn't there. The first automobile in the US wasn't the Chevie corvette or a Mustang.....it was the Model T. MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU CANNOT RUN OVER-THE-ROAD TRUCKS ON BATTERIES. You can on CNG, but not batteries. Yes, and your point is what? While some question the use of taxpayer dollars in any of these contexts, at the very least it is clear we are putting our dollars in the wrong place. Totally. Because you think we will never get to electrical cars? That charging stations will be outdated by the time tech. catches up? These so-called "charging stations" require a 15-30 minute hiatus. For a simple trip from my home to Dallas I would add up to 2 hours of fiddle farting to the 4 hour drive time. Nobody in his right mind will do this. It is still difficult to find any real estimates of the costs associated with a consumer plugging in for 30 minutes to charge a vehicle. Uh.....no one is suggesting that you drive to Dallas from Little Rock in an electric car. Everyone admits that even with the Volt no trip should be more than 300 miles and the Nisson Leaf is best for only same city driving. That's why production on these cars are limited at the present time: "According to Edmunds.com, "Interest in two of the most talked-about fuel-efficient cars of the year has remained flat, largely because neither the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid nor the Nissan Leaf electric car are readily available -- initial production has been pre-sold -- and consumers know they can't get them so they don't look. Both also appeal to more limited audiences than do conventional hybrids like the Prius." thestreet.com I don't begrudge the $50 Million or so spent on this; it is, after all, a chickenfeed payoff by comparison to some of the other corrupt garbage included in ARRA. While plug-in electrics may be a solution in the future, it is a technology problem, NOT an infrastructure problem. And it will take some years to solve it during which (AND AFTER WHICH) we will STILL be totally reliant on foreign oil. Plug ins ARE part of the solution and every little bit helps wean us from oil. A concept that seems to evade you all.