Electricity and Cars
General Motors has discovered new technology that uses electricity to drive the wheels and uses different types of the propulsion system. It is powered by a 110 volt battery that can drive for 40 miles and then switch to gasoline when the battery dies. This type of car is not expected to be on the market for another three to five years. This new technology will change the way cars are made and driven.
9 comments:
Electricity to drive the wheels? That doesn't sound very safe to me. But I guess we'll see how it turns out in 3-5 years.
Brian, how will it change the ways that cars are made and driven? Give us some of your predictions.
Hopefully the car is a success. Since it can accommodate so many propulsion systems it may decrease the gasoline prices for those who will still be driving cars that need it.
We are all hoping that this is a success, as gas prices have been fluctuating so much lately, anything to cut that cost would be great! But GM really needs to make a move, they may not have 3-5 years since they've been struggling so much in the recent years.
GM is already following behind the new car technology that is environmentally safe. There is still a demand for regular gas eating SUV's and trucks so GM is still putting most of its capital into keeping in the green with conventional vehicles. As gas prices begin to rise (and have been recently) the demand for a supply of gas-efficient vehicles will begin to become more popular.
The demand for gas-efficient vehicles will began to become more popular. But the change to more gas efficient cars will cause the demand for gas to decrease causing gas prices to be even higher than they are now. I guess there is good and bad in every situation.
I think that while I excited about the idea of having to spend less of my money on fuel we should be careful about getting excited about this new technology. It's important to realize that essentially these cars are on the market already (Hybrids). While I understand that there are going to be differences there are a lot of things to consider. The article mentions that the car, on battery power, would have a range of about 40 miles. That may be true...in the most perfect of conditions with one person in the car. I have a relative that bought a Hybrid. They told me that while the car is more efficient and uses less gas, they have NEVER been able to get the mileage that the dealership suggested. In Pennsylvania, where I live, there are a lot of hills and the batteries are impractical for the terrain. The battery power also, to my relative, seems to be much more dependent on the number of people and cargo in the car than fuel is. It sounds like a great idea, but let's wait and see the product reviews before we get our hopes up, and keep looking at other methods for making our cars operate.
I agree with Joshua in that gas-efficient cars aren't exactly all they're cracked up to be. Dealerships, car manufacturing companies, and even environmental special interest groups claim excellent gas milage but such levels of performance can only be reached with only very specific usage.
Three to five years seems like a long wait for this technology considering it’s already being utilized by plug-in hybrids (PHEV). Is there really enough demand to support the manufacture and sale of battery powered vehicles considering GM’s EV1 failure?
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