Re: GM/Hybrids/Hydrogen

[adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Sandwich Maker)]

" From: farna@xxxxxxx
" 
" This is what GM has said for the last 2-3 years at least -- they were
" going to skip the electric and hybrid drives due to limited
" practicality,

ummm aren't fuel cell cars electric?  perhaps developing a
cost-effective mass producible electric drivetrain is easier than i
think, but i recall the troubles gm had with the initnal ev-1s.

" and go straight to hydrogen fuel cells. This makes a
" little sense -- people aren't exactly flocking to hybrids.

true - but toyota for one is selling as many prii as they can make.

" They're impractical for the vast majority of drivers.

i'm beginning to wonder if hybrids are impractical period.  they
-sound- good, but i haven't seen any analysis of total life-cycle
costs including additional manufacturing pollution, battery
replacement, disposal of hazardous waste...

" It makes sense not to waste R&D money on a stop gap. 
" []
" But there will be some lean years
" during that gap if they don't do something to show the public they are
" on the power curve -- hence the EV-1. Maybe they should have kept them
" out there with some minor improvements? At least something would be
" running around.

as i recall, folks who were lucky enough to get ev-1s loved them and
tried to get gm to let them buy the cars when their leases were up -
and there was a long waiting list of folks who wanted more ev-1s.

imho gm would've been -very-wise- to keep the ev-1 going and perhaps
even slowly evolving, even if it was never more than a halo car.

" Converting the big vehicles to hybrid doesn't net much.

not the way they're doing it for sure.  it's just marketing, and if
anything they're selling it as a 'clean' way to get -more-power-.

" A Malibu converted might, but one of their smaller cars would be better.
" Some cost involved, but the public confidence it would inspire would be
" priceless. 

it would be an excellent move, but somehow i can't see gm putting the
commitment into it that toyota and honda have.  it'd probably wind up
another half-fast product like the olds 5.7 diesel.

" As you pointed out -- they are betting on someone else developing
" infrastructure by the time they are fully ready for production. That's
" the only real loop hole in their strategy, other than the public
" confidence, but it's a big one! There has to be some partnering with oil
" companies (the most likely distributors of hydrogen) and other industry
" contacts to get that infrastructure in place -- maybe even the
" government. That's the only way Brazil got turned on to alcohol fuel --
" government investment. A very good case of government working for the
" greater good of the country! 

we're talking about a long slow process here, with a large scale
commitment.  i don't see any sign the relevant parties are even
thinking about it, let along talking or planning.  certainly the
government isn't likely to consider that kind of horizon.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                       and think what none thought