The electrification of the automobile has been called the auto industry’s “moon shot,” an analogy that works because of both the technology involved and the cost to develop it. Automakers are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the effort with no promise that it will lead to affordable battery-powered vehicles anytime soon — or any guarantee people will buy them once they’re available.
All of the major automakers are racing to put EVs in showrooms as early as next year, and they’re spending money like sailors on shore leave to do it. General Motors has spent about $1 billion developing the Chevrolet Volt. Chrysler wants to invest $448 million in its electric vehicle program to build cars like the Circuit, pictured above at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Elon Musk’s personal investment in Tesla Motors tops $75 million.
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1 comments so far...
09-Jul-2009
67269
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OMG, Their are solutions it just takes political guts! The batteries are leased, the fuel tax is increased to pay for this, until the tipping point where more people drive electric than ICE's thats when the economics of scale reduces the cost and advanced electronics makes EV the economics of choice. Think, how much energy are we wasting just to produce one gallon of fuel thats not needed for EV's. Actually all we need is more intelligent thinking.
Posted by: roger helton
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