EV-What?
By Tim ConnorsSunday, December 14th, 2008
In 1996 General Motors debuted the first modern production electric vehicle, dubbed the EV1 -that’s “Electric Vehicle 1.” Clever, huh? But GM killed the EV1 in 2003, and now needs to be bailed out to compete with the success of other companies’ hybrids, like the Prius and other high MPG vehicles. Wait, what? They had the head start! There’s a documentary film called Who Killed The Electric Car? which essentially shows GM building these things, buying up patents for the technology and then shredded EVERYTHING. People were devastated to lose their beloved EV1s. I think they even made Ed Begley, Jr. cry. So in the midst of this whole Big 3 bailout, I’m just wondering why no one has mentioned their seppuku of the EV1. What do you folks think about this whole debacle?
December 14th, 2008 at 9:07 am
As I understand it, there’s more to it than GM just summarily “killing” their EVs. Toyota also “killed” their EVs around the same time. (The last few Toyota EVs are said to have been hobbled together out of left-over parts from previous model years, suggesting they tried to keep EVs alive as long as possible.) The entire EV “industry” had the plug pulled on it, so to speak, by Chevron who bought the worldwide patents to the NiMH batteries that powered all of them, shut down production worldwide, and disallowed for their use in EVs. (Perhaps the oil industry and not the American taxpayer should bail out the auto industry.)
December 14th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Yeah, i remember that being part of this whole scenario – the NiMH battery patent was purchased by Chevron and then shredded.
Yhey probably have the patent for the water engine too.
My dad said something like that too – about the oil industry bailing them out – they should be the one. they’re the ones that got them and us into this mess / the war / etc.
it’s absolutely disgusting.
I have a feeling within the next 3 years, we’re going to find out some 24-style TV Drama scenarios took place pretty often with either Bush in office.
Remeber that fire that occured at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building last year?
The one that is NEXT TO the vice presidential offices – and ACROSS THE HALL from the Secret Service office??
God only knows what Cheney burned up then.
And that in itself – is terrifying.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:46 am
At least we got those WMDs out of Iraq.