Comments on: Harris Green Car Tech Survey Is Questionable

By: KT

KT — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:52:33 +0000

I agree that the economy will hold many people back from being able to purchase new vehicles, and I do highly recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to drive a vehicle till it falls apart to do so, if they have any sort of debt. However, I think the BP oil spill will emotionally motivate a lot of people over the next few years to purchase hybrids and alternative vehicles. The media will see to it that the public is more familiar with alternative fuel approaches and the market will grow for these vehicles.

By: Music man

Music man — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:46:17 +0000

Great article! I live in Michigan. Ten miles north of Detroit. I finally have a good job again. I've never had credit card debt. Just a house that I couldn't afford without a job. I think we were in a rcession long before the rest of the country.

I know some crazy "car freaks" that think the automotive industry runs the world. I used to think that was crazy. Most people think the auto industry just runs our area, or Michigan, along with some other cities scattered about the U.S. The "car freaks" might be right. Between oil and manufacturing ... it will at least play a large part in this country's recovery.

Hopefully, many in the Harris Poll lean towards American manufacturing.

By: mac

mac — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 07:10:17 +0000

Totally agree, caffeinekid – been unemployed for a year, wife got laid off 6 months ago so we need to drive our cars until they stop, which I suppose is the “greenest” thing to do – but you make a valid point – there is a price break point – when you add up the cool new technology factor, along with the gee-whiz, look at me attraction, then that makes me think we can get off this oil dependency thing – if I can ever afford it, I’ll be buying a Leaf/Volt.

By: caffeinekid

caffeinekid — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:04:34 +0000

Look. We have a global liquidity crisis going on. Whether people know it or not, this country is insolvent, the average US non-mortgage household debt is >$13K, a large percentage of Americans are essentially insolvent or otherwise have a negative net worth and the current mortgage fiasco is showing no sign of slowing down as we are well into the territory of prime mortgage defaults by people who DID NOT speculate, but instead did everything they were supposed to. There are something like 30 dollars floating for every 1 in reserve. Our entire economy of the last 20yrs has been powered by the unicorn dust that is the sole domain of money changers- debt. And did I mention that Europe is in even worse shape? Even China is having issues....and forget about South America.

And people are supposed to "afford" a $34K vehicle that gets 100 miles per charge? I don't think so. This is what is REALLY at the heart of this issue. We have a HUGE problem that has nothing to do with oil or our choices of transportation. Irony would have it that prior to the collapse, the technologies of sustainability would be at our doorstep, taunting us. The part we fail to acknowledge is that our breakneck growth in these enabling technologies has been and is also fueled by the fractional reserve fairy tales of massive debt and other fiscal mismanagement. And this system has just about run its course. There is simply too much printing of paper and not anywhere near enough demand for profitable production. We have seen this scenario play out throughout history. What makes us think that the inevitable ends aren't waiting for us this time?