Comments on: Honda Executive Questions Policy Support for Electric Cars

By: Collin

Collin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:50:59 +0000

Hi. I am doing a school project on Hybrid Vehicles. I need some information on these cars. My main question is “How is the source used to generate power currently in the United States”. Please reply as soon as possible. Thanks

By: Dean

Dean — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:31:24 +0000

US Secretary of Energy made a sensible decision – he looked at the national systems for distributing energy. We have two of them: electric power and gasoline. Building up anything else, like hydrogen, will cost hundreds of billions or trillions of dollars, and take years, and only be profitable after it reaches saturation coverage.

Some areas of the country have good natural gas coverage. There are a few cars that have natural gas conversion kits but they’re no good without a network of fueling stations. There’s also a marketing problem: “natural gas” is too hard to spell and pronounce. Getting everyone to say “CNG” will require a huge effort that only a big company can drive. The only major “oil company” that’s positioned itself to become a “motor fuel company” is BP and they have other problems right now.

By: ex-EV1 driver

ex-EV1 driver — Thu, 06 May 2010 16:20:17 +0000

David is right. EVs will put a lot of people out of work. This will include the automobile repair and oil-related industries as well as the military and defense contractor (my industry). Even with quick-charge stations, most charging will be done at home and quick-chargers, unlike dangerous gasoline, don't require an attendant.
The upside is that EVs will make life cheaper for society (including those in the gasoline industry) and better. Just like any technology improvement does (cellphones reduced the need for telephone linemen, word processors put the typists out of work, etc) changes to the status quo will be needed.
We can just divert the military costs to retraining out of work people to modern professions.

By: BEW

BEW — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:19:13 +0000

The best way to get people to buy hybrids and EVs is to make gasoline cost the same as in Europe, $10/gallon. Unfortunately taxing gaoline like this is a new “third rail.” Can you imagine what our government would do with this added revenue?

By: davg

davg — Thu, 06 May 2010 03:02:04 +0000

if honda made a the civic hybrid a wagon, or mild hybrid element or fit, i'd be driving a honda hybrid today, they dont make it...
if toyota had a hybrid matrix, i might have gotten that, they dont...
mazda 3 hatch hybrid... nope...
no small hatch, small sport wagon hybrids = no sale for me

suv's are ok, but i cant stand the extra insurance rate on top of all the costs for them...

they dont make the hybrids i want, so i dont have a hybrid right now, pure and simple... (and yes i know, the kammback body style is the end all, be all of body styling for more areo dynamics on small, heavy cars...)

so, this guy is trying to make news for his opinion, instead of actually having news about honda products (hybrid or not), i've always liked u honda, but please shut this guys trap up, “We have a few things in the kitchen,”
REALLY U SAY!!! GET TO COOKIN DIP SHIT...

By: TF

TF — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:24:55 +0000

hello

By: Nelson Lu

Nelson Lu — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:39:48 +0000

Gas stations could become quick-charge stations, and in any case, they wouldn't be going away for another 25-30 years no matter how well EVs sell. Plenty of time for transitions.

By: David

David — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:49:27 +0000

The problem with electric is that it could possibly put a lot of people out of work. The need for gas stations (which could become hydrogen stations) would decrease significantly (because charging stations would only be used in emergencies). What do you with all those people who are gas station attendants/owners?

But that's also the great thing about electric. imagine how much gas station land could be used for other purposes .. oh wait..it's contaminated with oil...

By: Nelson Lu

Nelson Lu — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:41:28 +0000

Yegor, what you consider to be insufficiently versatile is not going to be necessarily insufficiently versatile for everyone. So far, I haven't had a single occasion where I found the Fusion Hybrid's trunk to be inadequate, for example, and I've put nearly 30K miles on it. (And the Camry Hybrid and the Malibu Hybrid do have fold-down rear seats, although the Fusion Hybrid doesn't.) Calling them jokes is a failure to recognize that people have different needs for their cars.

And if you actually can only have one vehicle and want maximum versatility out of it, and wants that vehicle to be a hybrid, the Escape Hybrid is more versatile than the Prius.

By: Yegor

Yegor — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:18:52 +0000

"Does anybody now what the percentage is in the 'Prius'-sized car segment is?"

I consider Prius to be a small car by passenger volume. Small cars account to 18% of U.S. market which about 2 millions. Prius sold 139,682 last year. If you add Civic and Insight hybrids it will be 175,373 for small hybrids which is about 9% of all small cars sold in U.S.

I do agree that choice of bigger hybrids is ridiculous. All mid-size hybrids are a joke of a car - they block access from the trunk to the passenger area. I am not a reach person I can only afford a one car - I cannot buy so useless cars that do not have versatility.