"Who Killed the Electric Car?"

Current Events » in reply to This Week on NOW: "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

"Who Killed the Electric Car?"

Lindy — 6/9/2006 3:43:05 AM (archived)

I have a story for you on General Engines back in the late 70's and early 80's that designed an electric car for the US Post Office
that eventually went into production.
The first few hundred were manufactured and sent out only to have the contract cancelled because the back ends were so heavy with batteries they were getting stuck in the sand.

I still don't know why they didn't keep them for the major cities.
By the time they were re-designed, they didn't want them anymore and General Engines focused on building trailers and those electric wheelchairs and closed their local plant here.

My ex was the plant manager at the time and we always had one or two electric cars to run around in. They were totally quiet and smog-free. Would do up to 50-55 mph., turn around on a dime and you just plugged them in when you got home. I thought they were fantastic.

They SHOULD have been a great city commuter vehicle. I remember hearing some of the politics behind it, but that was a LONG time ago.
Today, they are much lighter and have large solar panels for back up.
They SHOULD be everywhere.
I'll bet there WAS skullduggery involved.

The whole thread (62 posts)

Put a target on your back if you develop new fuel technologies - Lindy - 6/5/2006 1:55:26 PM
- This smells a little funny but the video is still interesting. - RobVG - 7/1/2006 6:20:47 PM
- Add water to gas....get more RPMS? - Lindy - 6/16/2006 5:37:20 PM
- re: Put a target on your back if you develop new fuel technologies - Joey - 6/12/2006 11:12:54 PM
- Corporate skulduggery - ER - 6/10/2006 12:32:37 PM
- Take the case of Stan Meyers, for instance - Lindy - 6/7/2006 9:40:52 AM
  - re: Take the case of Stan Meyers, for instance - Paul - 4/17/2008 2:22:25 PM
    - Good luck with that.... - M.I.B. - 4/17/2008 9:08:45 PM
  - re: Take the case of Stan Meyers, for instance - jim - 6/19/2007 3:23:44 PM
  - No energy can be gained by electrolysis and recombination. - David F Mayer - 6/8/2006 9:39:10 AM
    - re: No energy can be gained by electrolysis and recombination. - Pablo - 6/15/2006 1:11:27 AM
      - Thermodynamics is on a very solid experimental basis - David F Mayer - 6/15/2006 1:56:51 AM
  - You're so good at researching.... - Tony - 6/7/2006 6:55:15 PM
    - Pick, pick, pick - Lindy - 6/7/2006 8:24:51 PM
      - More picking - Tony - 6/7/2006 9:28:14 PM
      - Then you are plagiarizing - Tony - 6/7/2006 9:26:21 PM
        
        re: Then you are plagiarizing - Tom Brosz - 6/8/2006 12:01:06 AM
        
        An opinion is always better than a one word post - tony - 6/8/2006 3:15:50 AM
        
        re: An opinion is always better than a one word post - Tom Brosz - 6/8/2006 4:20:21 AM
        
        Fair Enough - Tony - 6/8/2006 3:39:56 PM
        
        I see your point Tony - Lindy - 6/9/2006 1:50:31 AM
        
        you dont have to make any comment at all - tony - 6/9/2006 3:55:52 AM
  - God, this is like trying to teach a ball of neutronium to swim. (n/t) - Tom Brosz - 6/7/2006 5:18:03 PM
    - The difference being.... - R.L. - 6/11/2006 1:15:44 AM
- More absurdity. - David F Mayer - 6/6/2006 5:04:41 PM
- I made a comment over on the "Villiage Idiot" Flame thread appropriate here - Buck Galaxy - 6/5/2006 9:31:09 PM
  - Who said I believed it? - Lindy - 6/5/2006 10:42:21 PM
    - You did - Tony - 6/7/2006 6:37:58 PM
      - She does that a lot... - R.L. - 6/11/2006 7:29:54 AM
      - Leading edge inventors - Lindy - 6/7/2006 8:30:28 PM
        
        One more try - Tom Brosz - 6/7/2006 9:23:04 PM
- re: Put a target on your back if you develop new fuel technologies - ER - 6/5/2006 2:44:19 PM
  - re: Put a target on your back if you develop new fuel technologies - azstrummer - 6/5/2006 5:29:32 PM
    - To Lindy - ER - 6/5/2006 6:06:46 PM
      - re: To Lindy - azstrummer - 6/5/2006 6:19:10 PM
        
        Well Art..... - Lindy - 6/5/2006 7:25:55 PM
        
        re: To Lindy - ER - 6/5/2006 7:11:09 PM
        
        "Trusting instincts" - Lindy - 6/5/2006 7:33:21 PM
  - Why would you find it hard to believe? (n/t) - Lindy - 6/5/2006 3:29:10 PM
    - Another urban myth? - ER - 6/5/2006 5:50:15 PM
    - re: Let me list the ways... - Tom Brosz - 6/5/2006 5:45:29 PM
      - Whatever happened to the Dean Drive?. (n/t) - ER - 6/5/2006 6:09:01 PM
        
        Derailed when Dean made a loud strange noise at a rally... never recovered. (n/t) - Fox - 6/6/2006 3:09:18 AM
        
        re: Whatever happened to the Dean Drive?. - Tom Brosz - 6/5/2006 10:15:12 PM
        
        Follow the way of the prophet and you shall see such great things! - Amidilliah al Ridijadijih - 6/5/2006 10:22:13 PM
      - re: Let me list the ways... - ER - 6/5/2006 5:51:44 PM
        
        This Week on NOW: "Who Killed the Electric Car?" - ljk - 6/9/2006 3:04:23 AM
        
        Corporate Skulduggery - ER - 6/10/2006 12:24:40 PM
        
        re: Corporate Skulduggery - Tom Brosz - 6/10/2006 2:54:54 PM
        
        The spice must flow. - ER - 6/10/2006 3:53:22 PM
        
        Oil companies - Tom Brosz - 6/10/2006 7:24:59 PM
        
        Der Tag - ER - 6/10/2006 8:10:02 PM
        
        re: Der Tag - Tom Brosz - 6/10/2006 9:08:30 PM
        
        re: Der Tag - ER - 6/10/2006 9:15:33 PM
        
        re: Der Tag - Tom Brosz - 6/10/2006 10:55:26 PM
        
        Thirty years is nothing. (n/t) - ER - 6/11/2006 1:10:42 AM
        
        re: The spice must flow. - Lindy - 6/10/2006 6:31:25 PM
        
        bend over Hummer, fill 'er up - ER - 6/10/2006 7:30:03 PM
        
        Cars - Tom Brosz - 6/10/2006 8:16:36 PM
        
        Beep, Beep, Um Beep Beep, yeah. - ER - 6/10/2006 9:12:28 PM
        
        "Who Killed the Electric Car?" - Lindy - 6/9/2006 3:43:05 AM
        
        Crude Awakening on NOW - ljk - 6/16/2006 4:38:06 AM

Recent posts

On this day in Current Events

The whole thread (62 posts)