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Title: More on the Electric Edsel [Obama's Chevy Volt Debacle]
Source:
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URL Source: http://epautos.com/2011/08/20/more-on-the-electric-edsel/
Published: Aug 23, 2011
Author: Eric Peters
Post Date: 2011-08-23 16:32:51 by Capitalist Eric
Keywords: None
Views: 5669
Comments: 15
Well, here’s a surprise – the Chevy Volt electric car isn’t selling. Only 3,200 of these $41,000 “economy” cars have found buyers so far – most of them probably in the Hollywood hills, where it is trendy for the rich to show green (Leonardo DiCaprio owns a $100k Tesla electric roadster). But out in the real world, the idea of a $41k “economy” car doesn’t parse. Yes, the Volt is a brilliant piece of engineering. But that’s neither here nor there if it costs more to operate than a standard economy car, which is ultimately the only criteria that matters as far as the marketplace viability of electric cars. This is so obvious that you’d think it might have also occurred to the people running GM. It probably did – but the reason it doesn’t matter to them is that the Volt (like the Tesla) is a taxpayer-funded money machine for GM. Even if they never sell enough cars to make an honest profit, there’s already been a huge profit to GM in the form of massive federal subsidies and of course, the massive bailout of GM itself back in 2008. Why not throw money at the electric car boondoggle? After all, it’s not GM’s money. And that is the nut of this tragedy. And it is a tragedy, because we should be developing (or at least looking into) alternative means of transport. The idea is not bad. The problem is the distortions created by government meddling – by corporatist-statist polices that throw enormous resources at projects that make no sense. You know, like a $41,000 “economy” car that costs as much to buy as a fully loaded BMW 3-Series but which can’t match the day-to-day performance of a $15,000 Toyota Corolla. It is 1890 and horse travel is becoming problematic. The horses poo all over the place, making a disgusting mess in crowded urban areas – and they’re just not practical for speedy, efficient travel in a rapidly industrializing nation. Did the government start throwing billions (well, millions in those days) at politically connected big businesses to develop an alternative? The answer, of course, is no. Inventors thought about the problem and tinkered. The internal combustion engine (gas and diesel) was invented – and perfected. It became reliable – and soon, affordable. Henry Ford and others like him came along. Cars replaced horses. And – a key fact – impractical cars such as the early steam-powered and electric cars – were dropped in favor of practical cars like the Model T, which put the country (not just the elites) behind the wheel. There was no federal subsidization of steam or electric cars, so when it became clear these kinds of cars could not compete in the market with internal combustion-powered cars, they were abandoned. For the most part, people stopped trying to make them because – revelation – very few customers were interested in buying them. If we had a free market today, the Volt would never have been built – because it’s obvious to anyone with half a brain that no potential buyer concerned about the cost of transportation (note, not gas per se) is going to be the least bit interested in laying out $41,000 to buy a vehicle that will take years – perhaps decades – of driving to become cost-competitive with any standard-issue gas powered economy car. Instead, we have a billion-dollar electric car boondoggle. And not only won’t they (GM and Tesla) take the hint and quit, they’ll keep at it – demanding more tax dollars, more subsidies, more rebates to “encourage” sales of these otherwise unsalable electric Edsels. Meanwhile, all the money that has been sucked out of the private sector is no longer available to let a latter-day tinkerer – a latter-day Henry Ford – develop an electric (or other alternative) car that might actually make sense. One that people might actually buy because it is more efficient, more cost-effective, than a current gas-powered car. And not only that. Thanks to Everests of federal (EPA, DOT) red tape it is almost impossible for anyone other than a “major automaker” – that is, a corporate cartel – to lawfully build and sell a car of any kind at all. There is a reason why we only have a relative handful of car brands – all of them massive combines – because only massive combines have the economic resources to do things like destroy 100 brand-new cars in crash tests to prove to Uncle that they comply with the ukase Uncle has set forth. Oh, and also to get huge handouts from the government to prop up inefficient business models and let them build pie-in-the-sky engineering demonstrators without any real consideration of their practical or economic viability. If government got out of the motors business I have no doubt we’d not only have 70 MPG conventional cars that cost less than $10,0000 we’d also in short order have commercially viable electric cars as well as cars powered by sources we haven’t even heard of yet. There are countless ingenious backyard inventors out there. There is probably almost nothing they could not achieve, given the opportunity – and if they were allowed to proceed. But the octupus of government stands in the way, richly rewarding the impossible -and the incompetent – while strangling anything that might actually work in its crib.
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#1. To: Capitalist Eric (#0)
I resent this thing being compared to the Edsel. My dad bought a '58 Edsel new - that thing was faster than hell . . . ('course I was only 5 at the time, so what do I know)
__________________________________________________________________________________________ This article is disingenuous. The initial release were to be small roll out number as the roll it out across the country.
With the economy still in the dumper -- maybe permanently? -- and full-time jobs becoming as scarce as rain during a drought, huge percentages of Americans have had their (misplaced) faith in the American dream shaken, the upper-middle-class consumerist lifestyle is exposed as a mirage for anybody who plays by the rules. Capitalism and the America that embraced it as a way of life is now and forever more a failure. It does me good to know that the generation that voted in Reagan and his ideology will see their America die from that ideology before their very own eyes and knowing they had a hand in its destruction.
This article is disingenuous. The initial release were to be small roll out number as the roll it out across the country.
With the economy still in the dumper -- maybe permanently? -- and full-time jobs becoming as scarce as rain during a drought, huge percentages of Americans have had their (misplaced) faith in the American dream shaken, the upper-middle-class consumerist lifestyle is exposed as a mirage for anybody who plays by the rules. Capitalism and the America that embraced it as a way of life is now and forever more a failure. It does me good to know that the generation that voted in Reagan and his ideology will see their America die from that ideology before their very own eyes and knowing they had a hand in its destruction.
From Consumer Reports: "When you are looking at purely dollars and cents, it doesn't really make a lot of sense. The Volt isn't particularly efficient as an electric vehicle and it's not particularly good as a gas vehicle either in terms of fuel economy." Among other failings, the car traveled only 23 to 27 miles on electric power alone, while testing on winter roads... And it's "annoying" that the car takes five hours to charge. And it costs twice as much as Toyota's Prius, a hybrid which is more fuel efficient when driving long distances.
You didn't prove it was disingenuous. Not surprising... After all, you lie like Hell. You say stupid shit ALL the time, and then run when the facts slap you upside your empty little skull. Eat shit and DIE, you socialist scum-bag.
The two sides in America are people who work for a living versus people who vote for their living.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/01/autos/volt_release_states/index.htm?hpt=T2
With the economy still in the dumper -- maybe permanently? -- and full-time jobs becoming as scarce as rain during a drought, huge percentages of Americans have had their (misplaced) faith in the American dream shaken, the upper-middle-class consumerist lifestyle is exposed as a mirage for anybody who plays by the rules. Capitalism and the America that embraced it as a way of life is now and forever more a failure. It does me good to know that the generation that voted in Reagan and his ideology will see their America die from that ideology before their very own eyes and knowing they had a hand in its destruction.
You been hitting the solar powered bong? 3,200 sold...FAIL.
Listen, retard. Every report says they will make only 10,000 cars and wont be available in all states until next year. That is a drop in the bucket in terms of production.
With the economy still in the dumper -- maybe permanently? -- and full-time jobs becoming as scarce as rain during a drought, huge percentages of Americans have had their (misplaced) faith in the American dream shaken, the upper-middle-class consumerist lifestyle is exposed as a mirage for anybody who plays by the rules. Capitalism and the America that embraced it as a way of life is now and forever more a failure. It does me good to know that the generation that voted in Reagan and his ideology will see their America die from that ideology before their very own eyes and knowing they had a hand in its destruction.
But there was/is plenty of the oil industry and two world wars that put the internal combustion engine at the fore of how we power ourselves. As for the Volt not selling...no cars are selling...it's why every other commerical on TV and radio is some car manufacturer giving their product away...
America...My Kind Of Place... "I truly am not that concerned about [bin Laden]..." "THE MILITIA IS COMING!!! THE MILITIA IS COMING!!!" I lurk to see if someone other than Myst or Pookie posts anything...
The Volt is a limited production run. As they make more than the initial 10,000 models, prices for it should fall.
With the economy still in the dumper -- maybe permanently? -- and full-time jobs becoming as scarce as rain during a drought, huge percentages of Americans have had their (misplaced) faith in the American dream shaken, the upper-middle-class consumerist lifestyle is exposed as a mirage for anybody who plays by the rules. Capitalism and the America that embraced it as a way of life is now and forever more a failure. It does me good to know that the generation that voted in Reagan and his ideology will see their America die from that ideology before their very own eyes and knowing they had a hand in its destruction.
Nobody is buying...Sorry that makes you crabby.
Electricity and trains - chalk those two up for things so called conservatives have an irrational phobia against.
With the economy still in the dumper -- maybe permanently? -- and full-time jobs becoming as scarce as rain during a drought, huge percentages of Americans have had their (misplaced) faith in the American dream shaken, the upper-middle-class consumerist lifestyle is exposed as a mirage for anybody who plays by the rules. Capitalism and the America that embraced it as a way of life is now and forever more a failure. It does me good to know that the generation that voted in Reagan and his ideology will see their America die from that ideology before their very own eyes and knowing they had a hand in its destruction.
Nice feignt. The Volt is a Big Gov Failure, regardless of your poutiness.
The Volt predates the collapse of the economy and the govt take over of GM under Bush. It is not linked to the govt in any way - it is not a govt program and it is just now being rolled out in very limited numbers. See, I am not cheerleading the Volt. I am dispelling your obvious malice in an attempt to use false facts to spin propaganda. http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2011/08/sell-out-or-failure-with-chevy-volt-it-depends-on- how-you-count/ As the story suggests, it simply is too early to get a true measure of demand for either Volt or Leaf. Were the two piling up that would be one thing, but even if production numbers were already high, sales were sting and the two products were available in all 50 states, all we would be able to say for sure is that demand among early adopters was strong. The test will come in the months after production hits stride and availability goes nationwide, as those initial buyers are satisfied and the makers start to pitch to the mainstream. Paul A. Eisenstein Publisher, TheDetroitBureau.com
With the economy still in the dumper -- maybe permanently? -- and full-time jobs becoming as scarce as rain during a drought, huge percentages of Americans have had their (misplaced) faith in the American dream shaken, the upper-middle-class consumerist lifestyle is exposed as a mirage for anybody who plays by the rules. Capitalism and the America that embraced it as a way of life is now and forever more a failure. It does me good to know that the generation that voted in Reagan and his ideology will see their America die from that ideology before their very own eyes and knowing they had a hand in its destruction.
Nevermind. You're hysterical, again.
Electric Edsel
HA! The tea-party, INDEED! They're so . . . ah . . . common
#2. To: Capitalist Eric (#0)
Only 3,200 of these $41,000 “economy” cars have found buyers so far
#3. To: Get Outta Dodge! (#1)
#4. To: Capitalist Eric (#0)
I will work every day to try to make Washington, D.C. as inconsequential in your life as I can -- Rick Perry. believe him or not, it's a hell of quote in a country looking to D.C. for answers.
#5. To: Godwinson (#2)
This article is disingenuous.
#6. To: Capitalist Eric (#5)
You didn't prove it was disingenuous.
#7. To: Godwinson (#2)
The initial release were to be small roll out number as the roll it out across the country.
#8. To: socalv8 (#7)
#9. To: Capitalist Eric (#0)
There was no federal subsidization of steam or electric cars
--GW Bush
--Sarah Palin's version of "The Midnight Ride of Paul revere"
#10. To: war (#9)
(Edited)
As for the Volt not selling...no cars are selling...it's why every other commerical on TV and radio is some car manufacturer giving their product away...
#11. To: Godwinson (#8)
Listen, retard. Every report says they will make only 10,000 cars and wont be available in all states until next year.
Americans don't like socialist widgits.
#12. To: socalv8 (#11)
Nobody is buying...Sorry that makes you crabby.
#13. To: Godwinson (#12)
Electricity and trains - chalk those two up for things so called conservatives have an irrational phobia against.
#14. To: socalv8 (#13)
(Edited)
Nice feignt. The Volt is a Big Gov Failure, regardless of your poutiness.
#15. To: Godwinson (#14)
The Volt predates the collapse of the economy and the govt take over of GM under Bush.
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