Comment Re:Gasoline only because Detroit has no clue. (Score 1) 857
Does anyone have any idea why the Chevy Volt will only have a 40 mile range if it's possible to squeeze out so much more?
The big car companies say it's because they can't make a car with a range that would satisfy enough customers.
This is a convenient delusion. What's really going on is that EVs don't need constant maintenance and the big auto companies aren't going to give up the dealer oil change revenue stream until someone like Tesla Motors shoves that obsolete business model down their throats.
My wife and I drive a 2002 Toyota RAV4-EV. It's still running on the original batteries, has a range of 80 to 100 miles and goes about 45 miles on a dollar's worth of electricity. Unless you're part of the 1% of people who have a commute over 100 miles, this vehicle is a dream, and built with today's LiIon batteries, it would have over twice the range.
It's going to take Tesla at least four years to come out with an EV for under $30,000. The big auto companies have an opportunity to get there faster. Will they have the insight and nerve to do it, or will Tesla and the other start-ups put them out of business?
