Place Your Vote - Takin' Sides on the the Fuel Issue
Friday October 26, 2007
It seems that auto makers are divided. About the future fuel issue, that is. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal Online notes that an argument regarding gasoline-electric hybrids vs. all-electric cars is surfacing. Seems that Toyota and GM are leaning more toward the gasoline-hybrid idea and Nissan and Honda are sidling up with the positives of all-electric locomotion. While none of them are suggesting abandoning the tried-and-true internal combustion engine in the near future, the very argument itself elucidates the fact that alternative energy sources are coming. Gasoline is so readily available and such a common place item in our modern world ... yet how long until the tide truly turns? Opinions vary--and we'd like to hear yours. How soon do you think we'll see gasoline being seriously phased out of our lives? How fast do you think we are truly headed towards that all-electric and hydrogen utopia?
Place your vote and see the tabulated results instantly:
Place your vote and see the tabulated results instantly:
- We'll see major changes in eliminating gasoline in 5 years or less.
- Changes will happen gradually and gasoline will become less commonly used in the next 6-10 years.
- It will take a longer time to see the change-over, probably 11-20 years.
- It'll take longer than that--more like 21-30 years, really.
- Forget seeing a major change in this generation--gasoline will still be in use 50 years from now.
Comments
Ask are President !
With the ever growing geo-political importance of oil, it is inevitable that major western countries will be forced to legislate incentives for new tecnologies to be created to reduce dependence on this volitile commodity. Also disincentives such as high taxes, usage restrictions on specific roads/areas, and the general public condemnation of gasoline use shall become more and more commonplace. Yesterday’s kook who drove an electric or hybrid, now gets nods of approvals from fellow motorists. It won’t be long before H2 owners become social pariahs and begin to hide their behemoths at the cottage, under a tarp! How soon? Slowly at first, but in a few years very quickly…think of the snowball on a hill concept.
I think alternative POWERING is at hand. Possible not any type of fuel at all. Since Ethanol (corn based fuel) is not only raising the cost of all food supply, it is also DRASTICALLY reducing our drinking water supply. Right now it is not a problem but years later it will be TROUBLE. I really believe HYBRIDS will become more ELECTRIC and less fuel, and will also become more powerfull. Even a pnumatic based drivetrain just MIGHT be in the future. Dont know, just a guess.
I would love to buy into the alternative fuel concept,but,I believe as long as the public buys gasoline and the enormous profit factor prevails,the overwhelming greed of the companies involved will go on.Our prez. doesn’t want to trade fuel for oil,but any idiot can see that the arabs and others are taking food from the mouths of people forced to buy gas.What’s the difference?
Undoubtedly, alternative power sources are on their way. However the important question everyone seems to be missing is not whether we can build them, but how will they be distributed? Will Joe trade his paid for 1985 Olds for a 2010 hybrid car that costs him $50K of his $25K annual income? Will he be able to afford $10K battery replacements on that income or will we be building cars on the same premise as the current housing crunch where people have to buy vehicles they can’t afford? Or will those “Joe”s of the world refuse to give up their dependable old car that still runs and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to buy or maintain?
Gasoline will probably always be needed, for antique cars if nothing else. I think there will be an increase in alternative fuels, but some of them, such as compressed natural gas, will require an expanded supply infrastructure. Technological advances in this arena may astound us. Cost may be an issue. People need to realize that this is an environmental issue and not one of economics. Some hybrids have been slow to sell because potential buyers rationalize that the extra cost for the hybrid will buy a lot of gasoline for the non-hybrid model. They miss the point. One day we may not have ready access to oil supplies or, hence, to gasoline and we will be forced to use alternative fuels.
Thanks guys, for your thoughtful insights. The time for alternatives is truly at hand, and the reasons go well beyond the simple logic of augmenting and eventually replacing the dwindling natural resource that is petroleum fuel. Geopolitics as well as uncertainty about human impact on the earth’s climate deserve equal analysis when weighing the pros and cons of adopting alternative fuels and propulsion systems. Yes, many of these technologies are less than perfect and, at least initially, we’ll find ourselves simply trading off one problem for another. That however is not an excuse to say, “Why bother?” The efficiencies of the market and ever increasing experience and knowledge will weed-out the “wanna-be” ideas and leave us with technologies that are safe, efficient and effective. If you have any doubt about that, take a look back through history. Medicine and communications to name just a couple, have gone from blood-letting and the “Pony Express” to CAT scans and the World Wide Web. To quote the great great rock ‘n’ rollers, The Allman Brothers Band–we all need to just ” keep on keepin’ on.”
Interesting,
Having been involved in the alternative energy industry for over two decades, one thing I can say without doubt, we have finally turned the corner, and by this I mean consumer demand, not government or industry who want to see us all handcuffed by by Big Oil forever, no matter what BS they spew.
We learned our lesson as a nation decades ago with last oil embargo, yet nothing was done except more BS talk and no action by government. We saw some lame short lived rebates in 80’s, but no serious commitment to change.
Finally, private individuals have taken the lead in alternative energy and with small budgets have done more to advance the industry than all the governments have while dumping millions into oil industry incentives, it is obscene what is going on while oil lobbists line politicians pockets with more millions under the disguise of campaign donations.
There are breakthroughs which only need a couple million to bring to market, yet government ignores them and then supports ethanol initiatives wasting millions more, what a joke. Fortunately the masses of concerned educated citizens are pooling investments to do what the government privately doesn’t want to see happen, a true non oil dependent country. It is just a matter of time, another year at most as many advances in hydrogen have been made without the help of government. Stay tuned.
If this administration, (loaded with cronies from the oil industry) was responsible, it could’ve spent half of that trillion that this war is costing and within 5 years we would be energy independent and wouldn’t be giving the Middle East a second look. Hasn’t anyone noticed how the latest sabre rattling with Iran jumped barrel prices to nearly $100? And those Texas boys keep pumping it out at the same cost they always have. When they say things are “Big” in Texas these days, they’re talking about oil company PROFITS!
85% GASS ALCOHOLL IS 30% LESS ENERGY THAN ALL GASS GALLON.YOU GET STUCK PAYING MORE FULE TAX ON GOV SUBSIED CORN,& MORE FOR FOOD!!!