Re: Orangutans

["Scudder, Henry J" <Henry.Scudder@WEST.BOEING.COM>]

Have you priced rebuilts recently? I was just quoted $2500 from Nisson
for a 1990 pickup engine.
Hank

> ----------
> From:         Tonico[SMTP:tonico@DCONN.COM]
> Reply To:     Electric Vehicle Discussion List
> Sent:         Thursday, April 30, 1998 5:27 AM
> To:   Multiple recipients of list EV
> Subject:      Re: Orangutans
>
> I am glad to see someone hit the nail on the head. The "orangutan
> factor"
> as it relates to EV is to somehow get people to believe that "getting
> more
> bang for buck" is a bad thing.  We all try to pay less for more.  At
> this
> stage of the EV development the EV will loose in practicaly everyway
> when
> considered under this.
> Sure the increase in the cost of gas would somehow reverse this, but
> people
> are not going to put up the money upfront so that over the next 5-10
> years
> they may get it back.  If we look at countries which artificially keep
> the
> cost of gas more than double our own, still there is no stampede to
> buy
> EVs.
> Even a conversion has problems with this.  Just about any run of the
> mill
> car will cost less than a $1000 for a rebuilt engine. Compare that
> with
> $5000 for a reasonable conversion.
>
>
> > People by and large make totally rational choices based on the price
> of
> > things.  Only a few can afford to have other motives such as the
> > environment.  Since gas prices are the lowest in history counting
> CPI,
> and
> > all of the external costs of cars and fossil fuels are paid by
> society,
> not
> > by the users, people buy SUVs not EVs.
> >
> > One single factor will change all this: the price of gasoline.
> Nothing
> > else will do it.  Hybrids will sell much more and much sooner than
> EVs
> > because range is not limited.  The orangutan factor also plays a
> role,
> but
> > price and performance plays a bigger role in my opinion.  People
> generally
> > embrace new technology if it makes their life better and isn't too
> > expensive.  Social change is where the Orangutan factor really takes
> > effect.
>
> Re: Orangutans
>
RE: Orangutans