EV/RE misconceptions

[Nick Carter <nick@npcimaging.com>]

>And, of course, you have to make it look cool... Whatever they might
>pretend, most car buyers DO care about what their car looks like -
>particularly in the US. If you make a cute two-seater with a 50 miles range
>and good marketing, you'll get buyers, I guarantee it. You just have to do
>for EVs what Apple did with the iMac, or VW with the New Beetle. The EV
>market would expand from a stiletto to a least a niche.
>
>Arnaud


I think this is just what Ford has done with the Th!nk City EV
that we drive. The most common comment I hear is "cute". It has
two seats, about 45 miles range and convenient storage with
hatchback access and it looks, well, cute. When it comes to the
marketing... well, we'll see when the 2003 model goes retail.

Concerning Rick Pryor's encounter with the CNG pickup driver,
I was reminded of an encounter recently. The guy was hanging
around the car (I guess we've already come to expect that :) )
so I asked if he had any questions. He asked if it was electric
and I said yes, *pure* electric. Then he went on to say that,
of course, you're still using oil. How, I said. Well you have
to produce the electricity. I still wasn't sure of his level
of knowledge but could tell he wasn't the usual parking lot
encounter... and I could have said that oil is used for a
small portion of electricity generation, so I said, well you
just put some solar panels on your roof and no more oil...
he still shook his head and said ahh but those renewable methods
still are "only marginal on their energy savings". I said
something to the effect of "my recent reading" (Home Power magazine)
"says that energy payback is 3 to 5 years and the panels last
for 25 - 30 years." He still wasn't convinced.
I felt that he was wrong but wouldn't be convinced even if I
argued some more, so I wished him well. It really surprises
me when I encounter such entrenched views which clearly
contradict what I read. How do you counter that?

It reminds me of the car manufacturers at the CA ZEV mandate
meetings... "there's no demand" followed by dozens of people
saying "I can't get an EV".

Great list - thanks to all.
Nick

Dr Nick Carter,
Owner, npc Imaging and Th!nk EV driver,
3000 Cleveland Avenue, Suite 209,
Santa Rosa CA 95403-2117
nick@npcimaging.com  Tel/fax: +1 (707) 573 9361
http://www.npcimaging.com

"Continue to contaminate your bed and you will one night
suffocate in your own waste"
Chief Seattle to President Franklin Pierce, 1855

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