Commanders Post at The Warpath - View Single Post - Chevy hopes an estimated 230 mpg will give its Volt a charge

JoeRedskin · 08-12-2009, 01:05 PM

100 years ago, an airplane that could fly 30 mph for a couple hours was the height of technological accomplishment. Cars were still a luxury for the rich.

50 years ago, the only thing we did with nuclear energy was blow things up.

25 years ago, CD's, DVD's and the internet were unknown to anybody but a select few.

10 years ago, I had a computer that performed at 1/100th (just a guess) of the capacity of the one I now own and was comparitively expensive -- If I could find it, I could get a computer capable of performing on that level for (just guessing again) under a hundred bucks.

Once technology breaks through the "infrastructure" barrier, consumer demand will take over. I think that is why electric vehicles will succeed before any other type of alternative fuel vehicle does. Right now, you can plug stuff in just about anywhere you could get gas - more so in fact. It is the only power infrastructure, other than gasoline that straddles the country (and most of the globe).

I think that electrical cars will make similar leaps in technology that other such devices have shown through history and that battery technology will develop (longer lasting, smaller and more quickly recharging batteries) quickly once certain critical masses are acheived. They will be expensive at first but competition and consumer demand will drive costs down. As consumer demand rises, investment will initially increase and then probably level off once a research infrastructure is built and a critical mass in brain power dedicated this technology is reached.

Of course, our current electrical infrastructure is old and in need of major overhaul to handle the increased demand for energy and the need to transmit power generated from alternative fuel sources: Infrastructure Report Card 2005; U.S. electric grid needs major overhaul: utility | Green Business | Reuters.

Also, electrical energy doesn't just magically appear, it comes from generators that are in turn powered by natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. In 2006, nearly 50% of our electrical energy was generated by coal. File:Sources of electricity in the USA 2006.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. While the US has an abundance of coal, it is also the dirtiest of energy sources.

It is in these two areas that govt. should be "investing". Unfortunately, due to the drunken spending of the last adminstration and the apparent continuation of that trend by the current administration, I am not sure the US has the resources or will power needed to invest our infrastructure.

Sorry to distract from football yet again.

08-12-2009, 01:05 PM	#12
JoeRedskin Contains football related knowledge Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Second Star On The Right Age: 63 Posts: 10,401	Re: Chevy hopes an estimated 230 mpg will give its Volt a charge 100 years ago, an airplane that could fly 30 mph for a couple hours was the height of technological accomplishment. Cars were still a luxury for the rich. 50 years ago, the only thing we did with nuclear energy was blow things up. 25 years ago, CD's, DVD's and the internet were unknown to anybody but a select few. 10 years ago, I had a computer that performed at 1/100th (just a guess) of the capacity of the one I now own and was comparitively expensive -- If I could find it, I could get a computer capable of performing on that level for (just guessing again) under a hundred bucks. Once technology breaks through the "infrastructure" barrier, consumer demand will take over. I think that is why electric vehicles will succeed before any other type of alternative fuel vehicle does. Right now, you can plug stuff in just about anywhere you could get gas - more so in fact. It is the only power infrastructure, other than gasoline that straddles the country (and most of the globe). I think that electrical cars will make similar leaps in technology that other such devices have shown through history and that battery technology will develop (longer lasting, smaller and more quickly recharging batteries) quickly once certain critical masses are acheived. They will be expensive at first but competition and consumer demand will drive costs down. As consumer demand rises, investment will initially increase and then probably level off once a research infrastructure is built and a critical mass in brain power dedicated this technology is reached. Of course, our current electrical infrastructure is old and in need of major overhaul to handle the increased demand for energy and the need to transmit power generated from alternative fuel sources: Infrastructure Report Card 2005; U.S. electric grid needs major overhaul: utility \| Green Business \| Reuters. Also, electrical energy doesn't just magically appear, it comes from generators that are in turn powered by natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. In 2006, nearly 50% of our electrical energy was generated by coal. File:Sources of electricity in the USA 2006.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. While the US has an abundance of coal, it is also the dirtiest of energy sources. It is in these two areas that govt. should be "investing". Unfortunately, due to the drunken spending of the last adminstration and the apparent continuation of that trend by the current administration, I am not sure the US has the resources or will power needed to invest our infrastructure. Sorry to distract from football yet again. __________________ Strap it up, hold onto the ball, and let’s go.