There is an old saying... Ignorance can be fixed. Stupid is forever. He writes for a newspaper...not exactly the bastions of truth and honor that they once were. But, and maybe it's just the optimist in me, maybe he was writing from a position of ignorance? I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he'll be more open minded, and actually reflect both sides in his next article. Engineers are often very conservative, and often fight the introduction of unfamiliar ideas and new approaches to solving a problem. This, despite hybrids being introduced by Nikola Tesla and Ferdinand Porsche over 100 years ago.
I just read another of his articles. Apparently he thinks the government, not the consumer, is the driving force in determining which technology should be affordable and desirable. Examine this quote from his article, Which way will electrification go:Like the plug-in hybrid, the success of the Volt will depend on its cost. Current indicators see a US$40,000 price tag, a limitation to widespread adoption. Of course, like the pure EV, the Volt's affordability depends on future government subsidies.The Volt's affordability depends on public acceptance and economies of scale. Subsidies are not the way to drive technology...though they can be useful for encouraging early adopters. Journalistic ethics would require him to place his own views on the sideline, and attempt to feign objectivity. Instead, we now have direct evidence of not just his personal views, but of his political views as well. See my message, above. He's an op-ed writer.