If there IS a "conspiracy theory" then the EV1 is it. For my driving cycle the EV1 would have been the PERFECT commuter car, especially with how cheap electricity is in Manitoba. However at the same time GM was brainwashing the gullable public into "bigger is better" and pushing HP, 0-60, and tire-smoking performance, the EV1 was a confusing contradiction. At least it would have been to the average Suburban or Sierra buyer. So naturally GM sent all of them to the crusher and is hoping the public has a short enough attention span to forget it ever existed. There is your "conspiracy theory" the fact that GM corporate management blew it. Again. It's the same old song over and over and over. Too bad our troll poster things the sun rises and sets on GM corporate management. Wonder how much they pay him to think that way? It would be very sad if he was delusional enough to think that way on his own. It's my understanding there are many new medications to alleviate most of that.
OMG guys. 10 pages, 10!! I warned you, "Don't feed the Troll" I said, you listened for about a day then someone had to slip him some food and look at the monster he's grown into. When he eats Tokyo and we can't get any more Prii don't come running to me!
Jayman, you continually make compelling points to me. GM and Ford have made many bad decisions over the years. But do you really blame GM for the consumers thirst for horsepower and size. Is Toyota simply reacting to GM then as they expand their truck output and continully lower their corporate fuel ecoenomy average. You are intelligent, you don't really believe that.
Oh and how will the hydrogen be derived? Currently it's derived from fossil fuels (Electrolysis or fuel cells) that actually require FAR more energy input than just filling up a tank with regular unleaded. I could also go into how hydrogen as a gas doesn't follow the Ideal Gas Law, as it isn't an ideal gas. At scary pressures of 10,000psi or higher, it will also easily migrate most tanks. Or how hydrogen and oxygen form particularly strong bonds, as the Polar bonds of H2O are "ideal" thus the lack of homolysis. H2O is tetrahedral , with the H-O-H angle of about 105 degrees and the O-H bond length of about 0.96 A. Due to H-O-H stucture, polarity, and high dielectric constant, it will not only readily form bonds with hydrogen atoms due to the -OH group but will also readily solvate cations and anions. It takes about 118 kcal/mole to disassociate those bonds, so to conventionally derive H from H-O-H is energy intensive. In other words, we will run out of oil FASTER by trying to convert to the "hydrogen economy." I do a lot of industrial process control work and am quite familiar with things like electrolysis, gas storage, all that good stuff. Do a search of my user name and the hydrogen topic, where I go into far more detail of MegaJoules and storage. Since you claim to be an educated person I bet you already know this.
Actually, the Japanese were terrible people in that part of the century, maybe worse than Nazi's. For example, they performed horrible experiments on Chinese to try to perfect their biological weapons program at a place in Pinfan, China, known as Unit 731: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731 Of course, when WW II wrapped up the United States kept this secret. After all, things like USAMRIID would never have started if not for the results of human experimentation in China. But what the heck, they're "only" Chinese, right? So it's ok for the United States to quietly take that knowledge and shelter those responsible, while hypocritically claiming to be the bastion of Human Rights. Companies like Ford and GM profited immensely off wartime, including deals to both sides of a conflict. Hey, it's business, right? Do yourself a favor and read up on the following book: "Democracy for the Few," by Michael Parenti, 6ed, St. Martin's Press, Inc., NY NY, 1995. ISBN 0-312-05233-2. What's happening to us, the thing you're whining about so much, is very mild compared to what we have done to indigenous peoples and third world nations the world over. Kind of cute how our troll-centric discussion became sidetracked by WWII.
Jayman you can't even admit that Japan was at war with the United States during World War II. You right away go into how "dirty" the US is? Why do you have so much guilt?
:blink: Never ceases to amaze me how "good" forum participants continue to FEED THE TROLL.! I suppose they have nothing constructive to offer. But then TROLLs have no other way to "get their jollies." **SIGH**
GM and others CREATED that market. You really don't understand marketing at all, despite your claims. Show me how an average Joe Six Pack consumer can have intimate authority in the design and build of a product. Not consumer products, that is for sure. Skilled folks with degrees in marketing, management, and engineering "invent" a new product, then create glitzy advertising to peddle it. They also use folks with a background in psychology and sociology to program "needs" into the gullable public. In particular they readily exploit the "fear" of the average male driver who worries his male reproductive organ will be judged inferior if he doesn't drive the biggest and baddest truck/car on the planet. Funny thing is, why doesn't that sort of advertising work in Europe? OTOH, military hardware, avionics, aerospace, some telecomms, etc, is an example where the end "customer" has FULL involvement in design and construction. For example, a few airlines are bothered by less than full passenger loads and high operating costs. They want a very fuel efficient aircraft that also offers an extremely low noise signature, so it can operate out of smaller airports and those with strict after-hour noise regulations. The 319/320/321 were also the first large scale commercial fly-by-wire airliners, programmed for maximum fuel economy. Boeing and MD failed to deliver, along came Airbus with the A-319, A-320, and A-321 running very high bypass CFM-56 turbofans. Incidently, CFM International is a partnership of Snecma Moteurs, France, and GE of the USA. With the alarming success of Airbus, Boeing was "forced" to develop aircraft like the Boeing 737-700 and the fly-by-wire 777.
What "hydrogen economy?" That started off as a useful marketing gimmick to take the public's mind off the FACT that GM et al have NOTHING to offer to compete with the Prius. Despite the over 2 billion taxpayer dollars they received from DOE in the mid 1990's.
HUH??? Um ... last time I checked there was a fairly MAJOR global conflict in WW II. Though incidently Canadian soldiers were involved before American soldiers were. And last time I checked "we" really whupped them good. Those two nukes sure helped. What "guilt" are you referring to? The thread has a hard time time following these sudden topic-changing things you throw in. If anything I would suggest YOU feel guilty about something. And I have REALLY liked this thread, very entertaining. My co-workers are in stitches. Seriously, don't forget to take your medication as indicated.
Skilled folks with degrees in marketing, management, and engineering "invent" a new product, then create glitzy advertising to peddle it. They also use folks with a background in psychology and sociology to program "needs" into the gullable public. "Moving You Forward" Thanks Jayman, you have proven my original point. Toyota is using smoke and mirrors to peddle their "green image" to the public while they go after the "real" market: Trucks and SUV's. You are an intelligent person, do you really think Toyota just got "lucky" and stumbled onto hybrids at the same time that they built a truck plant in Texas?
FEEDING THE TROLL??? I don't think that applies as much here as it has to other posts. I think Malorns topic is valid in a sense, but a bit over stated. I think there are much bigger problems, then buying a Japanese automobile. How about all the Lazy american's that collect wellfare and other government sources for income that they really don't need or deserve? Or how about all the immigrants that are working very hard (often under the table) and spend very little money in this country. Instead they take it all back to Brazil or whereever there from and spend it there. If you eliminated all this crap that happens, our economy and job market would greatly improve. The unfortunate thing however, is that most immigrants have a much better work ethic than most americans. At least Toyota is legal.