Role of pure electric vehicles in solving the transportation fuel crisis.

We are currently at the mercy of OPEC and big oil companies. The vehicles we drive and the trucks that deliver our goods to us burn fuel produced by the distillation of oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

There is available today, the means to resolve much of this crisis if we pressure automakers into acting responsibly. In the past they have sided with big oil and refused to produce a viable electric vehicle.

Some exceptions did occur which embarrassed automakers when C.A.R.B. ( California Air Resources Board ) mandated electric vehicles in California. Until they over turned their own requirements, all automakers shipped pure electric vehicles to be tested in California. Those who were fortunate to drive them loved them. Sure there were a few bugs to work out but those were mostly resolved when the plug was pulled ( no pun intended ). GM had the best of the lot in it's EV1. It had sufficient range and speed to meet over 90% of the typical drivers daily needs. It looked like a sports car! It was a good vehicle that could be charged at home. No trips to the gas station. See: http://ev1-club.power.net/

Today the Tesla Motor Company ( http://www.teslamotors.com/ )produces a roadster that can blow the doors off of a Porsche and travel 200 miles on a $3.50 charge from an outlet in your home. That's 135 equivalent MPG efficiency! This is a $80,000+ car though, because it is not mass produced. But it proves the technology is here now. EV1 proved that years ago but GM took them all back despite public outcry, and destroyed all but a few left in museums ( which were disabled ).

Ford allowed its electric vehicles, mostly modified Ford Ranger pickup trucks to remain in service. Most people who own them would not part with them.

Chrysler imported an existing electric vehicle from Scandinavia and returned most of them to daily service there after the mandate was dropped.

GM and others did all they could to discourage people from knowing about the EV1's in other states and their ads were designed not to sell the vehicles but to discourage people from buying them in the first place. GM did not want to build electric cars. It was not that they couldn't do it....they did not want to.

No one can be sure of private influence on Detroit by big oil interests but I would not be the least surprised to learn they play a major part in halting progress on electric cars you and I could buy in order to assure the oil companies stand between us and our energy to move.

The big hype these days is hydrogen powered fuel cell cars. This is just a fancy electric vehicle like the above but instead of chemical batteries it would use a fuel cell that requires hydrogen gas to generate electricity. So to build these the automakers have to build an electric vehicle.

Why hydrogen fuel cells vs. batteries? There is the advantage that you can have range only limited by distance between fuel stations offering hydrogen gas. Not many exist. I know of one I have seen with my own eyes on the West side of Washington DC. A whole new infrastructure would need to be built out across the US to accommodate any hydrogen powered vehicles. We know who would have to build those stations at great expense, the major oil companies. They would still control our fuel and have us on yet another energy leash.

The fact that is hidden is that for over 90% of the average American's daily transportation needs, a battery powered car is more than adequate even with today's technology. The infrastructure is already in place. All you need is an electric plug and you can "fuel" your car at home while you sleep. For many they can also plug in at work so they always start their journey with a "full tank" and never a need to stop at a gas station.

Without providing the hint an answer, those who would have you buy into the hydrogen fuel proposal will discourage a pure electric vehicle saying it lacks the range for long trips.

Range is not an issue because: (a) you can just rent a gas-electric hybrid, still fairly cheap on gas for the few times a year you take a long trip or (b) electric vehicle dealers can offer you a "time share" gas vehicle you borrow when necessary.

The rest of your normal daily needs are met without gas, using your standard house current to fuel your car. No ties to big oil. No pollution at the vehicle. Silent and fast.

Yes, electric vehicles can out perform their gas counter parts. An electric motor produces more power and torque per pound than a gas engine and does it a zero RPM offering quick acceleration with almost no sound. There is no idle. The motor, when at a light, is off. Braking puts some of that energy back into the batteries.

Wouldn't you like to thumb your nose at every gas station you drive by?

Now the issue of trucking and the goods they deliver to you. Electric is not viable for them today. They need long range and the ability to pull a heavy load. Better efficiency, perhaps bio diesel fuels can help their economy. Congress needs to treat the trucking industry as it does farmers by providing fuel tax-free. If you have ever notices, diesel fuel sold to farms is died red to make it easy to inspect to make sure it is not used on the roadways for non-agricultural purposes. This same fuel should be available to licensed trucks at truck stops. This would offset the cost of delivering nearly everything we buy or eat, helping to keep the costs down for consumers.

Remember, business does not pay taxes, you do. They may fill out the forms and write the checks to the states, but that is a cost of doing business they pass along to the consumer. The tax they pay on fuel is added to the loaf of bread you bought today.

While on the subject of taxes and incentives, Congress needs to get in the act to push this idea and make it happen. There are tax credits available today but the problem with a credit is that the consumer must first be able to put down the full price of the vehicle and be in a tax bracket that enables them to benefit from the credit. Often the average tax payer fails on both accounts. Rather than a tax credit offered to those who's incomes enable them to use the credit ( people with more money ) Congress needs to provide an equivalent rebate at time of purchase to bring the cost of buying an electric car down. Perhaps provide loan guarantees similar to HUD so lower interest rates are available to buy electric vehicles. Perhaps tie these price incentives to conditions that dealers offer either "time share" or low rental rates for hybrids for those occasional longer trips beyond the range of the electric. The fuel savings would then be a great additional incentive for they buyer. This could be based on the cost so that those who opt for a luxury version get a credit while those who buy a basic daily commuter car get the instant rebate.

We have the means and the technology to cut the hose. What we need are incentives to build them and incentives to buy them. A start is in properly and honestly educating the consumer.