GM set to go hybrid, then all electric?
So, GM is canceling their hydrogen fuel cell program? Well, not exactly, but it appears GM is finally beginning to understand that the world doesn't have to wait for hydrogen fuel cells before getting serious about fuel economy and pollution.
"What started as a fuel cell project is now an electric vehicle project," GM's Bob Lutz told the Automotive News recently.
"A series hybrid could run primarily on electricity from lithium-ion batteries, with an engine as backup to replenish batteries, Lutz says. The backup engine could be a diesel or gasoline internal combustion engine. Backup energy also could come from a fuel cell."
Of course, Toyota has claimed this same idea for a number of years, although their approach is a bit different. Even fuel cell makers have been calling for plug-in hybrid vehicles because they make a smaller, cheaper fuel cell stack much more cost effective to add to a vehicle.
Still, the costs of the batteries, fuel cell stacks, etc for either an all-electric fuel cell vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid fuel cell vehicle, will probably be very high for several years and maybe even a decade or longer. Which is why current hybrid technology is so important.
If not for current hybrids, GM wouldn't even be having this conversation. If not for current hybrids, plug-in hybrids wouldn't even be a buzzword in the auto industry. If not for current hybrids, there wouldn't be enough upside to develop lithium-ion batteries for automobiles.
Today's hybrid vehicles, with today's hybrid technology, are an investment in lithium ion batteries and in fuel cells, in addition to being a way to begin to reduce foreign oil dependency and global warming emissions. With today's hybrid vehicles we can begin changing the world TODAY.
It's about time GM has gotten with the program. Let's just hope this revelation isn't just hot air! America, the world, needs GM to do the right thing now more than ever.
"What started as a fuel cell project is now an electric vehicle project," GM's Bob Lutz told the Automotive News recently.
"A series hybrid could run primarily on electricity from lithium-ion batteries, with an engine as backup to replenish batteries, Lutz says. The backup engine could be a diesel or gasoline internal combustion engine. Backup energy also could come from a fuel cell."
Of course, Toyota has claimed this same idea for a number of years, although their approach is a bit different. Even fuel cell makers have been calling for plug-in hybrid vehicles because they make a smaller, cheaper fuel cell stack much more cost effective to add to a vehicle.
Still, the costs of the batteries, fuel cell stacks, etc for either an all-electric fuel cell vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid fuel cell vehicle, will probably be very high for several years and maybe even a decade or longer. Which is why current hybrid technology is so important.
If not for current hybrids, GM wouldn't even be having this conversation. If not for current hybrids, plug-in hybrids wouldn't even be a buzzword in the auto industry. If not for current hybrids, there wouldn't be enough upside to develop lithium-ion batteries for automobiles.
Today's hybrid vehicles, with today's hybrid technology, are an investment in lithium ion batteries and in fuel cells, in addition to being a way to begin to reduce foreign oil dependency and global warming emissions. With today's hybrid vehicles we can begin changing the world TODAY.
It's about time GM has gotten with the program. Let's just hope this revelation isn't just hot air! America, the world, needs GM to do the right thing now more than ever.
Labels: bob lutz, clean diesel, electric cars, Foreign Oil Dependency, fuel cells, global warming, GM, Hybrid Vehicles, plug-in hybrids, toyota
posted by Dahcredyns at
9:19 AM
2 Comments:
I love the way environmental knuckleheads have decided that somehow GM is responsible for the
future of transportation. I also love
how often environmentalists change their tunes and proceed on a new direction - first it was ethanol as the solution, then hydrogen, then ethanol again, then biodisel, then hybrids, now plug-in hybrids and electric cars. Now hydrogen and ethanol seem to be out, and thru it all GM is always to blame. They even produced a pack of lies called "Who Killed the Electric Car?"
and acted as thought it was a mystery why the public, during a period of $1.00 a gallon gasoline,
would not choose to buy a $43,000 grocery gettery that demanded $4,000 per year in batteries. Yeah, that's a big mystery. We may have to call in Sherlock the Fool to
figure that one out.
No one is claiming GM is responsible for the future of transportation.
Many believe GM is an extremely important American employer and an
important asset to the American economy.
Since 9/11; however, I think ending foreign oil dependency is more important than GM's survival. Since 9/11 the only big move GM has made is launching new gas guzzlers.
In many people's opinions that isn't very American.
Ultimately, it would be a lot nicer if America ended foreign oil dependency with the help of GM, especially since Congress has given billions in tax dollars to GM do just that throughout the years (Our tax dollars also helped fund the electric car).
I'm an environmentalist and I've never promoted either ethanol or biodiesel as the solution - NEVER. So, let's keep the generalizations out of this discussion.
Soultek.com was founded on promoting hybrid vehicles as a serious solution to foreign oil dependency and as a natural progression to fuel cell vehicles.
Plug-in hybrids are a natural step between current hybrid vehicles and fuel cell vehicles. Plug-in hybrid vehicles enable the introduction of cheaper and smaller fuel cell stacks into automobiles.
While not full fuel cell vehicles, plug-in hybrids with fuel cells could drive down the costs of larger fuel cell stacks.
Additionally, while GM is moving towards an all-electric vehicle, it is moving towards a hydrogen fuel-cell powered all-electric vehicle.
Consequently, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles are synchronous technologies - so they are singing the same tune.
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