commentaries

Batteries don't get ya too far when it's 20 below zero up here in the northland. But that free electric golf cart boondoggle + loophole with the tax rebate thing was pretty awesome for running the backroads in the summer time.

Finally, the general public is starting to realize that this was all a fantasy. A completely new battery technology would have to be developed for this to even be a consideration. Well, at least we the taxpayers were able to turn billionaire Elon Musk into a multi-billionaire. I wonder who he contributed to in the last election?

As the daily driver of a Chevy volt which is a plugin electric capable of running on gas if necessary, I speak from experience when I say that it fulfills all my needs. Best yet after 3500+ miles I only added gas for the first time Friday (4 gallons) after 5 months of driving cause I almost never use gas. I would bet the majority of fellow Minnesotans would see similar results and appreciate the 40+ mpg when ever they had to use gas to power the electric motor.

The free market is now and always has been the best way to allocate resources. This article is an example of what happens when government thinks it can allocate them better---untold waste of taxpayer dollars.

"That's about a third as many as the Energy Department forecast in a 2011 report that attempted to explain why Obama's goal was not preposterous." -- Gee, another Gov't estimate that is not even close. Big surpise.

Took a Tesla S ride last week from Minneapolis to Gull Lake (about 180 miles). It was around 15º and we arrived at our location with approximately 50 miles of charge left. While this technology is nascent to suggest it's DOA and a costly mistake is absurd. The technology will continue to evolve and improve. On top of that, the in car experience is absolutely fantastic. Why do the traditional auto manufacturers continue to develop hardware based cars with dozens of buttons when a software-based dashboard provides a much improved user experience and can easily be upgraded with improvements and bug fixes.

With the US suddenly tapping oil reserves, it probably is a short term mistake to go all electric, but the day is coming when Saudi Arabia and other nations run out of oil, and then we will have to find alternatives. Better to get the technology refined now than wait until that day comes.

Some people may like the volt but it was GM's downfall and lawstar you are correct when the government tells a business what to build versus what people really want to drive it doesn't quite seem to workout.

'Yet Americans bought just 71,000 plug-in hybrids or all-electric vehicles in the past two years' If plug-in hybrids were selling at 10,000 dollars like other cars, they would go like hot-cakes! Hybrid Cars and Renewable Energy is the way of the future. The 150 year-old reign of Oil is ending, and ending soon!

It is good to keep working on this technology longer term. This shows the extremes in the Obama admin. They go "all in" on green technology (when it is not ready for prime time) rather than planning and investing for the long term. The GOP extreme is as bad clinging to fossil fuels. We need moderate, common sense, politicians that will provide an orderly path towards the future, not the extremists.