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Old 12-31-2008, 07:26 PM   #20 (permalink)
Clev
Wannabe greenie
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Yorba Linda, CA
Posts: 1,098

The Clunker (retired) - '90 Honda Accord EX sedan
Team Honda
90 day: 29.49 mpg (US)

Mountain Goat - '96 Ford Ranger XLT 4x4 SuperCab
90 day: 18 mpg (US)

Zippy - '10 Kymco Agility 125
90 day: 65.03 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aerohead View Post
Thanks Clev! Your book was cited in "MORE WITH LESS." I've not read that yet,but it's on the "list." It's good that they flesh out the story in greater detail.-------------AeroVironment didn't have total control of Impact like they did with Sunraycer,and it sounds like there were many 120-decibel conversations with GM and it's divisions.Evidently,when Alan Cocconi found out Hughes was going to get it's inductive charging system,he walked out.------------ $1-billion sounds like chump-change nowadays.The entire Saturn Corp. only set GM back $ 2-billion.----------------- Perhaps GM was confident that state-level lobbyists could kill the legislation mandating ZEVs.After receiving $500-million in taxpayer money to develop 80-mpg PNGV cars by 2007,to a lay-person,and in retrospect,it seems like it would have been a no-brainer for the Big-Three to deliver.Paul MacCready figured the President could get a war with three-television appearances,perhaps he could have cultivated an American market for 80-mpg cars in six.
GM loved the EV1 and was fully behind it... until they took it in to show it off to CARB. CARB realized that fully electric vehicles were possible and practical and started the ZEV mandates. THAT'S what made GM backtrack and kill off every scrap of EV1 they could find. It's fine being an environmental leader, but not if it cuts into your big truck profits.
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