Years ago they used to say: “Hell, sell it to the government..they’ll buy anything!” Well, we have bailed out Chrysler and General Motors and evidently have made a committment to “electric hybrid” vehicles. Those batteries are going to be made in Ohio and Michigan, but most likely will all be made in Sichuan Province in China by 2011.
It sort of reminds us of the Vista operating system for computers. Everyone knew that it was bulky, clunky and wasn’t going to ever replace XP adequately. You see, we started with DOS, then Windows 95, Windows 98SE and XP. Microsoft also tried to sell us Windows 2000, Millenium ME, CE and other variations that seemed just lovely at the time. Next month is the official release of Windows 7….which will either be a huge improvement over Windows Vista or we can all swear up and down at Microsoft for not making their system more like MAC!
The car makers are following suit…on this not so caring strategy on how to make a buck and develop “automated obsolence”. Make those people buy new hardware, new software and along the way offer a few new bells and whistles that will “jazz” the xenophobes! The argument in favor of battery power completely eludes us. Why in the world would someone want to buy a vehicle that gets better gas mileage, but then has to be charged each and every day? Why in the world would someone want to buy a triple complex vehicle which has triple the chance of mechanical failures?
Henry Ford produced 15 million Model T Fords. The last Model T was made in 1928. Most of them were still running in 1938! People appreciated their simplicity, their gas mileage and their sturdy design. People got value for their money. They got very good use from the product that they purchased.
Today, with a simple switch of computer chips and minor mechanical adjustments…….those SUV and Big Pick-up vehicles could be getting at least triple the present gas mileage without power loss or penalty. But, then….people would be asking: “Why haven’t they done this before?” The list of unanswered questions could soon grow and the reality of “milking the system” might become too real to explain rationally.
A truly new power plant is more than possible in this day of computers, nanos and fertile imagination. We can visualize all manner of ways to create life, grow arms and legs, make people walk that are paralyzed, save old people’s lives with regrown organs, DNA replacant therapy and much, much more! Why can we not imagine and develop a super small turbine, nano engineered exotic power plant that produces 300 Horsepower and still gets 150 miles to the gallon? The answer sadly is: Yes we can!
Isn’t it time that our solutions to perceived environmental harm are met with greater intelligence and care? Isn’t it time, that once again we demand value, reliability and creative simplicity in the design of our machines? It isn’t so doubtful that those new battery Hybrids may wind up being nothing more than “Battery Hungry Recycled Hibyrds”…that will require difficult recycling issues and more than likely a constant replacement schedule for those pesky Chinese batteries. Whoppee…..another Vista!
You don’t have to be a “Nay Sayer” to understand that mechanical things do break down and the more complex they are the greater the chances of systemic failure. Instead of an Electric Hybrid…you just might find an Electric Flag instead! How much did you say those replacement batteries were again?
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