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Jun. 14, 2007 What really happened to the electric car? General Motors (GM), Toyota, and Honda all began producing these futuristic vehicles during the late 1990's and then promptly cut funding for them a few years later. GM even recalled the entire 900-car fleet of their first electric car, the EV1, explaining that the charging system could overheat and catch fire. To this very day, GM has made no attempt at fixing the EV1 nor have they made any other electric car since! Why would GM just give up? Could GM's behavior reflect a downfall in American society? Let's hope not. It is time for automakers to wipe off the cobwebs collecting around their plans to generate an electric vehicle and put one of those plans into action. The technology for producing an electric automobile has been available for over a decade now. Yes, a whole decade! Since when does America come upon a technological breakthrough and then just put its brilliance aside? Bottom line: if oil companies complain about the electric cars because it reduces their profits, then we need to pass laws preventing those companies from abusing their monopolistic powers. We, as a society, need to support technological advances in order to sustain our environment and the future of mankind. The abrupt halt of GM's EV1 signified a temporary victory on the side of the oil companies, but there is no doubt in my mind that America's resilience and resolve will once again let us reign supreme against any and all of our competitors including the oil companies. For example, take a look at America 's past with the invention of the airplane. The Wright brothers invented their first airplane in 1899 and, within a decade, the U.S. government had already purchased a plane from them in order to begin training Army officers to pilot the machines. For over a century, airplanes have been used commercially to transport goods and customers hundreds of times each day. The U.S. government took an educated risk when they invested in airplanes and that risk proved to be well worth it. The electric car is far less of a risk than any airplane; therefore, the U.S. government should have no problem supporting its production. America 's history of success with technology provides a sense of comfort for citizens worried about the future of the automobile, but will our nearly flawless record sustain us into the future? Progress has already been made by several auto manufacturers by the introduction of hybrid vehicles that run by combining a combustion engine with an electric motor. Toyota was the first manufacturer to introduce a hybrid vehicle to American consumers when they released their first Toyota Prius in 2000. This hybrid vehicle allows the customer to save money on gas by only using the combustion engine during the vehicle's acceleration. When coasting or braking, the hybrid vehicle shuts off its combustion engine and runs off the electric motor instead. The customer will not only save money on gas, but he or she will also help to preserve our environment because hybrid vehicles have far less harmful emissions than do regular automobiles. The hybrid vehicle is a great start for Americans in our quest to reduce the dependence we have on foreign oil, but we must not stop there. The future holds a place for the electric car, and hopefully that place won't be a junkyard. We, as a society, must pursue future technologies that will break us free of our Middle Eastern stronghold. We also must to not forget our duties to keep the government in check. Our government needs to work for its citizens and it needs to be reminded of that crucial responsibility! So, when we see the constantly high gas prices, we know there is room for a change. Even though, in light of GM's recent EV1 removal, it looks as if America is losing traction on the slippery slope of technological breakthroughs, we as individuals can play a part in forcing change. If every American put a hybrid vehicle in their driveway in the next 5 years, our environment would appreciate it and it would provide a true wake-up call for oil companies. ------------ About the author: Jeremy Nagelberg is a new contributor of Useless-Knowledge. Email: JeremyN@Hotmail.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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