On 30 Aug 2002 at 8:16, josh wrote: > Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - News) on Friday said it was > pulling the plug on its Think electric vehicle division due to poor customer > demand and lack of government support for the environmentally friendly cars.
"Poor customer demand"? When did they ever attempt to market them? "Lack of government support"? Who is it that filed suit against California for passing laws promoting EVs? What a bloody shame that our news media are such sheep, slobbering over every word that the news releases hand them to print. With some real investigation, they'd find out what a snow job this is. But that would be too much work. Ford's betrayal is the same old song, Nth verse. Detroit has done this again and again -- promised us EVs, thus killing off the little conversion companies barely surviving by selling to utility companies and a few individuals, then said "Oops! We can't do it after all. We were just kidding anyway. Sorry!" Nothing has changed: if you want an enclosed road EV, you have to build it yourself. But there is at least some good news. At least now you can get a usable 2- wheel open EV. That's a start. And there's still a decent chance of enclosed road EVs eventually coming here from Asia and Europe. If that happens, Detroit's fate isn't hard to predict. In the mid-1970s, the big three took a huge hit when the Japanese automakers were ready with small, fuel-efficient vehicles and they weren't. When the next oil crunch hits, you'll see a repeat performance. But this time the competition will come from the hungry, aggressive, smaller countries, and this time I'm not sure Detroit will bounce back quite as well. Maybe not at all. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Want to unsubscribe, stop the EV list mail while you're on vacation, or switch to digest mode? See http://www.evdl.org/help/ = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA 1991 Solectria Force 144vac 1991 Ford Escort Green/EV 128vdc 1970 GE Elec-trak E15 36vdc 1974 Avco New Idea rider 36vdc = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Thou shalt not send me any thing which says unto thee, "send this to all thou knowest." Neither shalt thou send me any spam, lest I smite thee. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
