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--- {EVangel}
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992750
Ford abandons electric vehicles
11:50 03 September 02
NewScientist.com news service
The Ford motor company's abandonment of electric cars
effectively signals the end of the road for the technology,
analysts say.
General Motors and Honda ceased production of battery-
powered cars in 1999, to focus on [future technology] and
hybrid electric-gasoline engines, which are more attractive
to the consumer. Ford has now announced it will do the
same.
Three years, ago, the company introduced the TH!NK City two-
seater car and a golf cart called the TH!NK, or Think
Neighbor. It hoped to sell 5000 cars each year and 10,000
carts. But a lack of demand means only about 1000 of the
cars have been produced, and less than 1700 carts have been
sold so far in 2002.
"The bottom line is we don't believe that this is the future
of environmental transport for the mass market," Tim Holmes
of Ford Europe said on Friday. "We feel we have given
electric our best shot."
The Think City has a range of only about 53 miles and up to
a six- hour battery recharge time. General Motors' EV1
electric vehicle also had a limited range, of about 100
miles.
The very expensive batteries also mean electric cars cost
much more than petrol-powered alternatives. An electric
Toyota RAV4 EV vehicle costs over $42,000 in the US,
compared with just $17,000 for the petrol version. Toyota
and Nissan are now the only major auto manufacturers to
produce electric vehicles.
"There is a feeling that battery electric has been given its
chance. Ford now has to move on with its hybrid program, and
that is what we will be judging them on," Roger Higman,
senior transport campaigner at UK Friends of the Earth, told
the Environment News Service.
Hybrid cars introduced by Toyota and Honda in the past few
years have sold well. Hybrid engines offer greater mileage
than petrol-only engines, and the batteries recharge
themselves. Ford says it thinks such vehicles will help it
meet planned new guidelines on vehicle emissions in the US.
However, it is not yet clear exactly what those guidelines
will permit. In June, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler won
a court injunction, delaying by two years Californian
legislation requiring car-makers to offer 100,000 zero-
emission and other low-emission vehicles in the state by
2003.
Car manufacturers hope the legislation will be rewritten to
allow for more low-emission, rather than zero-emission,
vehicles.
Emma Young
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