Now, don’t misunderstand: I’m all in favor of these vehicles. I would love to see a way to ween ourselves from the use of fossil fuels. They’re dirty, and I do not mean their CO2 output. And we obtain too much of it from nations that are hostile to the United States, and very often are supportive of Islamic extremism. Nations that treat women and gays in horrible manners. But, these vehicles are just not ready for prime time
(Detroit News) It’s a buyer’s market for drivers interested in new or used electrics and hybrids.
Sales of new electric cars and hybrids, according to automotive research and shopping site Edmunds.com, are at their lowest level since 2011 — the first full year of sales for the groundbreaking Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid and Nissan’s all-electric Leaf. So carmakers are paring prices in an effort to get them moving.
Furthermore, motorists who leased those first-generation cars, and have decided not to buy them, are turning them in. They’re on dealer lots with still relatively low mileage, and at prices considerably cheaper than the new ones.
Many surely realize that the inability to travel any sort of distance per charge despite paying lots and lots of money is absurd. Hybrids are continuing to do OK, but even they are seeing a slight drop. The market is dictating the value, after the Government attempted to create value. Of course, it is also government dictates that drive this, as the requirement for more fuel efficient vehicles makes it a much smarter buy to save a couple grand (or more) purchasing/leasing compact, sub-compact, and even mid-size sedans/hatchbacks. Even compact SUVs are getting decent miles per gallon.
Hey, speaking of Detroit
A look at how climate change will affect Detroit neighborhoods
The specter of climate change is looming over the Great Lakes and Michigan.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, Michigan can expect much hotter summers by the end of the century. In 2100, scientists estimate that temperatures will exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit for 65 days of the year, getting over 100 degrees for 23 of those. If the business of fossil fuel-related emissions continues as usual, summers in Detroit will feel more like Missouri than Michigan.
Supposedly, “climate change” will migrate the climate of Michigan to that of northern Texas (see graphic at link) by 2100. Strangely, people survive and do quite well in that area. Heck, they do well in even warmer regions. Good thing the models have been right on the money, right?
Anyhow, considering the shame of Detroit, perhaps they should worry more about the horrific condition of the city, rather than “climate change”. They’ve spent over 40 years turning Detroit into a cesspool, driving out business, increasing taxation, and now they want to do the same, but in the name of “climate change”, rather than in the name of Black People.
Adaptation and gentrification
While greater downtown is primed for development and greening, that area’s social and physical characteristics make it relatively resilient to climate change. Green infrastructure cannot just be a method for developers to raise property values. It is a vital component of building a stronger and more equal city. Targeting of climate adaptation techniques must be based on solid foundation of physical and social vulnerability.
That’s right, they are worried about White people moving back into Detroit and daring to raise property values. I certainly do not want to go all “Stuff Black People Don’t Like“, but, hey, these Warmists went down the road of racism first. Nothing says smart investment like spending oodles of taxpayer cash on “climate change” initiatives that still leave property values at a point where people can buy property for $1. But still have few working street lights, people unable to pay their water bills (this includes agencies of the City Of Detroit), emergency response that takes almost an hour (on the bright side, police response took almost 4 hours in the mid-70s’s, when we where worried about the coming ice age), and high unemployment. Let’s build tons of “green” stuff which people still won’t be allowed to afford.
Ever notice how a young man’s fancy always turns to electric cars in the Spring? In the blistering heat of summer, do these street ready golf carts have air conditioning? Is it effective, and if so, what does it do to your battery life and car’s range between recharges?
Ask the same question in the dead of winter. Most car heaters utilize excess engine heat to warm your car’s interior. Absent that free waste heat, do these cars have an energy sucking electric heater? Is it effective, and if so, what does it do to your battery life and car’s range between recharges?
In the Spring, people can drive around with the windows open and enjoy the novelty of it. Find me one that can transport me in comfort, year round, in all fifty states, and then we’ll talk.
Electric cars are improving, but they’re a long way from becoming the car of choice for a single car family or individual.
Why? Dirty how? They emit CO2, water and a few other trace things.
You don’t want to go all racist, but then link to a racist website? Now that the air is going out of the Denier balloon, are you testing the waters for taking your quaint blog down to the next level? Anyway, it’s not your fault you’re a racist, someone else was racist first.
The very fact that you don’t actually know means you’re either an uneducated fool or a brainwashed fool. Or both.
Using gasoline in combustion engines releases nitrogen oxidee, particulate matters,organic compunds, sulphur dioxide, carbon monixide, benzene, acrolein, formaldehyde, and others, not too mention simply leaving gas on the ground, which also gets into the water supply.
As to the other, do you thinking whining about “gentrification ” is racist?
If you consider “nitrogen oxides, particulate matters, organic compounds, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, acrolein, formaldehyde, and others, not to mention simply leaving gas on the ground, which also gets into the water supply” as dangerous costs to society (negative externalities) not included in the cost of fuel, who should pay those costs? The situation has clearly resulted from a market failure.
Why do you object to the gradual transition away from fossil fuel use by correcting a market failure?
A study from MIT in 2013 claimed over 50,000 premature deaths a year in the US alone from vehicle emissions.