The Impeachment Hearing Room

In Search Of The New “Holy Grail”: The SCEV “Self Charging Electric Vehicle or (The Unplugged Self Charging Electric Fuel-less Zero Emissions No Battery Exchange Electric Vehicle: 

(The Green Dream Machine Electric Car)

I am always surprised at the amount of response that I get on this subject, and I am glad to say that the dialog is becoming increasingly creative and informative. 

For instance the suggestion that I have been remiss, point well-taken, and that I could make a point by spelling out what you do not have to contend with in the “True Electric Vehicle”, like: the traditional: motor, driver train, gas tank, catalytic converter, exhaust system, radiator, clutch, vehicle computer and a whole host of repair bill polluting components.  Now please realize that here we are speaking of Non-Hybrid Electric vehicles without compromise, Fuel-less vehicles.

But let me digress for a few moments for the sake of providing a sense of perspective as regards things to come, later in this post, and in a larger sense in worldwide events.

Like some of you; I am a product of that generation that has had a “Love Affair” with the American Automobile.  Yes we were a generation that liked our cars big, or small and sleek, but always luxurious and powerful.  We asked Detroit for that type of product and they delivered it.  But when the tide was turning against that product and Detroit management began their campaign to offer vehicles the yuppie culture “needed” as part of their identity and life style, SUVs and the lot; the “Car Culture” hit a great divide and the market place became a glut of changing offerings, one after the other, without a sound response to the environmental issues identified planet wide and the economic issues creeping up on the industry.  Profit remained the singular motivation and the bottom line dictated all, and now here we are.

The days of my youth were those days when a family did its shopping on Friday nights or Saturday mornings and yard work was disposed of as well on Saturdays because Sunday was a down day that usually ended with an afternoon family drive somewhere just cruising for the sake of being on the road.  In my family it meant we ended the drive at either the local family ice cream/eatery, Roberge Dairy which also delivered our milk in the milk box on the back step.

Sound a bit nostalgic and a few years ago?  Well you’re right; my Grandparents had an ice box and an ice delivery service.  Doctors and insurance men made house calls, and our first TV was 10 inch black and white Hallicrafter.  You get the picture. 

My first automobile was a “classic”, a 4 door Black (of course) 1957 Chevy with the great 283 V-8 engine that earned me every speeding ticket I have ever had.  I grew up with that car purchased in my senior year in college, put 109,000 miles on it, filled it up every Sunday for $5.00 and became an expert in fixing it myself.  All you had to have was a small tool kit the trunk, spare generator brushes, and a spare fuel and water pump.  That did it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'57_Chevy

http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/625.cfm

The chevy 283 |  http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/625.cfm

When I turned it in I think I turned in my lead foot for a “bit of maturity” at the same time but not the love of big powerful American auto.   The big Oldsmobile 455 engine was next and I ran through a number of them!    

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_V8_engine

http://www.experiencefestival.com/oldsmobile_v8_engine_-_455

Oldsmobile 455 v8 engine (The Rocket) http://www.kitcarusa.com/kb.php?aid=77

A touch of insanity entered the picture with a couple of well-warranteed  The 400 cu in (6.6 L) B engine  (Mopar More Parts) Chryslers that needed every word of those warrantees. The engine was a winner the computer controller was an inconsistent dog and by the time that got that thing working I was  moving down to a modern classic, all power, but a classic consistent performer, you know you turn the ignition key and it works, repairs low frequency and mechanics so in love with it that they could just listen and diagnosis a repair… The Buick 3800 V6 engine | the 3.8L Buick Engine V6!

It’s been installed in over 25,000,000 cars since ’95 and is still being used in some applications even today. We trace the evolution of the 3.8L from 1988 to 2008 and see how it has changed through the years.

The Buick V6, initially marketed as Fireball at its introduction in 1962, is a large V6 engine used by General Motors.

Production of the renowned 3800 V6 engine was officially ended on Friday, August 22, 2008 when plant 36 was closed. There was a closing ceremony and speakers who extolled the virtues of the engine, but none that could give a definitive answer why they did away with it. Originally GM had set this date for January 1, 1999, however due to the vast number of complaints from both investors and customers because of the popularity and reliability of the engine, the date was extended. At the end of production, the LZ4 3500 OHV V6 will replace the naturally aspirated 3800 applications, and theLY7 3600 DOHC V6 will replace the supercharged 3800 applications

The Buick 3800 V6 engine

Love affair continued| http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/new/reviews/gap9624.html

But finally the reality of our times, life style, up keep, running costs and environment set in and even to the “Auto Love Affair Generation” a real need for change became obvious, at least to those with any common sense and intelligence. 

But before I move on down the road on this discussion there is a bit more on this matter of history and perspective to share for consideration, and that is the matter of our often feeling that we are being sold a bill of goods by corporations, government and the media, and that is because all too often we have been and continue to be, served up a truck load of pasture droppings.

I have a Seth Thomas pocket watch that commemorates “The End Of The Industrial Revolution” with every touch of craftsmanship in its find wind up mechanism that characterized the finest of that age, and adorned with the finest of hand engraving that is difficult to find any more.  It is an ironic piece. 

Ironic in that we Americans pronounced The Industrial Revolution as Dead and everything left from it except for Detroit we shipped abroad and/or out sourced and declared ourselves to be the new leaders of “The Age Of Technology And Information” as if we had seen this all coming and had prepared for the transformation.  What a crock!  That was the epitome of pontifical spin if there ever was one.  We had missed the boat, and as the information spiraled into existence we spent more time trying to control it than we did exploiting for our advantage and we found every way possible to outsource those aspects of it that dealt with resolving problems of all sorts!

But true to form we followed the proven path of the Industrial Revolution.  It started in this nation with the mass production of interchangeable parts slapped together on an assembly line of gun manufacture and so marched into this age with the depersonalization of war and the creation of smart weapons that could destroy even more efficiently human kind in computer game like indifference and the collection of information with which to control our society. Enough to this!

There are all kinds of exciting things happening in the arena of building the “Green Dream Car”, none of which hold the entirety of the answers and solutions at the moment but taken in the aggregate the answers are there!

Just remember, and as matter of providind continued perspective that  It is estimated that over 100,000 patents created the modern automobile. You can point to the many firsts that occurred along the way to producing the modern car; and with that goal in mind, highlighted below are articles, biographies, timelines, and photo galleries related to the history of the automobile and its many inventors.

A new History is about to written, a new record of patents will  be established and a new list of inventors will march into history and we should be supporting their ever effort and exploration.

While there are a whole host of experimenters and conversion kits to apply to “donor vehicles”, approaches in play, and while many of them constitute hybrid experiments I do not intend to demean or dismiss those efforts because quite frankly they offer options at success, progress, and the more options we have the better the final realization of the electric vehicle will be.

Unfortunately I have to say that Companies in Europe and the Far East are moving quickly and constructively in the direction I would have our own foot dragging automakers move. 

I have already staked out my position that hybrid offerings in America should be viewed as only short-lived transitional steps and the truth be known I would have this entire phase simply skipped in favor of R&D leading to the True Electric Vehicle.  We really don’t have the luxury of waiting around before making the technological efforts needed to get to the finish line and into production.

Nissan is moving full speed ahead with plans to introduce a pure electric car in 2010 for fleet customers in Japan and the United States.

Nissan is testing its lithium batteries in the Cube, a tall, boxy car sold in Japan. The vehicle's distinctive styling is reminiscent of the squared-off Scion xB.

The lithium ion battery pack will have 24 cells, each with four batteries.  We will have more to say by way of exploration of that battery technology and its evolution and possibilities later in this post.  The key for me is: Running on Empty: Cars that Never Need Gas.

*The Nissan VQ engine is the only engine to have been present on the Ward's 10 Best Engines list every year since the competition’s inception in 1995.

The Sierra Club supports the notion, as do I, that we can do it. http://www.sierraclub.org/wecandoit/home/electric_cars.asp

The real impediment at the moment is the issue of the battery or batteries.  Neil Young has provided enough of the answer in the Linc Volt to an on board recharging approach, no plug in, not station stopping for recharging or battery swapping, and you and I know that, that is the type of electric vehicle that is going to fly in the consumer market place.

No hybrid is going to revolutionize the automotive world.  Breakthrough battery could boost electric cars.  I’ll take that a step further.  Break through batteries will bring about the realization of the electric vehicle!  So let’s take a look at some the developing work and some almost science fiction technologies that are about to shake the world.

“Toshiba promises 'energy solution' with nearly full recharge in 5 minutes.” That’s nice but a continuous on board generator recharging system resolve3s over 90% of our problems.

TOKYO - A new battery that can be recharged to 90 percent capacity in under five minutes and lasts 10 years, (Now That We Standing Ovation Applaud), will start shipping in March, Toshiba Corp. announced this week, hailing it as "a new energy solution" for cleaner transportation.

Toshiba plans to initially make the quick-charging Super Charge ion Battery for electric bikes, forklifts, construction machinery and other industrial use. It can work in temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit.

A newcomer in rechargeable batteries, Toshiba said the lithium-ion battery could be used in hybrid and electric cars by 2010, Mochida said.  No Hybrids please!

Battery innovations are expected to be key in making hybrid vehicles more widespread, because lighter and easier-to-recharge batteries will improve efficiency. They could also spark mass-produced plug-in hybrids and even resurrect the idea of all-electric vehicles that use no fossil fuel.  The Resurrection is at hand!

"This is a truly innovative battery," said Toshiba Corporate Vice President Toshiharu Watanabe, emphasizing its potential "in the electronic vehicles markets as a new energy solution."

Most lithium-ion batteries in use now, such as those in laptop computers, require hours to recharge to full capacity, with the fastest ones requiring about half an hour.

Toshiba also said its new battery, which is estimated to last 5,000 charges, is unlikely to rupture or catch fire, problems that have beset some lithium-ion batteries used in laptops.

The Tokyo-based electronics maker expects global sales of the new fast-charging battery to reach nearly $900 million by fiscal 2015.

You can place money of the fact that their R&D will continue and the final product will exceed these specifications.  The question is when are we going to get on the stick?

A short stop at Wikipedia for some basic back ground; consider it a briefing if you will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle

• electric drive vehicle needs electricity, which comes from sources such as batteries or a generator. on-board rechargeable electricity storage system (RESS), called Full Electric Vehicles (FEV). Power storage methods include: chemical energy stored on the vehicle in on-board batteries: Battery electric vehicle (BEV)

• static energy stored on the vehicle in on-board electric double-layer capacitors

• kinetic energy storage: flywheels

How To Make Lithium Polymer Batteries For Electric Car

World's most powerful storage battery to be built.  This is included here because there are technological achievements in this project that can be applied to smaller scale battery developments and applications.  There are many such instances the we can draw from and learn from and apply to creating the dream vehicle.

Sony Develops World's Most Powerful Small Biobattery.  Here is another one!

Viruses to power batteries of the future.  And here is one that could rock the world!

Their most recent advance, detailed in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, involves stamping a base material, in this case silicon, so that the negatively charged M13 virus and positively charged cobalt can self-assemble based on their relative charges and the pattern of the stamp.

Eventually Belcher hopes to scale up virus-based batteries for larger devices like computers or even cars that wouldn't need a separate battery. The battery would instead be built into the surface of the car itself.

"It would be part of the manufacturing process," says Belcher. "What we do is provide the surface and the ions, and the batteries built themselves."

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/25/virus-battery-technology.html

And here is a good question and yet another avenue of exploration. 

For Cars of the Future, Will Batteries Be Required?

MIT professor Joel Schindall is developing ultra capacitors that could one day make battery-powered electric cars cheap, viable and fun to drive

Microengines: The Batteries of the Future http://www.ideasforlife.tv/watch/129

http://www.research-tv.com/stories/technology/nano/bb/

All I can say or Ask About this one is: “Do you see the possibilities?”

Researchers Deliver Electric Motor Achieving More than 1M rpm

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/11/researchers-del.html

15 November 2008

Researchers at ETH Zürich’s Department of Power Electronics have developed an electrical drive system in cooperation with its industrial partners that can achieve more than 1,000,000 rpm. Up to now, industrially-deployed motors have normally reached 250,000 revolutions per minute.

The new drive system generates an output of 100 watts and is barely bigger than a matchbox. The rotor construction has a titanium shell that is able to withstand extreme centrifugal forces and the ball bearings are optimized for extremely high speeds.

Conventionally, the higher the rotational speed, the more losses there are. But the researchers from ETH Zürich solved the problem with an especially low-loss stator. Ultra-thin copper wire is used for the windings which are inserted in a cylinder made of special iron previously unused for machines. In addition, the machine is fed by electronics specifically designed for such engine speeds.

The drive system was brought to fruition in collaboration with industry. The machine was manufactured by the German company, ATE GmbH, which specializes in the development of highly efficient electrical drives. The ball bearings came from the company, myonic, which is also based in Germany and has been manufacturing high precision miniature ball bearings for over 70 years. The construction of the whole system, the development of the electronics and the regulation of the drive system, however, was developed at ETH Zurich’s Department of Power Electronics.

Based upon the results of this research, Christof Zwyssig and Martin Bartholet, also a post-graduate in the same department, founded the spin-off company, Celeroton, in August 2008. The company will seek to provide ultra-high revolution electrical drive systems for different branches of industry and areas of application.

Celeroton is set to become a supplier for manufacturers of, for example, fast-spinning drill or milling machines. The trend towards increasingly smaller cell phones and other electrical appliances means that increasingly smaller holes have to be drilled for the electronics. This is only possible using a drive system that boasts a high rotational speed.

And it can be developed and applied to larger entities like automobiles!

SCEVS (Self Charging Electric Zero Emissions Vehicles) 

http://courtofimpeachmentandwarcrimes.blogspot.com/2008/05/america-is-running-out-of-gas-and-is.html

http://courtofimpeachmentandwarcrimes.blogspot.com/2008/07/electric-car-i-told-you-so.html

http://theimpeachmenthearingroom.blogspot.com/2008/11/neil-young-how-to-save-major-automobile.html

http://theimpeachmenthearingroom.blogspot.com/2008/11/scevs-self-charging-electric-zero.html

Neil Young: How To Save A Major Automobile Company

How To Save A Major Automobile Company - The Huffington Post.
www.huffingtonpost.com/neil-young/how-to-save-a-major-autom_b_143749.html

Find a new ownership group. The culture must change. It is time to turn the page. In the high technology sector there are several candidates for ownership of a major car and truck manufacturer. We need forward looking people who are not restricted by the existing culture in Detroit. We need visionary people now with business sense to create automobiles that do not contribute to global warming.

It is time to change and our problems can facilitate our solutions. We can no longer afford to continue down Detroit's old road. The people have spoken. They do not want gas guzzlers (although they still like big cars and trucks). It is possible to build large long-range vehicles that are very efficient. People will buy those vehicles because they represent real change and a solution that we can live with.

The government must take advantage of the powerful position that exists today. The Big 3 are looking for a bailout. They should only get it if they agree to stop building autos that contribute to global warming now. The stress on the auto manufacturers today is gigantic. In order to keep people working in their jobs and keep factories open, this plan is suggested:

The big three must reduce models to basics. a truck, an SUV, a large family sedan, an economy sedan, and a sports car. Use existing tooling.

Keep building these models to keep the workforce employed but build them without engines and transmissions. These new vehicles, called Transition Rollers, are ready for a re-power. No new tooling is required at this stage. The adapters are part of the kits described next.

At the same time as the new Transition Rollers are being built, keeping the work force working, utilize existing technology now, create re-power kits to retrofit the Transition Rollers to SCEVs (self charging electric vehicles) for long range capability up to and over 100mpg. If you don't think this technology is realistic or available, check out the Progressive Insurance Automotive X prize. Alternatively, check out Lincvolt.com or other examples.

A bailed-out Auto manufacturer must open or re-purpose one or more factories and dedicate them to do the re-power/retrofit assembly of its vehicles. These factories would focus on re-powering the Transition Rollers into SCEVs but could also retrofit and re-power many existing vehicles to SCEVs. These existing vehicles are currently sitting unsold at dealerships across America.

Auto manufacturers taking advantage of a government bailout must only sell clean and green vehicles that do not contribute to global warming. No more internal combustion engines that run exclusively on fossil fuels can be sold period.

No Big Three excuses like "new tooling takes time". New tooling is not a requirement for SCEV transition rollers.

Build only new vehicles that attain the goal of reversing global warming and enhancing National Security.

Government legislation going with the bailout should include tax breaks for purchasers of these cars with the new green SCEV technology. The legislation accompanying the bailout of major auto manufacturers must include directives to build only vehicles that attain the goal of reversing global warming while enhancing National security, and provide the financial assistance to make manufacturing these cars affordable in the short term while the industry re-stabilizes.

Eventually the SCEV technology could be built into every new car and truck as it is being assembled and the stop gap plan described above would have completed its job of keeping America building and working through this turbulent time. 

Detroit has had a long time to adapt to the new world and now the failure of Detroit's actions is costing us all. We pay the bailout. Let's make a good deal for the future of America and the Planet. Companies like UQM (Colorado) and others build great electric motors right here in the USA.

Use these domestic electric motors. Put these people to work now. This plan reverses the flow from negative to positive because people need and will buy clean and green cars to be part of World Change. Unique wheel covers will identify these cars on the road so that others can see the great example a new car owner is making. People want America to win!

This plan addresses the issue of Global warming from our automobiles while enhancing our National Security and keeping Detroit working.

Neil Young, activist (Bridge School, Farm Aid) rock legend, has assembled a team that is in the process of transforming his gargantuan 1959 Lincoln Continental from a gas guzzler into a showcase for green technology and sustainability. The car will be entered into the Automotive X Prize that offers a $10 million prize to develop a vehicle that can get 100 miles per gallon or better. The almost 50 year old Lincoln, one of the biggest, heaviest production cars of all time, has been re-named "Linc Volt" and is the subject of a feature documentary called "Repowering The American Dream" that is now in production under the aegis of Young's Shakey Pictures.

Here is a link to last month's New York Times story on the Linc Volt. Here are some photos of the car.

Neil Young: So You Want A Big Electric Car?

President-elect Obama's plan to put a million electric vehicles on the road in 10 years is doable and should be surpassed by its own momentum. As people discover the many advantages of electric vehicles (EVs), this momentum will build. Not only are these cars green and responsible, they also enhance National Security. From all we've been told about EVs we know a little. They are cleaner. We've heard about plugging them into our homes to recharge overnight. But most of us don't know much about electric cars yet.

The momentum of the Electric Vehicle Age will stem from enhanced performance, smoothness of acceleration, quietness, and superior control. The way an electric car can be tuned to behave a certain way for a certain driver allows for a whole new feeling in the driving experience. People just don't know how cool these cars are.

Existing designs can be manufactured as electric cars with no change to the tooling of the existing designs. Adapting kits are possible. Build electric versions on these existing tools to keep people working and get people interested in buying again. The technology to make these new electric vehicles exists today right here in this country.

From Wichita, Kansas we get this report: A 1959 Lincoln Continental repowered to be a self charging electric vehicle by a small group of engineers and local services, is now achieving up to 65 mpg in informal tests. Work there continues. The goal of the project is to attain up to and beyond 100mpg for the biggest and heaviest car made in 1959. The car has been driven in California and Kansas and shown to over 15,000 people. In an audience of 12,000, one tenth of the people raised their hands when asked if they would like to have a car like that. That Lincoln represents a future for Detroit. It is the possibility of Big Clean cars that do not promote Global warming. Let's build them now, as well as economical small clean and green electric cars and let's put people to work. We already have the existing tooling and the facilities and manpower.

From Detroit we get this report:

We have devoted significant resources to this project: Over 200 engineers and 50 designers are working on the Volt alone, and another 400 are working on related subsystems and electric components. That's how important we think this is, and that's how much stock we place in the future of extended-range electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt. - Tony Posawatz, Vehicle Line Director - E-Flex Systems and the Chevy Volt, General Motors Corp.

The GM, FORD and Chrysler CEOs then each boarded private personal business jets to be paid for by taxpayers money, and flew to Washington to ask tax-payers to give them a 25 billion dollar infusion to save hard working American's jobs. Have they changed direction but it's just too early for our senators and congress representatives to see it yet? I don't think so. Maybe introducing a new high-performance fossil fueled Shelby Mustang and jumping into a private jet to go to Washington for a bailout was not such a good idea. 

Efficient technology can power the existing designs we have today.

We don't need a car that looks different with a new sunroof over the back seat creating an air conditioning challenge as a feature.

We don't need new tooling to start building electric cars now.

We need kits to adapt what we are currently making to today's demands.

We need new thinking from new leaders and we need new perspectives from unions.

Today the news is Hybrids. Everyone is making them. Some of these hybrids offer very poor mileage in the 20-30 mpg range. They may be already on their way out because of the inherent inefficiency of their design. An electric motor and an internal combustion engine both driving the wheels in one car may not be the most efficient approach. Forward thinkers are wondering about that inefficiency and working on ways to solve it. Plug-in kits are now available for Prius and Ford Escape, allowing these vehicles to plug in for a re-charge, increasing their efficiency and reducing their negative impact on the environment. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) look like the future, but are they the future?

There are huge limitations. The battery is the biggest. An average EV is only good for a short trip before it needs a charge. Maybe 40 miles or so is a good estimate. Some electric cars get a long range like 100 miles before they lose power and have to recharge. The Tesla (a super light sports car) goes over 150 miles on a charge. Two things that all basic EVs have in common is they are small in size and they have to stop and re-charge. If you run out of power you are down. Just like gas.

To re-charge, you need a power source. It may be your home, or it may be your parking garage at work. It might be a charging system that is privately owned and is a business enterprise (Better Place), or it may be a public utility service (PG&E). You may have a cable to plug in that identifies you so your account can be automatically charged. One thing is for sure. You need to re-charge. So you are going to be more conscious of your energy use.

Not every EV has to plug in. For some, it's optional. Cars like the Chevy Volt have an onboard generator to re-charge batteries or power the car. These cars are Self-Charging EVs (SCEVs). That means on long trips you use gasoline. A long trip is over about forty miles in a Volt, on level ground. When the battery starts to die, an onboard generator rescues it and powers the electric motor, while slowly recharging the battery. This sequence cycles on and off while you take a long trip. Mostly the generator is on... using gasoline, a fuel widely seen as a National Security disadvantage. The Volt generator will charge the batteries faster if the car is not moving, by using gasoline. On short trips, you won't even use the generator. You will go the first 40 miles on plug-in power. An average commute in the USA is about 35 miles.

Efficiency in the self-charging electric car is the big decider. If the efficiency of your charging system allows you to make electricity with less financial cost than buying it from the grid, then your car can power your house and turn the meter backwards to reduce or eliminate your electric bill. Potentially, you may even be able to sell electricity to the grid someday. That would be a good reason to buy a SCEV with a highly efficient self-charging system. These cars are mobile power plants.

Big electric cars are left out of the story so far by major manufacturers. They have made some very poor hybrid SUVS. SUVs, big sedans, pick-up trucks are all by the wayside. They have been relegated to dinosaur status. But don't count them out. A big Self-Charging SUV with a super efficient self-charging system would create enough power to support 6 homes. You could be part of a distributed power system by using the grid backwards, selling power back to your Utility Company. In this approach, power enters the grid from plugged-in vehicles, avoiding the loss found in the lines when power comes to you from a central Power Plant located miles away. Imagine a big electric car that earns you income.

But you just wanted a big electric car. You may be surprised to know why size is important. Big SCEVs, while taking big power to run, and requiring large battery banks and big electric motors, will undoubtedly be getting up to 100 mpg or more in the near future. A big developmental car, Lincvolt, seen at Lincvolt.com , is proving this technology. Big SCEVs may well be earning you money while you are charging the grid. They may be recharging with super efficient self-charging systems, and even using Domestic Green bio-diesel fuel, a fuel that does not contribute significantly to Global Warming. Big may be an unexpected Green alternative.

The Bottom Line:

We are about to witness the demise of the electric vehicle being a curiosity with limited ability.  The real machine for the generation of cars on the auto show rooms is at hand.  All we have to do demand that they get there no later than 2010!

Despite what naysayers and nuts, foot draggers and perpetuators would like to pass off as reasonable explanations for  not changing anything when it comes to building The “TRUE”SCEV “Self Charging Electric Vehicle or ( The Unplugged Self Charging Electric Fuel-less Zero Emissions No  Battery Exchange Electric Vehicle) big enough, luxurious enough and fast enough to satisfy the needs and desires of the most crazed automobile addict are simply nonsense.  

The challenges are not overwhelming; the science and technology is not decades away.  It is here now and if we decide, if we declare like putting a man on the moon, that we are going to do it, and we put our money where our mouths are we can have the dream Green Machine vehicle on the road in 2010.

(The Green Electric Car)…

And then there will be the Green Truck, the Green Jet Aircraft, The Green Train, and on and on.  Then you can all come to Washington and join me at the Smithsonian to look at a fascinating relic from out of the past… The Dead Internal Combustion Engine!

For your further research:

The Total Electric Engine Search

LINCVOLT DESIGNED WITHOUT A BAILOUT!

http://www.lincvolt.com/gazette/gazette.html

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/01/31/update-on-neil-youngs-linc-volt-uqm-is-working-on-the-propulsi/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=the+history+of+the+electric+car&btnG=Search