The Renewable Energy Blog

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Hybrid Car: Savior of the US Auto Industry?

Does it lie with GM, Ford or Chrysler? Probably not. Unless they end up using their resources to buy out smaller companies and their research, and marketing the bought-up technology as their own, innovation, particularly for the electric-hybrid vehicle, is turning to companies like Fisker Automotive, Aptera, BG Automotive Group, Tesla Motors, Phoenix Motorcars, Wright Speed, and a dozen or so others.

 As with any new technology, there is a Rogers’ bell curve, known as the technology adoption lifecycle that shows the the typical way folks adopt new tech products. Electric cars are slowly moving from the small percentage of innovators who grab up new technology as soon as it becomes available to the early adopters, who take a little longer to reach out. But the demand for electric or hybrid cars has been hampered by price ($7000-20,000 more than comparable internal combustion vehicles) and a lagging infrastructure that is reluctant to change as customers ask, “Where do I charge my car?” Another psychological road block for consumers to overcome: in a few years will electric auto technology still be there so the vehicle you purchased will be supported and repaired if it breaks down? A car isn’t a small investment. It makes the iPhone at $200-400 look like a hiccup financially if Apple decided to stop production and move top something else tomorrow. 

Can one of the new upstarts of the automotive industry gather momentum to allow electric hybrid vehicles to enter mainstream society? The obstacles: financial backing, national exposure, repair shop and refueling infrastructure, and the ability to overcome the skeptics. If electric car manufacturers are able to solve these and other factors they may be able to bring their prices in line with combustion vehicles. 

So while there is a growing interest and would-be demand for electric hybrid vehicles, the majority of would-be buyers are held in check.

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• Central Hudson decided to estimate my electric bill at 3.94 times what it would have been. Nice. #
• Used the air conditioning for the first time this summer last night. Saved around 1900 kilowatts on the electric bill for June-July. Cool! #
• Cool weather in the Hudson Valley has meant less electricity for air conditioning. Good reason for Central Hudson to inc rates for 2nd year! #

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• @joannayoung Tea is Great! Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Kenyan, Java, Nepalese = yum! in reply to joannayoung #
• Are CFL light bulbs really dangerous? If not handled safely the mercury in them can be. #

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• Is it any coincidence that OPEC suggested oil should be $70 per barrel and the price has reached that mark? Manipulation of supply & demand #
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