why wont world governments produce a cheap environmentally friendly electric car we can all buy?

Question

Instead of taxing the hell out of us (as was in the news today), with no obvious intentions of improvining and extending the transport system (in the uk) to fight global warming (a noble cause) , why don't they put their heads together and develope a car we can all afford? it's about time!

Answer 1

I guess the only problem I have is that there happens to be alot of conflicting evidence that global warming is actually happening, and if it is that we are a part of it. I will admit that geologically we were recently in an ice age, but there is evidence that world temperature is relatively stable. Perhaps the only thing that everyone agrees on is that CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing, but they disagree with the effect that it is having.

Part of the reason for the car is that there is still alot of oil (contrary to what anyone says, we are not even close to using the worlds supply. The US has the largest supply in the world in the Green River Shale, but there is not enough need to justify the expense of processing it.) and it is easier to make cars that run on oil. The technology is too expensive.

Further, take into accoung that fuel is only a small percentage of what oil is used for. Petroleum is ised as fuel, lubricants, plastics, chemicals, etc. We encounter it in every part of our lives. Simply changing the fuel source for cars will not solve the problem (assuming that one exists).

To truly solve the environmental issues that the world has, it is not about our source, as much as it is about our consumerist mentality. We make too many things to be thrown away and not reused. We need a change in mentality for things to change. Technology does not solve our problems by itself.

Answer 2

Which governments produce cars? I know of private companies that make cars. I think what you are wanting is for the government to give away free electric cars.

The main thing keeping electric cars off of the market is that no one wants to buy them at the price it would take to make them. Take an economics class and bring up this subject for discussion with the teacher. You will learn a lot.

Yes, it is possible to make an electric car that is affordable but with sacrifices. The car market wants a certain amount of potential speed, carrying capability, and acceleration. To make an car comparable to what the public wants would cost way too much. Plus, the maintenance is more than what the public wants to keep up with.

Also, as mentioned before, the electricity for the car has to come from somewhere. Solar cannot do the job, because we do not have efficient panels that are affordable. Other environment friendly alternatives just can't cut it. Imagine, in California what it would be like if everyone drove an electric car. The state would be one giant blackout because there is not enough electricity to handle everything.

Now here is an idea to get a car that might fit the bill. You probably have a few million other people who also want the same thing. Don't trust the government to do the job. Have you ever known anyone to accuse the government of being efficient and getting the job done right. Some politician will look at the funds for this project and want them for his/her own special needless project and try to get it or bureaucracy will bog it down. Besides, where will they get the money for it. The government will just raise taxes on us to fund the electric car project. Instead, form a corporation. Get the few million people to buy into it and build the car yourself. I know it is a lot harder than it sounds, but that is the way to get something like this.

Answer 3

Contrary to what someone said above, charging electric cars' batteries off mains electricity is more efficient and less polluting than putting petrol into even a highly efficient petrol car (or diesel into a diesel, for that matter). Power stations are much more efficient at turning the energy in their fuel sources into power than cars are at doing the same thing with petrol. A large proportion of the energy released in a petrol or diesel engine is heat, which has to be disippated (and wasted) through the radiator to stop the engine overheating.

Most electric vehicles use lead-acid batteries, which can be recycled. More modern electric vehicles use Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries, which have a higher power density, so they'll store more energy, allowing for longer journeys. They're also recyclable.

Electric cars are rare and relatively expensive because their market is too small. There's no reason the workers that make petrol, etc, cars couldn't make electric cars, so I can't see it causing mass unemployment if people made the switch to electric cars. In the meatiime, before electric cars become more popular and affordable, car pools are an excellent way of cutting car use, ssaving money for drivers and reducing pollution.

Answer 4

Governments are generally lousy at producing things - whether its electric cars or anything else.

They might be able to create favourable economic conditions for a private company, or collection of companies to produce such a vehicle, but I can't see one government alone succeeding let alonea collaboration of them - productivity declines in proportion to the power of the number of goverments involved in a project.

I'm sure that if they put all the money collected from green taxes into a development project it would turn out to be the most awful turkey (probably another Sinclair C5).

However I suspect if they put a fraction of that money as prize for designing and developing some kind of eco-friendly car substitute the combined creative talent unleashed would produce something with real commercial potential.

Government is the art of the possible. They know how to tax but they don't know how to create.

Answer 5

Governments can only control what is in front of them now. Large corporations have to concentrate on products they can sell. A viable electric car will be developed by some individual or small group. Just like the light bulb, airplane, steam engine, or about any other development you can think of. The biggest hurdle right now is the battery. Very heavy for the amount of energy they store.

Answer 6

Because goverments are composed of politicians; not inventors, engineers and scientists. A government capabilty to design and produce consumer goods is zero, all they can do is provide incentive to companies to design such products (through grants and subsidies, or tax reductions, or even through legislation), and to tax consumers so that the alternative choice becomes more attractive.
If affordable, environmentally friendly transportation was easy to develop, it would have been made already. The development of advanced products costs a lot of money, and no one wants to pay for it. You can have it quick, you can have it good, and you can have it cheap; but you are not allowed to pick all 3, you have to choose 2. It can be made quick and good, but it will cost a lot.
For the cheap and good, be prepared to wait. That is where we are.

Answer 7

Right now, if the gov't produced a great environmentally friendly car, it would cost the world millions. All the people who work for the oil companies would be out of jobs, most of the people who work for car companies would be out of jobs, people working for the gas stations would be out of jobs, the money to keep up highways provided by the gas tax would dry up and by the time the new upgrades were developed for the old cars, our economy would terrible.

So yes, they definately need to come up with something, but slowly so it doesn't destroy us. Oil is one of the legs of the world's economy and if you cut that leg off we will fall... hard. It could cause a world wide depression.

That being said, I think the oil companies are being unethical in raking in the highest profits in history by huge percentages, while the rest of us struggle to pay their prices.

Answer 8

I have an electric car but after i've travelled 25 metres the plug gets yanked out of the socket and I just come to a standstill.

Answer 9

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Such a thing is possible, but we have to pressure our governments if we want it. But frankly, most people aren't aware of the advancements in electric cars, they are exposed to disinformation from petroleum interests, and they think there are fatal problems with electric cars, when in fact these drawbacks are minimal or non-existant.
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Let's start with the fallacy that electric vehicles pollute. Electric cars are many times more efficient than gas vehicles (a gas engine is 25% efficient, electric motors are 95% efficient.) Electric cars are also the only vehicle to refuel by wire (the electric grid is 95% efficient.) By contrast, gasoline must be delivered to gas stations by dirty and inefficient trucks. And by the way, refining gasoline makes pollution, too.
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The vast increase in efficiency of the electric vehicle means that much less pollution per mile is generated, even when dirty fuel is burned at the plant. But a significant fraction of our electricity now comes from clean sources. So the amount of pollution attributable to electric vehicles is actually very small.
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So now, how about the batteries? First of all, all battery types are recylclable. But the most modern EV battery is the Li-Ion battery. The EPA here in the USA does not consider Li-Ion batteries to be an environmental hazard, because lithium quickly combines chemically into a salt (much like sodium and chlorine, which are very dangerous chemicals, but when combined into table salt, are harmless.)
On the other hand, motor oil and coolant from gasoline cars ARE environmental hazards. Neither of these fluids are needed in an electric car.
In fact, here's what the EPA says about fumes from gasoline cars:

"Emissions from cars contain many different noxious gases, including several known human carcinogens. In fact, the EPA estimates that automobile fumes account for over 50% of all cancers attributed to outdoor causes."

Clearly, the gasoline car is the far greater environmental hazard.
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Next, how about EV cost? All we are talking about is economy of scale. Remember, when VCRs and DVD players first came out, prices were pretty close to $1000 for those gadgets. What do they cost now? Maybe $50? This is what will happen to EVs as well, if they catch on.
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But here's a more immediate example. Electric vehicles are far more popular in China than they are elsewhere. Here's the website of an EV distributor there, looking for distribution partners. Look at the prices for his electric cars (they are in US Dollars), all of which get over 100 miles per charge. Prices start at $6500!
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http://www.fevehicle.com/services.html
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How can these prices be so low? The answer is that electric vehicles are actually SIMPLER to make than gasoline cars. electric motors have only ONE moving part! When electric cars are made in volume, by mass production, prices will eventually be CHEAPER than what we pay now for cars.
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Due to recent advances in battery technology, many electric vehicles are currently in development, mostly in Asia. Hopefully we will start to see some of these cars in the next few years.
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But if you want an electric car now, the chepest way to go is a conversion. You won't get the latest battery technology (because of patent issues), but you can't beat the price. You can get a converted car that does freeway speeds and handles like a normal car for as little as $5000. Details here:
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http://www.squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car/
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Answer 10

Because the fossil fuel lobbyist have their dirty hands in everything. And the corrupt politicians, corporate conglomerates, and wealthy elites with whom these lobbyists associate don't seem to mind one bit. So basically, it all comes down to the almighty dollar...GREED and SELF-INTEREST.