why did America stop electric cars?

Question

Toyota had an electric car years ago that was banned in America. I saw this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MSBykAngDpY and this http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-6153394-7.html

we depend on too much fossil-fuel. we need electric, ethanol, hydrogen and all other types of alternate energized cars!!!

bubbs, thats what the 1st link is "Who killed the electric car?"

Answer 1

At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy freak, I do think the Oil Companies played a role in shutting down the electric car. Back in the early 1900's about 1/3 of the cars on the road were electric, and in the 20's a guy made one that could go 160 miles on a single charge. Imagine if we had continued to develop batteries and electrics for the past 100+ years. We wouldn't know what a gasoline engine was other then they were used in old times and they polluted and were expensive to maintain. But times are changing, companies like Tesla Motor Cars and Phoenix are developing new electrics with excellent range and fast charging capabilities. MIT has a prototype for transmitting electricity through the air and capacitors are being developed using carbon nano tubes to store vast amounts of power, yet recharge in seconds. The future is starting to look good for electrics. Fingers crossed they'll make it this time!

Answer 2

And just where do you plan to plug in the electric vehicle to charge those batteries? The vast majority of power plants in the U.S. are driven by some sort of fossil fuel be it coal, gas or diesel. America did not 'stop' electric cars. There are plenty of companies out there right now building electrics. Problem now is the same as it was back then -- they are slow, heavy, have a very short range and cost thousands more than 'conventional' vehicles do. So what's the appeal? Do you seroiusly believe that automakers wouldn't be churning them out by the millions if the buying public wanted them? In order for a free market society to work you have to allow the market to dictate what is produced. When the electric car becomes practical and inexpensive they will be everywhere.
PS -- if you believe that the evil oil companies are strong-arming the automakers into not producing electrics then you also believe black helicoptors are monitoring our every move.

Answer 3

money and apathy and misunderstanding
burning coal to make electricity to power an electric car is better than a gas burning car? says who?
1-we have electricty blackouts on occasion now, we do not have the required extra electricity available without using/building new energy sources-solar, wind, nuclear etc.
and that takes time
2-the problem of unifying all 50 state governments behind 1 uniform product should be obvious...each have there own fave corporation that helped get them elected and so feel loyalty to the corp instead of the world/people
it costs more to maintain a gas/diesel car than an electric....so we gotta keep the corporate dealerships happy with routine maintance fees
3-Hydrogen while abundant is not easily or ecconomically converted to fuel with todays technology just yet.

while some do recognize the need for change, until the government makes demands on the corporations by enacting legislation and not repealing it later and we elect leaders who can not be bought by those same corporations when the corporate CEO's and shareholders bottom line is threatened.
don't get me wrong corporations are necessary and useful but must be about more than just the bottom line. it is easy to slide into greed in a capitalist society...there must be checks and balances but when those in charge of keeping the balance ignore their duty to others (shareholders, employees, venders etc) for personal profit the system is corupted and eventually worthless to all except the greedy.
and when those greedy at the top get too greedy they fall as those below can no longer bear the strain and it all collapses
enron and the world bank for example....

Answer 4

They were crap cars and there were no spare parts so they would all have broken down and ended up being junked. They were only good in moderate climates, they would never have survived a Manitoba or North Dakota winter. There will be a new generation that will be a lot better. But they still have to figure out how to get enough heat for real winters and still have power to drive somewhere. And don't forget the US still has fossil fuel electricity, so until there is more nuclear, wind, wave, and hydro power, the electric car will not be the solution to America's problem.

Answer 5

what you-tube says I believe, the oil companies bribed the goverment to have the auto industries quit making them because they want a lot more profit, also the oil companies lowered the price of gas back down to reasonable prices and people forget about the high prices of gas and went back to buying what they really wanted in vehicles and the U.S automakers pushed the SUV's because thats where they make their biggest profit and the electric car died out due to this until recently when the gas prices spiked again and the same old routine begins again, you will see an electric car by 2010 by GM at least.

Answer 6

There's a documentary called "Who Killed The Electric Car" you should watch it, it's very enlightening. GM began manufacturing the EV1 in the 90's and it was very popular, then they recalled it and crushed them all, even though they said they were going to recycle them. It provides some good theories behind the downfall of the electric car.

Answer 7

the information on the instant is that the province of Ontario, the place the Zenn is synthetic, won't enable them on our streets. it particularly is inspite of that the autos meet all CDN federal standards for low speed automobiles, and that they are criminal in 40 5 of the 50 US states. The producer says that Ontario now needs the autos to fulfill all standards for top speed automobiles, inspite of that they are designed for low speed applications like the city of Toronto, the place the common speed is 20 mph (or maybe 30 km/h). right here we are in a province it particularly is in possibility of dropping a great part of its automobile industry, and Zenn is offering to lots of the international precisely the motor vehicle that the CDN and US governments are asserting we desire. however the Ministry of transport in Ontario , which so a great way as i comprehend nonetheless does no longer have even one engineer on paintings rigidity for assessment, has desperate to disallow those autos.

Answer 8

Oh stop it. You are all trotting out your favorite conspiracy theories, and there isn't a word of truth to any of them. There also is no super carburetor that gets 90 miles per gallon that the oil companies bought up and hid either, but that's a different story.

It's simple, and even quoted in the story.

Did you miss it?

Mary Nickerson, national marketing manager for Toyota, has a different take. Customers didn't want it.

Market driven, and...again...in case you missed it...

Customers didn't want it.

It didn't sell. End of story.

Answer 9

Dude, come on, wake up. Big oil did the kabosh. all fuel efficent vehicles, do help push hi fuel prices, needed for the gass guzzlers.