Comments on: Toyota to have 2010 plug-in; GM invests in cellulosic ethanol http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2008/01/13/toyota-to-have-2010-plug-in-gm-invests-in-cellulosic-ethanol/ Trends, happenings and innovations in the clean technology market Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:28:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2008/01/13/toyota-to-have-2010-plug-in-gm-invests-in-cellulosic-ethanol/comment-page-1/#comment-1730 Anonymous Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:32:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2008/01/13/toyota-to-have-2010-plug-in-gm-invests-in-cellulosic-ethanol/#comment-1730 GM is a company that is easy to hate ... but it looks to me like the company that brought us the Hummer is poised to really take the lead in the EV market. They dropped the ball, missing the hybrid thing completely, failing to realize that buck a gallon gas wasn't going to last forever. Toyota is ahead right now -- I love my Prius -- but the 2010 plugin announcement looks just like a "me too". They are promising limited production and only a 7 mile pure electric range. The GM volt is an EV with a gas backup; the plug in Prius is a hybrid with a little extra on the electric side. But now they seem to have awakened to a market ready for EV's, and GM has tons of data and experience from their previous EV work, as well as their work on hydrogen. The earlier EV product failed mainly because of cheap gas and inadequate battery tech. Gas isn't cheap any more, and advances in storage technology combined with GM's experience make it look real this time. GM is a company that is easy to hate … but it looks to me like the company that brought us the Hummer is poised to really take the lead in the EV market. They dropped the ball, missing the hybrid thing completely, failing to realize that buck a gallon gas wasn’t going to last forever.

Toyota is ahead right now — I love my Prius — but the 2010 plugin announcement looks just like a “me too”. They are promising limited production and only a 7 mile pure electric range. The GM volt is an EV with a gas backup; the plug in Prius is a hybrid with a little extra on the electric side.

But now they seem to have awakened to a market ready for EV’s, and GM has tons of data and experience from their previous EV work, as well as their work on hydrogen. The earlier EV product failed mainly because of cheap gas and inadequate battery tech. Gas isn’t cheap any more, and advances in storage technology combined with GM’s experience make it look real this time.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2008/01/13/toyota-to-have-2010-plug-in-gm-invests-in-cellulosic-ethanol/comment-page-1/#comment-1729 Anonymous Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:45:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2008/01/13/toyota-to-have-2010-plug-in-gm-invests-in-cellulosic-ethanol/#comment-1729 While Toyota says they'll have a PHEV by 2010 they also say that it will only be a few hundred 'test' vehicles. To my way of thinking that doesn't compare to production. I hope that the PHEV doesn't become just a publicity war. I want a technology war. I don't care if it's GM or Toyota so much, but I'd like to see a production PHEV with a 40 mile EV range and a 10 year life. I know most people just want the results, but I see GM's series electric as a step toward pure electric. I see Toyota's hybrid as a step toward hybrids. While Toyota says they’ll have a PHEV by 2010 they also say that it will only be a few hundred ‘test’ vehicles. To my way of thinking that doesn’t compare to production.

I hope that the PHEV doesn’t become just a publicity war. I want a technology war.

I don’t care if it’s GM or Toyota so much, but I’d like to see a production PHEV with a 40 mile EV range and a 10 year life.

I know most people just want the results, but I see GM’s series electric as a step toward pure electric. I see Toyota’s hybrid as a step toward hybrids.

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