Comments on: Q: Who Killed the Electric Car? A: It’s Own Simplicity http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:15:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Abel http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-9299 Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:34:14 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-9299 <p>the lack of demand was a total lie. i never heard of the EV1, or EV versions for RAV4 or other cars. really... never heard of it before i watched the movie. i always thought the electric cars were crap, just like those retarded solar powered cars that looked like UFOs.</p> <p>i just watched the movie, and got really pissed off about it. c'mon, i would LOVE to exchange my car for an electric car.</p> the lack of demand was a total lie.
i never heard of the EV1, or EV versions for RAV4 or other cars.
really… never heard of it before i watched the movie.
i always thought the electric cars were crap, just like those retarded solar powered cars that looked like UFOs.

i just watched the movie, and got really pissed off about it.
c’mon, i would LOVE to exchange my car for an electric car.

]]> by: elmo033057 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-6116 Thu, 01 May 2008 18:20:44 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-6116 <p>Gee and I though the conversion kits for electric bikes was expensive.</p> <p>ELMO</p> Gee and I though the conversion kits for electric bikes was expensive.

ELMO

]]> by: Daniel http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-5774 Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:44:01 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-5774 <p>Agreed that EV's have a simple design,and better perspective,then how can they be killed, with efforts from ZAP and other's I think they will come back with a deeper approach !</p> Agreed that EV’s have a simple design,and better perspective,then how can they be killed, with efforts from ZAP and other’s I think they will come back with a deeper approach !

]]> by: patrick http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-5470 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:23:03 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-5470 <p>Watched "Who Killed the Electric Car" recently (great documentary), then i heard that GM and Tesla are making another run at the electric car (yay for progress!) hopefully development of this technology can continue forward uninterrupted by the powers that depend on oil consumption.</p> Watched “Who Killed the Electric Car” recently (great documentary), then i heard that GM and Tesla are making another run at the electric car (yay for progress!) hopefully development of this technology can continue forward uninterrupted by the powers that depend on oil consumption.

]]> by: Andrew http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-4950 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:13:46 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-4950 <p>The government doing this is nothing new. Google "Tucker Automobile" and see the similarities.</p> The government doing this is nothing new. Google “Tucker Automobile” and see the similarities.

]]> by: Anthony http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-4582 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:14:09 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-4582 <p>Did anyone notice durin the film, "Who Killed the Electric Car", when one women protester was arrested she was places in plastic handcuffs and another was places in less comfortable metal hand cuffs. Draw your own conclusions. I just want to know did anyone else notice that occurence of bias. Also, notice how the arresting officer appeared to been threatening the woman with a colapsable metal rod while she was cuffed. We are a nation being manipulated in failure in order to make a few more billionaires. The same planned obsolescence bulit into are cars is built into out thinking from top to bottom.</p> Did anyone notice durin the film, “Who Killed the Electric Car”, when one women protester was arrested she was places in plastic handcuffs and another was places in less comfortable metal hand cuffs. Draw your own conclusions. I just want to know did anyone else notice that occurence of bias. Also, notice how the arresting officer appeared to been threatening the woman with a colapsable metal rod while she was cuffed. We are a nation being manipulated in failure in order to make a few more billionaires. The same planned obsolescence bulit into are cars is built into out thinking from top to bottom.

]]> by: The Imperial Shark http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-3159 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 05:16:05 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-3159 <p>http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/ElectricCarDemand</p> <p>Sign this petition if you truly want to make a difference and force the auto manufacturers to make the electric car available once again to us on the retail market. ITS TIME WE TAKE A STAND!</p> http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/ElectricCarDemand

Sign this petition if you truly want to make a difference and force the auto manufacturers to make the electric car available once again to us on the retail market. ITS TIME WE TAKE A STAND!

]]> by: Roben http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-1214 Fri, 09 Mar 2007 06:49:44 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-1214 <p>Hi Morgan,</p> <p>Thanks for the comment.</p> <p>This part definitely made me smile:</p> <blockquote> <p>"It must be a helpless feeling to believe every power in the world is aligned against technological advancement in automobiles."</p> </blockquote> <p>I actually do believe this, or something like it. And not just in the case of automobiles. One of the hallmarks of our era is that sometimes innovations don't happen because more money can be made by not innovating. </p> <p>For example (note that I am not saying any of these are happening, they just illustrate my point):</p> <p>Why would you cure cancer if you were selling a $50 a day pill that keeps patients alive? Why would you pursue alternative energy sources if you already had so much infrastructure (power-plants, transportation vehicles, pipes, etc...) in place for oil?</p> <p>In regards to your question, "so by what mechanism did they stop any competition in this area," the point isn't that they stopped competition. The point is that it doesn't make sense for a <em>car company</em> to build this car because it threatens their revenue stream from selling combustible engine automobiles. If the electric car is not just better, but <em>way</em> better than a traditional combustible engine car, then all of a sudden that makes the factories, equipment, old-stock, manufacturing personal, and salespeople used for building and selling combustible engine cars obsolete.</p> <p>Which brings me to your final point wondering "why hasn’t that same mechanism been used to stop the Tesla?" Telsa Motors is a <em>Silicon Valley startup</em>. In other words, they have no revenue stream based on selling combustible engine automobiles that could be disrupted by the new technology in electric cars. In fact, I would argue that the content in my original post actually points to the <em>likelihood</em> of a company <em>outside the automobile industry</em> building and marketing this product. </p> <p>Finally, I am certainly not an economist or an expert on the auto industry, I am only an advocate of building simple and innovative products. The point of my original article was just that simple things break less. And sometimes just breaking less is a really really big deal. However, I would say that do believe that capitalism in it's current has state does have some problems with respect to providing incentive to innovate.</p> Hi Morgan,

Thanks for the comment.

This part definitely made me smile:

“It must be a helpless feeling to believe every power in the world is aligned against technological advancement in automobiles.”

I actually do believe this, or something like it. And not just in the case of automobiles. One of the hallmarks of our era is that sometimes innovations don’t happen because more money can be made by not innovating.

For example (note that I am not saying any of these are happening, they just illustrate my point):

Why would you cure cancer if you were selling a $50 a day pill that keeps patients alive? Why would you pursue alternative energy sources if you already had so much infrastructure (power-plants, transportation vehicles, pipes, etc…) in place for oil?

In regards to your question, “so by what mechanism did they stop any competition in this area,” the point isn’t that they stopped competition. The point is that it doesn’t make sense for a car company to build this car because it threatens their revenue stream from selling combustible engine automobiles. If the electric car is not just better, but way better than a traditional combustible engine car, then all of a sudden that makes the factories, equipment, old-stock, manufacturing personal, and salespeople used for building and selling combustible engine cars obsolete.

Which brings me to your final point wondering “why hasn’t that same mechanism been used to stop the Tesla?” Telsa Motors is a Silicon Valley startup. In other words, they have no revenue stream based on selling combustible engine automobiles that could be disrupted by the new technology in electric cars. In fact, I would argue that the content in my original post actually points to the likelihood of a company outside the automobile industry building and marketing this product.

Finally, I am certainly not an economist or an expert on the auto industry, I am only an advocate of building simple and innovative products. The point of my original article was just that simple things break less. And sometimes just breaking less is a really really big deal. However, I would say that do believe that capitalism in it’s current has state does have some problems with respect to providing incentive to innovate.

]]> by: Morgan http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-1211 Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:36:45 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-1211 <p>So by what mechanism did they stop any competition in this area? Killing off their own car is one thing-- but somehow they kept the world from developing a competing technology?</p> <p>And if you do really believe they stopped all competitors, why hasn't that same mechanism been used to stop the Tesla?</p> <p>If our auto regulations weren't so onerous, I'd be driving a half-width CommuterCar just like George Clooney. But with the path to market being absolutely clogged with red tape, it can only be sold as a kit, and thus not in high volume.</p> <p>It must be a helpless feeling to believe every power in the world is aligned against technological advancement in automobiles.</p> So by what mechanism did they stop any competition in this area? Killing off their own car is one thing– but somehow they kept the world from developing a competing technology?

And if you do really believe they stopped all competitors, why hasn’t that same mechanism been used to stop the Tesla?

If our auto regulations weren’t so onerous, I’d be driving a half-width CommuterCar just like George Clooney. But with the path to market being absolutely clogged with red tape, it can only be sold as a kit, and thus not in high volume.

It must be a helpless feeling to believe every power in the world is aligned against technological advancement in automobiles.

]]> by: Hunter Baker http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-88 Fri, 06 Oct 2006 15:11:05 +0000 http://1percenter.com/2006/08/30/q-who-killed-the-electric-car-a-a-simple-product/#comment-88 <p>I think what killed the electric car was its own terrible performance. Demand creates additional supply and nobody wanted the EV1.</p> I think what killed the electric car was its own terrible performance. Demand creates additional supply and nobody wanted the EV1.

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