MURDER, POLITICS, AND THE END OF THE JAZZ AGE
by Michael Wolraich
|
|
The Electric Car, Unplugged
By Donal on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 7:48pm |
[John M Broder] The future would appear bright for the electric car. Gasoline prices are high. The government is spending billions on battery technology. Auto companies are preparing to roll out a dozen new electrified models. Concern is growing about the climate impacts of burning oil. And tough new fuel economy standards are looming.
Yet the state of the electric car is dismal, the victim of hyped expectations, technological flops, high costs and a hostile political climate. General Motors has temporarily suspended production of the plug-in electric Chevy Volt because of low sales. Nissan’s all-electric Leaf is struggling in the market. A number of start-up electric vehicle and battery companies have folded. And the federal government has slowed its multibillion-dollar program of support for advanced technology vehicles in the face of market setbacks and heavy political criticism.
URL:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/sunday-review/the-electric-car-unplugged.html
- 772 reads