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Interesting EV commentary at an investment site

Discussion in 'EV (Electric Vehicle) Discussion' started by richard schumacher, Dec 30, 2010.

  1. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Why Energy Storage Investors Must Understand Newton's Laws - Seeking Alpha

    The author has a vested interest in a technology (PbC batteries) which is not well suited to HEVs, but nonetheless I found his analysis to be a useful corrective to the gee-whiz enthusiasm one often sees.

    Of course NiMH batteries have proven themselves for ten years now in three generations of Prius, a full HEV application which is much more demanding than start-stop micro-HEVs. Will carmakers want to take the risk of using a newer less-proven technology, such as Axion's PbC batteries?
     
    #1 richard schumacher, Dec 30, 2010
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  2. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    While I don't share his pessimism about the penetration of electric cars, since he seems to ignore the effects of peak oil, I certainly agree with his closing statement:

    In a developing industry, most companies will go bust, and a very small number will become wildly successful. When Apple started out, e.g., it was one of many small computer companies. Most of the rest went bust.

    Inertia, while not absolute in human affairs as it is in physics, is still a powerful force, as he states. But economics tells us that when a commodity (in this case gasoline) becomes expensive enough, people will stop using it. I expect electric cars to catch on because I expect much higher gas prices down the road.
     
    #2 daniel, Dec 30, 2010
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